Our Mission

Current Issues (12/30/19):

Recreational Quota Entity (RQE). The RQE allows charter interests to purchase a limited amount of commercial quota share in area 2A/3A. The final RQE rule was published 9/21/18 and is effective 10/22/18. The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation attached RQE language to S.906 - Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act on 12/05/19 and Placed it on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 316. Once this legislation clears Congress, the Council would still need take regulatory action.

NPFMC Allocation Review. The NPFMC is scheduled to review the allocation between the longline and charter sectors for areas 2C/3A in 2021. Analysis will begin spring/summer 2020.

Annual renewal of charter halibut permits. The final rule was published Nov 20 and goes into effect Dec 20, 2019. It is anticipated that this will result in the revocation of some non-transferable permits. Halibut rental boats. At the December 2019 meeting the Council decided to take no further action on the analysis and instead decided to ask other organizations could to come up with more information. More

2020 Halibut Charter Management Measures were scheduled for final action at the December Council meeting. 2C was able to provide recommendations but 3A was not due to limited data at low stock levels. The Council will take action on 3A measures at the February meeting and will then forward 2C/3A recommendations to the IPHC.

BSAI Halibut Abundance-based Management. The Council continues work on this issue. More The next Council action is tentatively scheduled for June 1-10 in Juneau.



Halibut Calendar

• Feb 3-7, 2020. IPHC Annual Meeting, Anchorage
  
  
• Feb 26, 2020. 21st Session of the IPHC Research Advisory Board, Seattle
  
  
• May 11-14, 2020. 15th Session of the IPHC Management Strategy Advisory Board, Seattle
  
  
• Jun 23-25, 2020. 16th Session of the IPHC Scientific Review Board (SRB016), Seattle
  
  
• Sep 22-24, 2020. 17th Session of the IPHC Scientific Review Board (SRB017), Seattle
  
  
• Oct 19-22. 16th Session of the IPHC Management Strategy Advisory Board (MSAB016), Seattle
  
  
• Dec 1-2, 2020. 96th Session of the IPHC Interim Meeting (IM096), Seattle
  
  
• Jan 25-29. IPHC Annual Meeting, Victoria

2011 Charter Operators vs Locke (Halibut Charter Limited Entry)

• Bench Order Denying Preliminary Injunction on Limited Entry (CHP) (4/26/11)
• Plaintiffs reply in support of their motion for PI (4/18/11)
• Federal response to motion for PI (4/12/11)
  
• Plaintiffs complaint for review of action and PI (4/4/11)
  
• Plaintiffs memo in law for support of PI (4/4/11)
  
• Plaintiffs motion for PI (4/4/11)

2009 Charter Lawsuit

The Halibut Coalition Speaks Out

• Halibut Coalition Comments to NPFMC on Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (9/25/12)
  
  
• Halibut Coalition Comments on Catch Sharing Plan Proposed Rule (9/21/11)
  
  
• Compass: Keep halibut catch sharing facts in mind (9/19/11) By Brent Western
  
  
• Point/Counter Point. Without plan, commercial fleet unfairly burdened (9/3/11)
  
  
• Halibut Coalition Comments on SBA Involvement in 37" Charter Halibut Rule (6/8/2011)
  
  
• Halibut Coalition Requests International Pacific Halibut Commission hold 2C Charter to GHL (12/30/10)
  
  
• Halibut Coalition Speaks Out on Halibut Charter Moratorium Rule (6/4/09)
  
  
• Fact or Fiction? Halibut Fishing in Southeast Alaska (5/26/09)
  
  
• The One Halibut Per Day Charter Rule: The Facts (5/20/09)

In the News:

• IPHC on Preliminary NMFS Observer Data (11/25/13)

• 2010 NMFS Report to the Halibut and Sablefish Fleets (8/19/11)

• Coaliton Asks Council to Urge NMFS to Take Action to Keep 2C Charter Fleet Within GHL in 2010 (12/7/09)

• Commercial fishermen face 26% decrease in halibut limit (12/15/09)

• Halibut allocation battle to continue in Washington court (8/7/09)
  
  
• Halibut charters unlikely to win, D.C. judge says (6/26/09)
  
  
• Judge upholds one-fish limit for Southeast halibut charters (6/4/09)
  
  More "In the News" articles