The July 11 non-treaty commercial fishing period in Area 2A resulted in a catch of about 80,000 pounds, leaving 70,926 pounds in the directed commercial catch limit.

Area 2A will reopen on July 25 for 10 hours from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time. The fishery is restricted to waters that are south of Point Chehalis, Washington (46^o53’18"N. latitude) under regulations promulgated by National Marine Fisheries Service. Fishing period limits as indicated in the following table will be in effect for this opening.

The fishing period limit is shown in terms of dressed, head-off weight as well as dressed, head-on weight, although fishermen are reminded that regulations require that all halibut from Area 2A be landed with the head on.

The total allowable incidental commercial catch of halibut allocated to the Area 2A salmon troll fishery was 34,046 pounds. Preliminary catch estimates indicate that the catch limit was taken when the fishery closed on July 11. Therefore, the incidental halibut fishery during the salmon troll season is closed for 2001.

The all-depth recreational halibut fishery between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain will be open for two-days on Friday and Saturday, August 3 and 4, 2001. Action was taken under the Catch Sharing Plan to transfer 12,000 pounds from the Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain inside 30-fathom curve fishery to allow for two days of fishing. The additional 12,000 pounds was necessary to cover the projected 78,000 pounds of harvest.

The Washington Puget Sound sport halibut fishery (east of the Sekiu River mouth) closes as scheduled by regulation on July 22, 2001 at 11:59 p.m.

A preliminary estimate of the harvest from July 1 through July 4, 2001 by the Washington North Coast sport halibut fishery (Sekiu River to the Queets River) indicates that the overall harvest limit of 108,030 pounds was exceeded by 1,463 pounds. Therefore, the Washington North Coast sport halibut fishery is closed for the remainder of the year.