FishWatch

Harvesting Pacific Halibut

Commercial fishermen predominantly use bottom longlines, (setlines) to harvest halibut. Salmon troll gear (as bycatch), hand-lines, and jigs also are used to commercially harvest halibut. Only hook and line gear is allowed to target halibut. Setlines minimally impact habitat but they can unintentionally catch seabirds and other fish, including undersized halibut and other groundfish. Fishermen must use seabird avoidance devices called streamers, which effectively reduce seabird bycatch by as much as 90 percent per vessel. In general, the commercial halibut fishery is fairly selective in the fish it catches because of the size of the hook needed to harvest such a large fish – using a large hook generally reduces bycatch of smaller fish. Fishermen use circle hooks to increase catch rates, but the hooks also improve the survival of any undersized halibut caught and released during commercial fishing. To reduce bycatch of other groundfish, regulations prohibit commercial Pacific halibut fisheries in specific depths and areas off the West Coast.

Pacific halibut is a popular target for sport fishermen (see below) and an important part of many tribal cultures. Many tribal members continue to participate in commercial, ceremonial, and subsistence fisheries.

Pacific halibut are also caught in commercial fisheries targeting other species. Because halibut is a fully exploited resource, this bycatch must be returned to the sea with minimum injury. Estimates of the amount of halibut killed as bycatch have ranged from 10 to 13 million pounds coastwide since 2000. About 95 percent of bycatch occurs off Alaska in fisheries targeting groundfish. U.S. and Canadian fishery management agencies are responsible for managing halibut bycatch. In the Canadian and U.S. west coast trawl fisheries, bycatch is managed through individual bycatch quotas. In Alaska, halibut bycatch is managed with annual bycatch limits.

Management

Who’s in charge? The United States and Canada coordinate management through a bilateral commission known as the International Pacific Halibut Commission ; NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific and Pacific Fishery Management Councils are responsible for allocating allowable catch among users in the U.S. fisheries.

Current management: Using the latest scientific information on the abundance and potential yield of the halibut stock, the Commission annually establishes total allowable catch levels for fisheries in U.S. and Canadian waters. They set the total allowable catch at a level that will ensure the long-term welfare of the halibut stock. They also set the dates for the fishing season, which usually spans from March to November and is closed the rest of the year when halibut spawn. In addition, the commercial fishery has a 32-inch minimum size requirement to protect juvenile halibut.

Alaska:The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is responsible for allocating the total allowable catch among users and user groups fishing off Alaska and developing regulations for the fishery, in line with Commission recommendations. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for implementing and enforcing these regulations. Examples of these programs include:

• Individual fishing quota program, which allocates the total allowable catch among fishing vessels and individual fishermen. With their catch set, fishermen have the flexibility to harvest their quota anytime, creating a safer, more efficient, more valuable, and environmentally responsible fishery.
• Community Development Quota (CDQ) Halibut Program, which allocates a percentage of the total allowable catch to eligible western Alaskan villages to allow them to participate and invest in fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and to support sustainable economic and community development in western Alaska.

West Coast:The Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office establish regulations for halibut fisheries in U.S. waters off Washington, Oregon, and California (Area 2A). The Commission sets the total allowable catch for halibut in this regulatory area, and the Pacific Council allocates the catch among the following user groups: non-tribal commercial (incidental salmon troll fishery, directed longline halibut fishery, and incidental longline sablefish fishery), sport, and treaty Indian commercial and ceremonial-and-subsistence. The Pacific Council describes the division of halibut catch each year in the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2A.

Annual Harvest

About 2 percent of the halibut population that can be fished is found off Oregon and Washington, about 15 percent off British Columbia, and the remainder off Alaska. U.S. and Canadian commercial fishermen harvested an estimated 39.2 million pounds of Pacific halibut in 2011. About 75 percent of this harvest was landed off Alaska.

Economy

Halibut is one of the most valuable commercial and recreational fishery resources in the North Pacific Ocean.

Recreational

Halibut supports a major recreational fishery off Alaska and the West Coast. The sport fishery in Alaska is managed under daily bag and possession limits. Recreational fishermen often fish for halibut from charter (party) boats. The Alaska charter fishery now accounts for 55 percent of the total recreational harvest in Alaska. The charter fishery has more restrictive regulations to keep its harvest within the levels set by managers, including a permit system that limits the number of charter boats that can fish for halibut.

Oregon, Washington, and California have catch limits for recreational halibut fishing. The demand for halibut sport fishing is so high that closed seasons, bag limits, and possession limits are all used to control the recreational fishery and extend the season as long as possible.