Alaska waters are expected to see a total halibut allocation of 55.83 million pounds, a minimal reduction from the 2006 quota of 55.26 million pounds. However, within Alaska waters, the IPHC staff recommends cutting the quota in area 2C, Southeast Alaska, by 30 percent, from 10.63 million pounds in 2006 to 7.5 million pounds in 2007.
All other areas in Alaska should see slight to moderate increases. Area 3A, which covers the central Gulf of Alaska, is expected to go up about 3 percent, from 25.2 million pounds in 2006 to 25.9 million in 2007. Area 3B, covering from the south end of Kodiak Island to Unimak Pass, should see the greatest increase in terms of pounds, from 10.86 million pounds in 2006 to a recommended 12.83 million pounds in 2007, a jump of about 16 percent and almost 2 million pounds.
The areas that cover the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea are expected to reverse the downward trend of recent years and should see tangible increases. In area 4A, the eastern Aleutians, IPHC staff recommends an increase from 3.35 million pounds in 2006 to 3.98 million pounds in 2007, also up about 16 percent. Area 4B, western Aleutians, should see an increase of 300,000 pounds, to 1.97 million pounds. Areas 4CDE, which cover the Pribilof Islands and Bering Sea, are expected to go up about 3 percent, from 3.55 million pounds to 3.65 million pounds.
A short list of regulatory proposals is also on the IPHC annual meeting agenda.
There is the perennial proposal to shorten the season by moving the start date, proponents of which argue that it is a burden on the processors to keep the doors open for so little volume early in the season, and that a later start date would allow for better dispersal of halibut stocks after spawning. Opponents of the shorter season, mainly fishermen, contend that the longer fresh halibut is on store shelves during the year, the less threat there is from farmed halibut. The 2005 season start date was Feb. 28, and in 2006 the IPHC set a compromise start date of March 5. The proposal before the commission at this meeting is for a March 15 start date.
Other proposals include allowing retention of halibut bycatch in the sablefish trap fishery in British Columbia, requiring area 2C fishermen to use circle hooks, and reducing the guided sport bag limit in area 2C and 3A.
The proposals can be viewed online at http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/. The IPHC meeting began Tuesday and runs through Friday.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also designs and builds gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist. She can be reached at cristy-fry@excite.com.
Harvest allocations are based on IPHC staff recommendations, and it is rare for the commission to make significant changes to those recommendations. The 2007 staff recommendation is for an overall harvest of 66.56 million pounds of halibut, a reduction of about 5 percent from last year. That figure includes halibut caught in British Columbia and on the West Coast. The overall 2006 quota was 69.86 million pounds.
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