New Regulations for Alaskan Halibut

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Has anyone seen any explanation of the reasoning behind the regs? They must have been addressing some problem or loop hole, but it's not at al obvious what.

It's an over reach by NOAA to harass sport fisherman. I sent a letter to our Senator Dan Sullivan. It would appear there has been a lot of complaints.

 

[Northern Spy]

Stop into Powell River and buy a "Fillet and Release" T-shirt from Powell River Outdoors, just above the ferry terminal on Marine Ave.



https://www.westcoastthick.com/collections/all-decals/products/b-w-fillet-stacked-decal

 

[SeaDogAK]

The sad thing is that the commercial trawler fleet catches and discards millions of pounds of halibut every year, but they fuss about the sport fishers because the trawlers are politically powerful.

 

[ofer]

Stop into Powell River and buy a "Fillet and Release" T-shirt from Powell River Outdoors, just above the ferry terminal on Marine Ave.

View attachment 138902

https://www.westcoastthick.com/collections/all-decals/products/b-w-fillet-stacked-decal

I exercise catch eat and release.

are we really trying to make sense out of F&G regs either federal or state

 

[Cargile]

So there is a commercial fishery for Halibut? If so, where is it going? Don't see Halibut for sale here in Florida.

 

[Inbreaker]

Ah, yes. The chicken of the sea.
And very fine it is. And a tough fishery.

 

[Tator]

So there is a commercial fishery for Halibut? If so, where is it going? Don't see Halibut for sale here in Florida.

I have many friends who fish commercially for halibut. I can't tell you why it's not available for sale in Florida. Besides Pacific halibut there is also Atlantic halibut. Pacific halibut is readily available for sale on the West Coast and Hawaii. Retail prices run around $17-$24lb. The people who fish commercially own IFQs (Individual fishing quota) which give them the right to fish for x pounds of halibut at anytime of their choosing.

Tator

 

[Dougcole]

The sad thing is that the commercial trawler fleet catches and discards millions of pounds of halibut every year, but they fuss about the sport fishers because the trawlers are politically powerful.

I know next to nothing about Halibut fishing, but this is the case for species all over US waters, recreational fisherman, who have very little impact on most fisheries are hit hard while the vast majority of the quota goes to commercial interests.


Most of the world's fish stocks are on the verge of collapse. I really question how long large scale commercial fishing can continue, but in the meantime rec fisherman are the ones who get most of the blame.

 

[freshalaska]

I’m a resident of a rural area in Alaska and have a NOAA subsistence permit to harvest I think 20 halibut a day using a longline fishing gear using something like 35 hooks. I can only have one daily limit on board at one time (20 fish). I can land these fish and next day get another I think 20 fish.
Here is the kicker my boat is my home I do not rent or own a land house of any kind. Although I can have I think 20 fish on board they can site me for having one halibut on board that is not cut in four fillets with skin on. I can not can or vacuum seal in smaller pieces. My freezer is not very cold and fish only stay fresh for about one month. I can not dry halibut on board which my Pinoy wife loves. I can not not cut in small pieces to smoke on board or even process on board. A few summers ago we caught a 193 pound halibut, you know how big one fillets is. I’m allowed 20 halibut on board but can be sited for just one improperly processed halibut. I’m allowed to eat one of the fillets so what do I do with the other 3 fillets? I can’t not eat them. I’ve written several letters to the Feds about this but no one has so far responded.
Last summer my wife was boarded by NOAA as I was on shore deer hunting and they gave her a hard time and latter tried to tell me I wasn’t a rural resident of Alaska and not qualified for a subsistence permit. This boat is my home!

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, you pose a serious threat indeed.

Amazing.

 

[BruceK]

freshalaska,from personal experience it takes a lot of fish to have any uneaten when you have a Pinoy onboard.
Seriously, the rules and restrictions don`t make sense, especially for liveaboards like you relying on fish and game for sustenance.

 

[TF_BG]

I have purchased Halibut in Florida several times. Detweiler’s Market has it occasionally ($14-$17/lb.) Even saw it at Publix for $48/lb.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I’m a resident of a rural area in Alaska and have a NOAA subsistence permit to harvest I think 20 halibut a day using a longline fishing gear using something like 35 hooks. I can only have one daily limit on board at one time (20 fish). I can land these fish and next day get another I think 20 fish.

Here is the kicker my boat is my home I do not rent or own a land house of any kind. Although I can have I think 20 fish on board they can site me for having one halibut on board that is not cut in four fillets with skin on. I can not can or vacuum seal in smaller pieces. My freezer is not very cold and fish only stay fresh for about one month. I can not dry halibut on board which my Pinoy wife loves. I can not not cut in small pieces to smoke on board or even process on board. A few summers ago we caught a 193 pound halibut, you know how big one fillets is. I’m allowed 20 halibut on board but can be sited for just one improperly processed halibut. I’m allowed to eat one of the fillets so what do I do with the other 3 fillets? I can’t not eat them. I’ve written several letters to the Feds about this but no one has so far responded.

