2023 Pacific Halibut Directed Commercial Fishery
Summary
NOAA Fisheries has issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register (88 FR 22992) for the 2023 Pacific halibut directed commercial fishery annual management measures in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California.
This action proposes the 2023 management measures for the directed commercial fishery in Area 2A in response to the framework recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. These measures include the fishery opening dates and duration, and catch limits by vessel size class and are primarily intended to provide opportunities for commercial fishermen to achieve but not exceed the directed commercial fishery allocation.
The 2023 allocation for the Area 2A directed commercial fishery is 257,819 pounds (116.94 mt).
Proposed Fishing Periods
First period: June 27, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. – June 29, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
Second period: July 11, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. – July 13, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
If the allocation has not been attained nor is projected to have been attained within the two announced fishing periods, additional fishing periods may be announced as soon as practicable.
Proposed Vessel Limits
| Vessel class | Vessel length (feet) | Fishing period limit (pounds) |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1–25 | 2,716 |
| B | 26–30 | 2,716 |
| C | 31–35 | 2,716 |
| D | 36–40 | 4,092 |
| E | 41–45 | 4,092 |
| F | 46–50 | 5,454 |
| G | 51–55 | 5,454 |
| H* | 65+ | 6,136 |
Fishing period limits for any additional fishing periods will be set at the same amount for each vessel class.
* Please note that after publication of this proposed rule, NMFS found a typographical error in the vessel limits table. NMFS had intended to publish the length range for vessel class H as 56+ feet consistent with Table 1 at 50 CFR 300.63(g)(1)(ii)(B). However, NMFS transposed the numbers in the proposed rule and incorrectly stated that the vessel class H was 65+ feet.
Additional Information
- Pacific Halibut Fishing on the West Coast
- The NOAA Fisheries Pacific halibut hotline at (800) 662-9825 has the most up-to-date information for recreational Area 2A fisheries.
- International Pacific Halibut Commission Regulations