29 May 2020
SEATTLE – The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has today adopted a reduced footprint Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS) for 2020.
The decision to reduce the 2020 FISS footprint to 898 stations from the originally planned 1,283 stations (~30% reduction) was taken as a result of the impacts and restrictions that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our field operational capacity and concern for our fishing communities coastwide.
The annual IPHC FISS typically operates within a three-month time window (1 June to 31 August) each year. With the reduced number of stations in 2020, the 2020 FISS will be completed within a reduced timeframe from 1 July to 31 August 2020, to allow communities and the IPHC to effectively respond and have mitigation measures in place in the face of the pandemic, while keeping operations within the standard time window.
The IPHC is working closely with our vessel captains and crews, setline survey specialists, and logistical support companies to ensure the success of the 2020 FISS. In doing so, we have developed and are currently implementing clear guidelines and protocols for the 2020 FISS to address the special circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 operating environment.
For further information please contact the IPHC Secretariat at secretariat@iphc.int or 206.634.1838.
Revised 2020 FISS design. Each circle represents a FISS station targeted for sampling in 2020.
IPHC Secretariat
International Pacific Halibut Commission
2320 W. Commodore Way, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98199-1287
206-634-1838 | www.iphc.int
