5 January 2023
SEATTLE – Commercial and recreational charter vessels retaining Pacific halibut in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Area 2A were previously licensed by the IPHC. The NOAA Fisheries final rule (87 FR 74322) implementing the management transition in the IPHC Regulatory Area 2A to the NOAA Fisheries was published on 5 December 2022 and became effective on 4 January 2023.
NEW APPLICATION DEADLINES:
- more than two months earlier than the previous IPHC deadline for the directed commercial fishery licence applications (as of 2023, 15 February),
- two weeks earlier than previously required by the IPHC for the incidental salmon and sablefish fisheries (as of 2023, 1 March).
- Charter vessels retaining Pacific halibut must obtain a permit 15 days prior to the start of fishing.
OTHER NOTABLE CHANGES: NOAA Fisheries is also requiring application information in addition to what the IPHC required; specifically, those applying for directed commercial fishery permits must provide vessel length documentation.
Online permit application forms are now available through the NOAA Fisheries West Coast region web page at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/pacific-halibut-permits.
More information about the 2A management transition can be found in the attached document.
The IPHC urges participants to the IPHC Regulatory Area 2A Pacific halibut commercial and charter fisheries to familiarize themselves with new permit requirements by NOAA Fisheries.
IPHC Secretariat
International Pacific Halibut Commission
2320 W. Commodore Way, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98199-1287
206-634-1838 | www.iphc.int
