1998 Halibut Landing Report No. 5

Near-Shore Washington Sport Halibut Fishery Opens

Fishery managers have agreed to changes to the regulations for the Area 2A sport fishery off the south coast of Washington. A shallow-depth subsection of the south coast of Washington area, from the Queets River south to 47°00'00" N. lat., and east of 124°40'00" W. long. will open 7 days per week, beginning June 26, 1998, until 36,648 pounds (16.6 mt) are estimated to have been taken, after which all sport fishing for halibut in the south coast of Washington area between the Queets River and Leadbetter Point will be closed. The purpose of this action is to allow halibut taken as bycatch in shallow-depth sport fishing trips to be retained, rather than discarded.

The all-depth sport fishery in this area is scheduled to close when 1,000 pound (0.45 mt) are projected to remain in the subarea quota. Immediately following that closure, the season would reopen in the shallow-depth area , and continue every day until the full 36,648 pound (16.1 mt) subarea quota is estimated to have been taken.

The best available data on June 16, 1998 indicates that as of June 14, 1998, 31,327 pounds (14.2 mt) of halibut have been taken in the area from the Queets River south to Leadbetter Point, Washington. Catch rates for this subarea are significantly lower than occurred in past years, lengthening the directed sport season over duration of past seasons. Because the directed halibut fishery is restricted to five days per week, halibut must be discarded when caught incidentally on fishing trips directed at other species, on days when halibut may not be landed (Friday and Saturday). A small number of halibut are taken from the shallow depth area, where a significant rockfish sport fishery occurs. Allowing halibut landings for 7 days per week from this area will eliminate unnecessary discard of incidentally-caught halibut. Any halibut landed from the shallow-depth fishery on a Friday or a Saturday prior to the all-depth closure will count against the all-depth fishing quota of 35,648 pounds (16.1 mt).

-END-