Last summer my wife was boarded by NOAA as I was on shore deer hunting and they gave her a hard time and latter tried to tell me I wasn’t a rural resident of Alaska and not qualified for a subsistence permit. This boat is my home!

Please write and call Senator Sullivan

 

[tcoop]

This is great news. There were three requests to change the rules this winter. All the feedback I got from the commission meeting was “noted”. Which I interpreted as “go away”. One of the three requests was done by a lawyer on behalf of a sport fisherman/cruiser and was well done.

It doesn’t go as far as I would have liked but it is a start. If I catch one this summer I get to legally eat some of it. Hopefully I will get a line wet tomorrow.

 

[rpackard]

The halibut rules are due to an international commission and are geared toward the commercial fishery. Cruisers are not considered. Not every boat has a freezer, or even a fridge. My willard 30 had neither. So if you want a halibut dinner on board you have to break the law.

It is also illegal to throw away the unused remainder of the fish. That is defined in the law as "wanton destruction of a resource"

I have not seen anyplace in the law that says another boat cannot give a friend some fillets. So if asked by a fish cop where the rest of the fillets are, one could say, "A passing boat was kind enough to give me these."

I have cruised SE AK for the last 30 years and would never consider breaking the halibut laws. Fortunately people very often give me a couple of fillets.

Although i have been stopped by the fish cop several times, they have never boarded my vessel or asked to peek in my icebox. They have more important things to do.

On the other hand, the officer out of Petersburg cited me twice for infractions on my crab trap. He knows that everyone from out of state has a trap not purchased in AK. The out-of-state traps have an escape hatch that is 1/8 " larger than the AK regulations. So he will pull your trap, use his calibrated caliber, measure the escape hatch and give you a warning the first time.

On another occasion he pulled my trap because, although the float had my vessel name, my name, my email address and my telephone number, it did not have my home street address. Lucky for me I did not go to prison for that.

 

[Ric]

On the other hand, the officer out of Petersburg cited me twice for infractions on my crab trap. He knows that everyone from out of state has a trap not purchased in AK. The out-of-state traps have an escape hatch that is 1/8 " larger than the AK regulations. So he will pull your trap, use his calibrated caliber, measure the escape hatch and give you a warning the first time.

On another occasion he pulled my trap because, although the float had my vessel name, my name, my email address and my telephone number, it did not have my home street address. Lucky for me I did not go to prison for that.

Of all of the stupid regulation decisions mentioned in the thread, this is the most illogical and counterproductive. If your escape hole is too large, more crabs will escape and you will catch fewer of them. The state should be delighted, and the regs should say "an escape hole with a minimum diameter of X" rather than giving a specific number. I'd add it to the list of changes to suggest to your Senator.

 

[rpackard]

There is a great deal of hard feelings by the commercial halibut fisherman with regard to the charter fleets. In Pelican AK I once saw a bumper sticker that said: "I would rather my daughter work in a whore house than on a charter boat." I wondered if he really had a daughter and how she felt about that sticker.

 

[rpackard]

My mistake. I meant the out of state traps had an escape hole 1/8" smaller (not larger), so the reg makes sense.

 

[murofrelwart]

On a related note -


https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&Year=2023&NRID=3485

Filleting and De-heading of Lingcod, King and Coho Salmon, and Nonpelagic Rockfish Prohibited in Southeast Alaska Sport Fisheries


Marine boat anglers returning to ports where and when on-site ADF&G creel surveys are conducted will be prohibited from filleting, mutilating, and de-heading sport caught lingcod, nonpelagic rockfish, and king and coho salmon at-sea. Marine boat anglers returning to any port on the road system of the communities listed below, during the times designated, may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head these fish until their vessel is tied up at a docking facility where the fish will be offloaded, unless the fish have been consumed or preserved on board:



Juneau: 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Sitka: 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Yakutat: 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Elfin Cove: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Gustavus: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Craig: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Klawock: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Ketchikan: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 22 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Petersburg: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 22 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Wrangell: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 22 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023

​

I emailed ADF&G and asked for clarification on how this applies to a liveaboard cruising vessel and received the following reply:

Good question, in your case of a multiday trip if you have freezing capacity there is a pretty easy way to comply but a few nuances to explain. A fish will no longer be in your “possession” as it is defined in sport fishing regulations, if you consume the whole thing or if it is preserved (legal definition of preserved included below, but in practice this is most commonly frozen or canned). If you have freezing capacity onboard you could harvest your daily bag limit, fillet and freeze it while at sea and after that time it is no longer considered in your “possession”. You would be ok to return to port with your preserved catch, however any species that was listed on the announcement which was not preserved when you return to port, needs to be intact .

