NOAA Proposes Rule to Reduce Charter Halibut Catch

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Dec. 22, 2008

NOAA Proposes Rule to Reduce Charter Halibut Catch

NOAA today proposed reducing the number of halibut that charter vessel anglers in southeast Alaska can keep, from two each day to one.

“Sport charter fishing has grown in southeast Alaska while halibut abundance has decreased,” said Doug Mecum, NOAA’s Fisheries Service acting regional administrator for Alaska. "We’re proposing to reduce the charter halibut catch to protect the halibut resource."

The proposed rule, which would take effect this spring, would allow each charter vessel client to use only one fishing line, and no more than six lines targeting halibut would be allowed on a charter vessel at one time. The rule would prohibit guides and crew from catching and retaining halibut while charter halibut clients are on board.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service put a similar rule in place last spring, but sport charter halibut operators challenged it on procedural grounds and the agency withdrew the rule.

Public comment on the proposed rule is open through Jan. 21, 2009. After considering public comment, NOAA expects to publish a final rule in the spring of 2009. To read the proposed rule and see how to submit comments, click here. http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/prules/73fr78276.pdf

DATES: Comments must be received no
later than January 21, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue
Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. You may submit
comments, identified by ‘‘RIN 0648–
AX17’’ by any one of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal eRulemaking Portal website at
http://www.regulations.gov.
• Mail: P. O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802.
• Fax: (907) 586–7557.
• Hand delivery to the Federal
Building: 709 West 9th Street, Room
420A, Juneau, AK.

Charter halibut operators in southeast Alaska waters have exceeded their guideline harvest level of 1.43 million pounds for the past four years. The actual sport charter harvest was 1.75 million pounds in 2004, 1.95 million pounds in 2005, 1.86 million pounds in 2006, and 1.92 million pounds in 2007. The guideline harvest level dropped to 0.93 million pounds for 2008. Managers expect that it will have been exceeded for 2008 when the harvest numbers are final.

The International Pacific Halibut Commission, with representatives from the U.S. and Canada, annually estimates halibut abundance in each halibut fishing area along the Pacific Coast. NOAA’s Fisheries Service, in cooperation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, establishes the charter vessel guideline harvest levels based on the commission’s abundance estimates.

The commission annually establishes the commercial halibut fishery catch limits in each area, taking into account charter vessel harvests and other sources of halibut mortality in order to protect the halibut resource from overharvest.

The commission has reduced the commercial halibut catch in southeast Alaska from nearly 11 million pounds annually between 2004 and 2006 to just over 6 million pounds for 2008. The final commercial harvest level for 2009, proposed at 4.5 million pounds, will be set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission in January.

NOAA Proposes Rule to Reduce Charter Halibut Catch

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Dec. 22, 2008

NOAA Proposes Rule to Reduce Charter Halibut Catch

NOAA today proposed reducing the number of halibut that charter vessel anglers in southeast Alaska can keep, from two each day to one.

“Sport charter fishing has grown in southeast Alaska while halibut abundance has decreased,” said Doug Mecum, NOAA’s Fisheries Service acting regional administrator for Alaska. "We’re proposing to reduce the charter halibut catch to protect the halibut resource."

The proposed rule, which would take effect this spring, would allow each charter vessel client to use only one fishing line, and no more than six lines targeting halibut would be allowed on a charter vessel at one time. The rule would prohibit guides and crew from catching and retaining halibut while charter halibut clients are on board.

NOAA’s Fisheries Service put a similar rule in place last spring, but sport charter halibut operators challenged it on procedural grounds and the agency withdrew the rule.

Public comment on the proposed rule is open through Jan. 21, 2009. After considering public comment, NOAA expects to publish a final rule in the spring of 2009. To read the proposed rule and see how to submit comments, click here.

Charter halibut operators in southeast Alaska waters have exceeded their guideline harvest level of 1.43 million pounds for the past four years. The actual sport charter harvest was 1.75 million pounds in 2004, 1.95 million pounds in 2005, 1.86 million pounds in 2006, and 1.92 million pounds in 2007. The guideline harvest level dropped to 0.93 million pounds for 2008. Managers expect that it will have been exceeded for 2008 when the harvest numbers are final.

