KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — Biologists for the International Pacific Halibut Commission say the sustainable halibut catch may be only half of its current level.
The Kodiak Daily Mirror (http://bit.ly/fPBLA5 ) says commission biologists presented their preliminary data Wednesday to the IPHC board at a meeting in Seattle. The board will make a final decision on 2012 catch limits at a meeting in Anchorage from Jan. 24-27.
Biologists say without adjusting for past overestimates, 2012's Pacific halibut limit would be set at 33 million pounds, down from 41 million pounds in 2011. If an adjustment was made for past overestimates, the sustainable catch limit may be as little as 15.3 million pounds across the entire North Pacific.
Biologists do not know why their estimates have been consistently too high.
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Information from: Kodiak Daily Mirror, http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com
Comments (5)
Add commentSimple-look who's by far
Simple-look who's by far taking the largest amount of halibut and slash their catch!Any idea's on who that may be?It's not the sportsmen!
Been talked about before
Years ago it was said that the fisheries and the foreign boats were taking too much, nothing was done. Nothing will be done now either because too many people get kick backs and the people who subsistence fish are the ones who will suffer the most.
Bycatch
Bycatch is the reason the estimates have been high. Only meaningful bycatch reforms and regulatory enforcement will help the halibut population rebound. Also, the increases in the pacific cod populations and dogfish populations should be looked at as well.