A one-day workshop on determining and incorporating the impacts of halibut bycatch mortality in non-target fisheries and mortality of sublegal fish in halibut fisheries in the assessment and management of halibut stocks was held in Seattle, WA on Tuesday, September 29, 2009. Among the topics covered at the workshop were:

• Review of current and historical levels of halibut bycatch mortality
• Review of historical methods by which the Commission has accounted for bycatch mortality in management of the halibut stock
• Methods of estimation of bycatch mortality in non-target fisheries
• Incorporation of bycatch mortality estimates and non-commercial removals in the halibut stock assessment and harvest policy
• General impacts of bycatch mortality from non-target fisheries on halibut productivity and yield
• Impacts of non-local bycatch mortality on fisheries yield of individual IPHC Regulatory Areas
• Progress on bycatch control and management in other jurisdictions
• Methods employed to reduce non-target halibut bycatch mortality in the northeast Pacific Ocean

Background reading material and Presentations

Bycatch Workshop minutes and Staff's response to participant comments