The International Pacific Halibut Commission, with representatives from the U.S. and Canada, annually estimates halibut abundance in each halibut fishing area along the Pacific Coast. NOAA’s Fisheries Service, in cooperation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, establishes the charter vessel guideline harvest levels based on the commission’s abundance estimates.

The commission annually establishes the commercial halibut fishery catch limits in each area, taking into account charter vessel harvests and other sources of halibut mortality in order to protect the halibut resource from overharvest.

The commission has reduced the commercial halibut catch in southeast Alaska from nearly 11 million pounds annually between 2004 and 2006 to just over 6 million pounds for 2008. The final commercial harvest level for 2009, proposed at 4.5 million pounds, will be set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission in January.

Bush fights to loosen fishery rules!

The Alaska commercial fishing industry wants changes to the environmental review process, which is now done by federal agencies. Read the whole story @
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16321.html

Governor Appoints Johnstone to Board of Fisheries

December 5, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today appointed Karl Johnstone to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

The Board of Fisheries’ main role is to conserve and develop the fishery resources of the state. This involves setting seasons, bag limits, methods and means for the state’s subsistence, commercial, sport, guided sport, and personal use fisheries, and it also involves setting policy and direction for the management of the state’s fishery resources. The board is charged with making allocation decisions while the Department of Fish and Game is responsible for management based on those decisions.

“Alaska’s fisheries are a vital part of our culture and economy, which makes sound management critical,” Governor Palin said. “Karl will be a strong voice for protection of the resource and fairness to all users. His experience and judgment will be as asset to the board as they address many fishery management challenges.”

Johnstone, of Anchorage, is a retired superior court judge who has been an active sport fisherman in Alaska since 1967. He fished commercially for salmon in Bristol Bay and herring in Prince William Sound and Southeast Alaska in the 1980s. Johnstone earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a juris doctorate in law from the University of Arizona. He practiced law until 1979 when he was appointed superior court judge. Johnstone was appointed Presiding Judge of the Third Judicial District in 1990 and served in that position until his retirement. Since then he has had a limited practice as a lawyer, mediator and arbitrator.

Johnstone fills a public seat on the board left vacant when Jeremiah Campbell of Seward resigned. His term will run through June 30, 2009.

The halibut fisheries industrial complex!

The halibut fisheries industrial complex has determined that it is easier to restrict the sport fisherman than it is to conduct an environmentally responsible commercial enterprise. Eliminate the other user groups before their strip mining of the ocean correlation can be recognized for what it is, wanton waste of an apparent endless supply of fish. The commercial fishing complex wastes twice as much halibut than is taken by all of the sportfisherman inside or out side of Alaska combined.
The problem is not the tourist from Iowa wanting to take home his second halibut, it is a commercial fishing industry that refuses to fish responsibly. The commercial fishing fleet off of Alaska is clear-cutting the oceans for profit. It seems to me that it is high time for the local commercial fishermen of Alaska to stand up for their industry and stop allowing the strip-mining of the ocean for corporate profit. The mom and pop sport and commercial fishermen should work together to reduce bycatch and other wasteful practices that will ultimately result in more and more scrutiny from outside forces. Lets worry about the Alaskan small businesses that depend on a fair and equitable approach to regulation of our natural resources.

