21 January 2021
SEATTLE – The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Area 2A is located on the West Coast of the U.S.A. in waters off Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), and California (CA). The IPHC sets the overall total fishery removals (mortality limit) for the Regulatory Area. The domestic Catch Sharing Plan (for IPHC Regulatory Area 2A), as adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA-Fisheries, is then used to further allocate the total fishery removals among user groups/sectors.
However, commercial and recreational charter vessels retaining Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A must be licensed by the IPHC. Only vessels with a license issued from the IPHC may participate in these fisheries and is eligible to receive allocation within the directed commercial fishery as a fishing period limit, which is also set and issued by the IPHC.
Applicants may choose from among three commercial and one recreational charter fishery licenses by the application deadlines noted below. All applications must be completed no later than 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on the applicable deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. Federal and state licensing requirements may also apply.
Application Deadlines for 2021:
Recreational Pacific Halibut Charter – none
Incidental Commercial Pacific halibut during Salmon Troll – 15 March 2021
Incidental Commercial Pacific halibut during Longline Sablefish Fishery – 31 May 2021
Directed Commercial – 30 April 2021
Applications must be submitted via the IPHC website at the following link:
2021 license application form: https://www.iphc.int/management/fisheries/directed-commercial-fisheries/directed-iphc-regulatory-area-2a
Please contact the IPHC Secretariat at: secretariat@iphc.int, should you have any questions or require assistance.
IPHC Secretariat
International Pacific Halibut Commission
2320 W. Commodore Way, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98199-1287
206-634-1838 | www.iphc.int