Here is the legal definition of preserved: “Fish preserved in such a manner, and in an existing state of preservation, as to be fit for human consumption after 15-day period, and does not include unfrozen fish temporarily stored in coolers that contain ice, dry ice, or fish that are lightly salted.”




​

Fortunately, this is much more sensible than the halibut regulations and straightforward to comply with.

 

[ofer]

On a related note -


https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&Year=2023&NRID=3485

Filleting and De-heading of Lingcod, King and Coho Salmon, and Nonpelagic Rockfish Prohibited in Southeast Alaska Sport Fisheries


Marine boat anglers returning to ports where and when on-site ADF&G creel surveys are conducted will be prohibited from filleting, mutilating, and de-heading sport caught lingcod, nonpelagic rockfish, and king and coho salmon at-sea. Marine boat anglers returning to any port on the road system of the communities listed below, during the times designated, may not fillet, mutilate, or de-head these fish until their vessel is tied up at a docking facility where the fish will be offloaded, unless the fish have been consumed or preserved on board:



Juneau: 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Sitka: 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Yakutat: 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 24 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Elfin Cove: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Gustavus: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Craig: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Klawock: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 8 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Ketchikan: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 22 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 10, 2023
Petersburg: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 22 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023
Wrangell: 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 22 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 27, 2023

​

I emailed ADF&G and asked for clarification on how this applies to a liveaboard cruising vessel and received the following reply:

Good question, in your case of a multiday trip if you have freezing capacity there is a pretty easy way to comply but a few nuances to explain. A fish will no longer be in your “possession” as it is defined in sport fishing regulations, if you consume the whole thing or if it is preserved (legal definition of preserved included below, but in practice this is most commonly frozen or canned). If you have freezing capacity onboard you could harvest your daily bag limit, fillet and freeze it while at sea and after that time it is no longer considered in your “possession”. You would be ok to return to port with your preserved catch, however any species that was listed on the announcement which was not preserved when you return to port, needs to be intact .

Here is the legal definition of preserved: “Fish preserved in such a manner, and in an existing state of preservation, as to be fit for human consumption after 15-day period, and does not include unfrozen fish temporarily stored in coolers that contain ice, dry ice, or fish that are lightly salted.”




​

Fortunately, this is much more sensible than the halibut regulations and straightforward to comply with.

They do exist here in homer

 

[Marco Flamingo]

"One size fits all" fishing regulations can be counter-productive. We just returned from +2 months in B.C., which has a minimum length for ling cod. I understand the reasoning, but with two people aboard and no freezer, catching the minimum size means eating cod for breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day. Even that would not use the whole fish. Luckily, I found canning lids and Kosher salt in Klemtu. Canned 4 pints, salted +2 pounds (bacalao) and still ate fresh for two big meals. And it wouldn't surprize me that something I did was illegal.

The other problem we saw was the zero fish limit for yellow eye (red snapper). We saw a giant one float by when passing a small sportfishing boat. They had probably caught it, maybe even used one of the "depth charge" release gadgets, but it ended up floating on the surface with bulging eyes. Too big for an eagle and just a waste. Not sure what the solution is. "It's not an illegal catch, officer, I merely found it floating after it was dead." Good luck with that.

 

[tvtfc]

I just wish they would spend the money they spent on boats to fix a safety issue dealing with weather radio. Cape Fanshaw has been off the air for 4 years.

NOAA is interested in a pretty broad range of 'projects'. One has to stretch pretty far to associated them with the 'ocean and atmosphere' in some cases.

I learned this back when I had some inland issues a decade ago and found some archives that they had not locked down. Back in the old days there was a notion that the work-product resulting from taxpayer money was to be public absent good reasons not to make it so. That seemed to have ended well before 2013, but not all of the sys-admins did their jobs and various correspondence was still public given enough snuffling around. Either that, or it was part of their project to make a platform where resource (watershed associations, weed-board committees, etc) could be marshaled and they were still trying to comply with some modicum of transparency.

To bad if NOAA lost interest in supporting the broader citizenry as opposed to narrow and seemingly politically motivated set of taskings. 'Public/Private partnerships' (with a lot of 'NGO's who have a foot in both camp) to the rescue?

Just FWIW, the aforementioned set of discoveries were near the beginning of a path which eventually led me to expatriate.

 

[Cargile]

I’m a resident of a rural area in Alaska and have a NOAA subsistence permit to harvest I think 20 halibut a day halibut.......

The term subsistence permit and 20/day caught my eye. Unless you are selling it what do you do with all that fish? Freezing, canning, whatever to feed you through the hellish winter?