Directed - IPHC Regulatory Area 2A

Washington, Oregon, and California—Directed Commercial Fisheries

IPHC Regulatory Area 2A is located off the U.S. West Coast in waters off of Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), and California (CA). IPHC sets the overall total allowable catch for the area. The Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan as put forth by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service provides the formulas to then allocate Pacific halibut among user groups in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A.

The commercial fishery in this area is licensed by the IPHC and consists of:

Directed commercial fishery
Incidental commercial Pacific halibut fishery during the sablefish fishery
Incidental commercial Pacific halibut fishery during the salmon troll fishery

Commercial fisheries data organized by IPHC Regulatory Area, year, and sector are available here.

Licenses

Commercial fixed gear vessels retaining Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A must be licensed by the IPHC. Federal and State licensing requirements may also apply.

Application Form

Applicants may choose from three commercial licenses on the application form with the application deadlines noted. All applications must be completed no later than 11:59 p.m. on the deadline date.

Directed commercial fishery - 30 April
Incidental commercial fishery during the sablefish fishery - 15 March
Incidental commercial fishery during the salmon troll fishery - 15 March

Directed Commercial Fishery

The non-tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery operates south of Point Chehalis, WA (46°53.30’ N lat), and requires a license from the IPHC (see above).

The fishing period, or season, is a series of 10-hour fishing periods for the non-treaty directed commercial fishery as announced in IPHC Regulations each year. All fishing periods begin at 08:00 hrs and end at 18:00 hrs local time, and are further restricted by specific vessel-length catch limits, called fishing period limits in IPHC Regulations. Fishing periods and fishing period limits are announced before each 10-hour opener via IPHC News Release.

Incidental Commercial Pacific Halibut Fishery during the Salmon Troll Fishery

The incidental commercial fishery during the salmon troll fishery operates off Washington, Oregon, and California, and requires a license from the IPHC (see above). In-season actions may be taken by management agencies and landing restrictions may change several times in-season.

For updates, please check the IPHC’s news releases, the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline (1-800-662-9825), or the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/mrp/salmon/updatesnew.asp

Incidental Commercial Pacific Halibut Fishery during the Sablefish Fishery

The incidental commercial fishery during the limited entry fixed gear sablefish primary fishery operates north of Point Chehalis, WA (46°53.30’ N lat), and requires a license from the IPHC (see above). In-season actions may be taken by management agencies in-season.

For updates, please check the IPHC’s news releases, the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline (1-800-662-9825), or the National Marine Fisheries Service Public Notices: http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/fishery_management/groundfish/public_notices/recent_public_notices.html

Links

Pacific Fishery Management Council

NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region