Murkowski thanks the commerce secretary

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, yesterday posted the following on Facebook:

I'm hearing from halibut and sablefish IFQ fishermen that their permits are beginning to be processed. Thank you, Secretary Lutnick, for working with me to help get Alaskans on the water in time for the opener.

Maxing out

The 2023 cost recovery fee percentage for the halibut and sablefish individual fishing quota program is 3 percent.

That's the maximum allowed under law and a big jump from the 2022 fee percentage of 1.9 percent.

What accounts for the increase?

The National Marine Fisheries Service explained in a Dec. 28 notice published in the Federal Register:

Between 2022 and 2023 there was a net increase in management costs and a net decrease in fishery value. Management costs increased by approximately 15 percent while fishery value decreased by approximately 34 percent. The net decrease in value was due to lower ex-vessel prices and landings for both halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries.

IFQ permit holders must submit their 2023 fee payments to NMFS by Jan. 31.

IFQ transfer denial

The National Marine Fisheries Service is denying a COVID-related request for another season of halibut and sablefish IFQ transfer relief.

Here's the letter.

Continuing COVID relief

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has passed a motion requesting emergency regulations to "allow the temporary transfer of catcher vessel halibut and sablefish IFQ for all individual quota share holders for the 2022 fishing season."

Kodiak fisherman draws prison time, $1 million fine

Details in this press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Anchorage.

North Pacific Council approves IFQ transfers

Here's the motion as passed.

More COVID relief for halibut, sablefish fleet?

Here's a letter asking for emergency action to "allow those individuals that have IFQ in their own names to be exempt from being on a vessel when their quota is being fished."

A blow to owner-onboard fisheries?

Tomorrow is a big day for individual fishing quota (IFQ) halibut and sablefish players.

In a special meeting starting at noon, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider emergency proposals to liberalize quota transfer and vessel cap rules.

The effect of such changes could be substantial consolidation of the catch under fewer fishermen and fewer boats.

Such consolidation was certainly not one of the desired outcomes when fishing under IFQ management began in March 1995.

The coronavirus is the impetus for these proposals. Proponents believe the rule changes would help the industry reduce the risks of spreading the virus among fishermen and communities, and could spare many quota holders the costs of travel during the pandemic.

Proponents also note the substantially lower prices paid for halibut so far this season.

The council has received numerous written comments about these and other proposed rule changes. You can read it all here.

The relaxed quota transfer and vessel cap rules, if approved, would be temporary for this season, which has a long way to go before it closes on Nov. 15. But these steps would surely raise concerns about the erosion of a fundamental goal of the IFQ program — the preservation of owner-onboard fisheries.

A legal matter

The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that amortization of commercial fishing permits and quota shares may not be deducted from income for child support purposes.

Much more detail in this very interesting 18-page opinion.

F/V Aleutian Sable fined $156K

Federal authorities have posted their national enforcement report for the first six months of the year.

One Alaska case carries a $156,091 penalty:

F/V Aleutian Sable — Owner and operator were charged in eight counts under the Magnuson-Stevens Act for failing to maintain a wheel watch on the vessel; for harassing observers, having the purpose or effect of interfering with the observers' work performance, or otherwise creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment; for failing to notify the observers, on multiple occasions, at least 15 minutes before fish were brought on board to allow the observers to sample the catch; and for retaining Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) halibut on board the vessel in excess of the total amount of unharvested IFQ halibut applicable to the vessel category and Regulatory Area 4A in which the vessel deployed fixed gear, and in excess of the IFQ that was currently held by all permit holders aboard the vessel. A $156,091 NOVA (Notice of Violation and Assessment of Administrative Penalty) was issued.

See the report for lots more Alaska enforcement actions, including cases that have settled.

The ex-husband wins

Here's an interesting opinion from the Alaska Supreme Court in a case involving a marital dispute over individual fishing quota.

About those hired skippers

When Alaska's halibut and sablefish fisheries went to individual fishing quotas in 1995, regulators envisioned predominantly owner-operated fisheries. That is, IFQ holders should be on the boat when the fish are caught.

In 2010, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council began hearing reports that progress toward the owner-onboard goal was slipping.

The reason was the expanding use of "hired skippers."

IFQ holders increasingly were employing other people to run their boats and harvest the halibut and sablefish. What's more, they were buying additional quota and using hired skippers to catch that fish, too.

Original quota recipients are allowed to use a hired skipper. Regulators recognized it was a widespread practice prior to IFQs. And they figured it would subside as fishermen retired.

The council saw, however, that the transition to owner-onboard fisheries actually was moving in the opposite direction.

A federal analysis found that between 1998 and 2009, the number of original recipients using hired skippers in the halibut fishery increased from 110 to 210. Halibut IFQ landed by hired skippers went from 7.9 percent to more than 19 percent.

A similar trend was seen in the sablefish fishery.

Officials now are moving to tighten regulations on hired skippers.

A proposed rule would bar an original recipient from using a hired skipper to harvest IFQ acquired after a cutoff date of Feb. 12, 2010.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking comments on the proposed rule through May 28. Read the Federal Register notice here.

IFQ for sale

The state is inviting offers for "repossessed" individual fishing quota.

Here's a public notice with more information.

That's a wrap for halibut

The halibut fishery closed at noon Sunday after an eight-month season.

As usual, fishermen holding individual fishing quota left very few halibut in the water. According to National Marine Fisheries Service figures posted today, IFQ fishermen took 42,075,201 pounds or 97 of the quota.

Going into the season, halibut producers worried about the effects of the global recession on demand for what has become quite a pricey fish.

Based on all the anecdotal evidence I've seen and heard, prices did fall off a bit this year, but not as badly as we might have expected.

I'll try to get better data to see what really happened.