The International Pacific Halibut Commission announces the following agenda for its meeting scheduled for May 7, 2012. The purpose of this meeting is to receive the Performance Review report from CONCUR, Inc., a U.S.-based firm contracted by the Commission, in cooperation with the U.S. and Canadian governments, to perform the Review. The Review, which was announced at the 2011 Annual Meeting, is expected to build upon the Commission’s work to-date and ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness. The public is invited to participate in the meeting via a webinar; registration can be found at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/699272266.

Quota Share Commercial Fisheries Update

The 2012 quota share halibut fisheries opened on March 17. It is estimated that the following catches and numbers of landings were made in the Alaskan IFQ fishery through April 16, 2012 and in the British Columbian IVQ fishery through April 15, 2012. No Alaskan Community Development Quota (CDQ) landings have been made in 2012.

A public workshop to examine several issues related to Pacific halibut bycatch and life history is planned for April 24-25, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. The two-day workshop is jointly sponsored by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC).

The first day will consist of a series of presentations by staffs of IPHC, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and independent scientists and fishing industry representatives on topics related to bycatch estimation, management, and its effects on halibut harvest strategy, as well as halibut growth and migration. The second day will consist of discussions of the previous day’s topics by a science panel, including audience participation. A summary report of the workshop presentations and discussions will be prepared by an independent facilitator, and is expected to be available by May 16, 2012.

The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) will be conducting research operations off Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska during 2012 and will be selling halibut caught during the operations to offset costs associated with conducting the survey. This news release is intended to notify the industry of the IPHC plan to sell fish and seeks offers for fish sales arrangements from interested buyers.

The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is seeking a vessel to collect underwater observations of fish hooking behavior on modified hooks using a light-weight drop camera during the late spring or early summer of 2012 in southeastern Alaska (Area 2C). The vessel chartered need not be a longliner, although it will need to have a pot or longline hauler to deploy and retrieve a camera frame. Captain and crew must have some experience fishing for halibut and rockfish in the chartering area. The charter is expected to last for 10-14 days. While the specific charter dates are flexible, we are expecting to conduct this trip during late May or early June.