Halibut News

Halibut fishing in 2007 is expected to be awesome! Washington & Oregon will have decent seasons and Alaska will not go to a more limited halibut fishing season. Story below.

Alaska and British Columbia will also enjoy decent halibut fishing this season!

Good luck this summer, enjoy your halibut fishing.

Halibut seasons click here

Keep watching for updated news.  If you find or know of any halibut news we'd appreciate your help in keeping everyone up to date on all halibut news, including halibut derbies, halibut closures, etc.

 

RFA Successfully Lobbies for Alaska's Halibut Fishermen

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the
International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) proposing a 50 percent cut
in Halibut catch for Alaska's recreational anglers, the charter boat
industry in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska were facing the threat of a
potentially crippling reduction. The IPHC proposal would have reduced the
state's current bag limit from two halibut per day to only one, placing a
severe strain on an industry that thrives on the high demand of anglers,
both resident and non-resident, seeking halibut in Alaskan waters.
    Last month the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) launched an intense
lobbying effort with the full force of its entire membership, including a
letter writing campaign to Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez and
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. To further reinforce their efforts,
RFA officials and Capt. Greg Sutter of the Alaska Charter Association met
with high level Commerce and State Department officials to ensure that
IPHC's proposal would be rejected. "Although the IPHC voted to cut our bag
limit, the decision was still subject to the approval of our government",
stated Capt. Greg Sutter.
    As the result of RFA's lobbying efforts, both U.S. Commerce and State
departments rejected the proposed regulation. Members of the sportfishing
community knew that a one-fish bag limit on halibut would not only
devastate Alaska's recreational and tourism industries, but also undermine
the recently re-authorized Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA), which mandates that
all proposed regulations consider public input. According to RFA Executive
Director Jim Donofrio, "We have fought long and hard to guarantee that
decision-makers listen to, and respond to, the concerns of recreational
anglers."
    RFA continues to support and defend the rights of Alaska's
sportfishermen as it has for the past twelve years. A debt of gratitude is
owed to Dr. William Hogarth, Director of the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), for rejecting IPHC's proposed cuts and maintaining Alaska's
current two halibut bag limit.
    Contact: David Miller, RFA, 1-888-564-6732 or dmiller@joinrfa.org