Halibut News

Halibut fishing in 2009 should be better than last year. However, we do have some changes, especially in Washington, B.C. & Alaska.  Last year Washington's inside waters provided the best halibut fishing in recent memory. As a result the Washington Department of Fish & Game cut the season by two weeks. This year the inside waters open April 23rd and closes June 5th. As of March 22 the halibut are in the area and quite prolific on Salmon Banks on the west side of San Juan Island. If the halibut continue feeding in the area the opener should be awesome!

British Columbia continues to adjust their halibut fishing season. There first move last year was to close the fishery toward the end of the year, a measure they had not previously taken. This year anglers will not be able to have a three fish possession limit because Fisheries & Oceans Canada reduced the daily limit to one from two and reduced the possession limit to just two halibut.  Please read the notice below.

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2009 halibut fishing season

Subject: FN0100-Halibut: Further to FN0037 - Coast wide Opening and Limits 

Further to Fishery Notice FN0037:

The department has completed its initial consultations with the recreational 
sector and based on comments received, will implement a coastwide opening of 
the recreational halibut fishery: 

Coastwide:
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Effective at 00:01 hours March 1, 2009 fishing for halibut will be opened 
coastwide. The daily limit at the start of the season is one (1) per day with a 
possession limit of two (2). 

The exception to this opening is:

Areas 121, 23 and 123:
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Effective 00:01 hours March 1, 2009 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2009:

- No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121 
outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees 
34.000 minutes North latitude and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes West longitude and 
continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 
degrees 28.327 minutes North latitude and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes West 
longitude.

- Electronic licence conditions will be continued as follows:
"no person who is not a Canadian resident may fish for or retain halibut under 
this licence in management Areas 121, 23 and 123." 


In an effort to open the recreational fishery while some key issues with 
respect to the 2009 management plan remain unresolved, the initial halibut 
retention limit will be one per day, two in total possession. The department 
expects to complete its consultations with the recreational sector on the 
halibut management plan for 2009 before the end of February, including 
examining the feasibility of increasing the daily limits. The plan will include 
measures for monitoring and evaluating the catch in-season. Any changes in the 
management plan following these consultations will be announced in a subsequent 
Fishery Notice.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bill Shaw 604-666-3271 and Gary Logan 604-666-9033.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0100
Sent February 24, 2009 at 14:16
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca