On August 6, 2026, NOAA Fisheries published an inseason notice (91 FR 50726) implementing a fourth fishing period for the 2026 Area 2A non-tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery. The total allocation for this fishery is 261,211 pounds (118 mt), net weight, with an estimated 103,549 (47 mt) remaining.
4th Fishing Period Dates
- A fourth fishing period will open on August 18 at 8:00 a.m. and will close on August 20 at 6:00 p.m.
4th Fishing Period Limit
The fishing period limit (vessel catch limit) for the fourth fishing period is equal among all vessel size classes, set at 5,000 pounds (2.268 mt), dressed weight (head-on with ice/slime).
Preliminary Harvest Estimate
- Fishing period #1 (June 23–25): 69,839 pounds (32 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #2 (July 7–9): 48,876 pounds (21 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #3 (July 21–23): 38,902 (18 mt) net weight caught
Other Regulations and Resources
Regulations listed above are only a partial list of applicable regulations. Some helpful links to more regulations and resources include:
- The 2026 non-Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery website.
- The West Coast Pacific halibut website.
- Pacific halibut fishery regulations at 50 CFR Part 300 Subpart E.
- IPHC regulations adopted annually by NOAA Fisheries (91 FR 14464 and on the IPHC website).
- West Coast Groundfish compliance guides, commercial fishing website, and regulations.
Questions?
Contact the West Coast Region Pacific halibut team at nmfs.wcr.halibut@noaa.gov.
