The situation with the halibut survey

The International Pacific Halibut Commission will meet in special session on Oct. 31 to talk about the setline survey.

The annual summer survey is crucial for managing the halibut fishery. But it's facing serious financial challenges as the halibut stock struggles.

"The spawning biomass of Pacific halibut is near the lowest levels observed since the 1970s and catch rates in nearly all IPHC regulatory areas are at or near the lowest levels observed in 40 years," says this brochure posted on the IPHC website.

The commission historically has paid for the survey by selling catches, but low catch rates and low fish prices coupled with rising costs have created a funding crunch, the brochure says.

In the special session, commissioners plan to discuss survey design for 2025 and beyond.