NOAA Fisheries announces the closure of the 2026 Area 2A non-Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery. As of September 21, 2026, the directed commercial fleet harvested an estimated 96% of the 261,211-pound (118 mt) allocation, net weight. NOAA Fisheries determined there is not sufficient allocation remaining for an additional fishing period that would not risk exceeding the 2A non-Tribal directed commercial allocation.
Preliminary Harvest Estimates
- Fishing period #1 (June 23-25): 65,129 pounds (30 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #2 (July 7-9): 50,633 pounds (23 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #3 (July 21-23): 44,127 pounds (20 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #4 (August 18-20): 51,837 pounds (23 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #5 (September 1-3): 13,574 pounds (6 mt) net weight caught
- Fishing period #6 (September 15-17): 26,345 pounds (12 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.
