Cracking down on halibut bycatch

The National Marine Fisheries Service is amending regulations to tighten halibut bycatch limits on Bering Sea bottom trawlers known as the Amendment 80 fleet.

Now that NMFS is taking this final action, we'll wait to see whether the fleet sues the agency.

Halibut box closes in on trawl fleet

The National Marine Fisheries Service has approved a measure to tighten limits on halibut trawl bycatch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

The action is aimed at a fleet of nearly 20 factory trawlers known as the Amendment 80 sector.

The measure replaces the fleet's current static bycatch limit with one based on halibut abundance. It took years to develop and comes over the fleet's strenuous objections.

Here are three letters from companies who urged NMFS not to approve the measure:

Fishermen's Finest

North Star Fishing

United States Seafoods

Now that the government is finalizing the halibut measure, it'll be interesting to see if the Amendment 80 fleet challenges the action in court.