The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) completed its 97th Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, on Friday (Jan. 29), with decisions on total halibut mortality, fishery limits, fishing dates, and other fishery regulation changes for the upcoming season. A total of 278 Pacific halibut stakeholders attended the meeting electronically due to Covid-19.
The 2021 Pacific Halibut commercial fishery catch limits went up significantly for fishermen in the regulatory Area 3A, the Central Gulf of Alaska, with a 26.95-percent increase from just over 7-million pounds available in 2020, to nearly 9-million pounds this year.
All other areas but two saw an increase in poundage from last year. Area 2A, Washington, Oregon and California remains unchanged at 870,000 pounds, while Area 4-C, D-and-E, the Eastern Bering Sea, will see a drop of nearly 3.5-percent, or about 60,000 pounds.
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