The controversial unguided halibut angler issue will kick off the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting on Feb. 5 in Anchorage. The action comes by request from the International Pacific Halibut Commission after its annual meeting earlier this month.
The action responds to a proposal submitted to the IPHC that aims to rein in unguided, private halibut fishing that allows individual anglers to fish anywhere, anytime and with no size limits – in sharp contrast to regulations imposed on guided sport charters. These DIY (Do it Yourself) businesses, mostly out of lodges in Southeast and South Central regions, operate by providing the vessels, rods, bait, GPS coordinates, etc. but not the personnel.
This chart shows the regulatory differences:
The IPHC’s stated purpose for deferring the measure to the Council is: “To ensure that any proposed reduction to the unguided recreational Pacific halibut daily bag limit in Alaska is supported by region-specific biological and socio-economic information provided by the United States, and include analyses developed in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, prior to adoption by the Commission.”
IPHC letter to NPFMC
Below is a January 26 letter to Angel Drobnica, NPFMC chair, from David Wilson, Executive Director of the IPHC —…