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.