Permitting and Management Regulations for Area 2A Pacific Halibut Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries announces creation of a permitting system for the Pacific halibut commercial and recreational charter halibut fisheries in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Area 2A off of Washington, Oregon, and California. This action is taken under the authority of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982.

In addition, this action establishes a regulatory framework for the Area 2A Pacific halibut directed commercial fishery that, consistent with the allocations and coastwide season dates set by the IPHC, allows NMFS to annually determine dates and times the fishery is open and set harvest limits for those periods of time. These permitting and management activities for Area 2A are currently performed by the IPHC; under this rule, NMFS will implement these Area 2A-specific permitting and management activities.