Comments Wanted on Alaska Halibut Bycatch, Management Proposals
Halibut stakeholders can weigh in on two issues of importance: halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea and management of the Pacific halibut fishery.
On bycatch, after six years of discussion, the North Pacific Council is poised to have Bering Sea bottom trawlers targeting flatfish abide by the same rules as all other halibut users.
A fleet of 19 trawlers, all Seattle-based and including several Alaska Native CDQ boats, have had a fixed cap on how many halibut they can take as bycatch, whereas yearly catches for Alaska commercial, sport, charter and subsistence fishermen fluctuate according to the health of the halibut stock.
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