While the pink salmon harvest is coming in below expectations for price and quantity, the commercial halibut fishery is going strong for Area 2C, Southeast Alaska.
A quota share update from the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) released Aug. 19 showed that almost 2.8 million pounds of halibut have been landed in the district so far. That’s three-quarters of the quota for the district— just under 3.7 million pounds—and almost the equivalent of the total 2013 catch limit.
Local longliners have seen their catch limits increase in recent years. One industry expert in Southeast said that the local trend is expected to continue.
“The stocks are extremely healthy,” the expert said. “Quotas have been increasing and there’s a real good belief that they’re going to change some of their management strategies and get another increase next year.”
The recent year’s increase to catch limits in 2C runs opposite to the overall trend in the state and British Columbia—managed collectively by the IPHC—because stocks in other management areas are in decline due to lower growth rates and recruitment. The decrease in the overall catch means a lower supply in the market, which has led to an upward trend for prices. Right now halibut is averaging $6.50 a pound.
Longliners still have two months to fish halibut before the season closes Nov. 7.
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