Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Is 37-inch halibut rule about to be scuttled?

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, meeting in Anchorage this morning, is expected to discuss a possible move to relax the new 37-inch size limit on halibut retained by charter boat anglers in Southeast Alaska (Area 2C).

More details later today.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great news for people pushing for 100% retention of all edible ocean tasties. Bad news for Halibut derby fisherman. Why give incentive to throw away small fish and catch the largest spawners anyways?

mike

Anonymous said...

The IPHC and NOAA need to get there head out of there _ _ _and make a rule that will help the halibut resource. All large female halibut over 100 lbs be released they are the (seed of the resource) and hanging them by the tail at the dock has to stop!! did you know that a 300lb halibut is 50 years old and produces approx 2 million eggs PLEASE remember that next time you shot one in the head just so you can put it in your fishing brochure??and why do the seafood plants pay more for the large halibut?? how many 38" halibut will be gaffed in the head just to measure and throw back??? if you where a logger and you cutt down all the trees in the woods would you expect to have any trees to cut the following year???? By releasing the large female halibut is the single most produective thing anyone can do yo help the halibut stocks!!! Also the State of Alaks needs to wake-up and limit the amount of charter boats!!

Anonymous said...

all sport and charter fishing should be hook and release!the charter captains resource is called atourist the fisherman resource is called a halibut untill the longline fisherman organize and bring a class action lawsuit aganist nmfs and noaa and any talk is meaningless aganist the deep pockete of the tourism industry and there well funded lawsuits.how would the charter halibut fisherman feel if the commercial halibut fisherman blockaided every cruise ship that came in the summer and demanded that half the tourist coming off the ship could only go with the commercial fisherman?think about it!give the tourist an adventure in alaska hook and realease!if you want to give them halibut to take home buy ifq's are stay in your GHL!!!!

Anonymous said...

Did you hear the Alaska Charter Association guys on KBBI radio in Homer saying, "there could be unpleasant consequences" if Alaskan sportfishermen attempt to catch their own halibut without using a charter?
Check it out - KBBI Coffee Table August 24th.
The halibut charter industry is starting to show their true colors - they want ALL the halibut in Alaska.