Halibut industry braces for more limits on their catch

By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce
Halibut longliners and charter operators, particularly those in Southeast Alaska, are bracing for further cuts in catch limits when the International Pacific Halibut Commission meets Jan. 13-16 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The IPHC staff in late November recommended that the overall catch from the U.S. West Coast to the Bering Sea be trimmed from the 60.4 million pounds in 2008 to 54 million pounds in 2009.
The proposed 10 percent harvest reduction comes in the wake of a 9 percent decrease in the allowable harvest in 2008.
The biggest recommended reduction would be in regulatory area 2C, in Southeast Alaska, where the recommendation is to cut the catch limit from 6.21 million pounds to 4.47 million pounds.
In Area 3A, in Southcentral Alaska, the recommendation is to cut catch limits from 24.22 million pounds to 22.53 million pounds.
Alaska's western gulf region, area 3B, would see an increased allowable catch, up from 10.90 million pounds in 2008 to 11.67 million pounds in 2009.
Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association in Sitka, said halibut longline fishermen in Southeast Alaska “were pretty well staggered” by the IPHC staff recommendations.
“We were braced for 10 to 15 percent reduction; (but) everyone will lose another 28 percent of their quota,” Behnken said. “Some people who are still making payments (on individual fishing quota shares) will probably not be able to make payments. There are limited lenders for quota share to begin with. At current quota share prices, I'm sure people will be looking for options to allow them to make payments and still hold on to their shares. Some have put out their vessels or homes as collateral.”
Behnken noted that the IPHC is still predicting that abundance levels will start turning back up, but that's not likely to happen until 2011, so this year and next year, there could be further cuts.
“Stock assessments are not publicly available yet, so we have not had the opportunity to look at the data that led to the recommendation for the 28 percent reduction,” Behnken said. “When we get the assessment, we will pour through it and no doubt have questions.”
The proposed harvest cuts also have raised concerns from subsistence and resident sport fishermen about the impact the charter fleet is having on the commercial fleet's access to the resource, said Behnken, who said the charter operators have exceeded their guideline harvest level every year for the past five years.
Kimberly Tebrugge, an Olympia, Wash.-based publicist for Southeast Alaska's charter halibut task force, said the charter fleet was disappointed in the recommendations, and expects federal fisheries officials to announce a one-fish rule for Southeast charter clients any day now.
“It's challenging, because in recreational fishing most people book a year in advance, and (now) anglers don't know how many fish they can catch on a daily basis,” she said.
As for the Southeast Alaska charter fleet exceeding its guideline harvest level five years in a row, Tebrugge said, “It was a guideline; not an allocation. Sport fishermen can't monitor how much fish a recreational fisherman can catch.”
Tebrugge also argued that, pound for pound, sport fishing has a better economic benefit to Southeast Alaska than the longline fishery.
The battle for fish between the longline sector and charter sector has been waged for years before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Both sides have argued the significant economic benefit of their industries to coastal economies.
Bob Ward, who has operated Award Charters out of Homer for more than two decades, was part of the council task force that thought they had resolved the issue several years ago, having worked out an individual fishing quota for halibut charters.
Behnken was serving on the council at the time and supported the plan. She spoke out numerous times as a council member on the importance of sharing the conservation burden to protect the halibut resource.
Then the federal Department of Commerce failed to give the plan its stamp of approval when charter operators who had entered the fishery after the fact complained they would not be included.
“I still believe the quota program will work for the charters,” Ward said.
Ward said that in 2007, charter operators in Southcentral Alaska were over their guideline harvest level by 10 percent to 13 percent. But in 2008, the harvest declined because of the number of clients carried and halibut caught.
Over the past summer there were a lot fewer recreational vehicles stopping in Homer and a lot of those that did come did not go out on charters, he said. In general, because of the economy and the price of fuel, there was less business for the area's charter fleet, he said.
Still, state Department of Fish and Game officials might slap an annual limit of six halibut on charter customers, based on statistics that showed them exceeding the guideline harvest level in 2007, Ward said.
Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com">margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.

IPHC TO CUT 2009 TAC.

Overall coastwide there is a 10.5% reduction with 2C (southeast) commercial fishermen scheduled for another 27% reduction and area 3A (Southcentral) commercial fishermen scheduled for another 7% reduction.

http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/newsrel/2008/nr20081125.htm

Court Dismisses Halibut Lawsuit

All --
Attached is the court's order dismissing the lawsuit against the one fish rule because the Secretary's recision of the rule in September mooted the case. The case was dismissed without prejudice.
The government sought dismissal with prejudice, which would have meant that they could use the dismissal to block a future suit against the a new one fish rule. However, we argued successfully that the case should be dismissed without prejudice, which is what the court did.
NMFS is still hoping to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on a new one halibut daily bag limit for Area 2C by the end of November. We will notify everyone as soon as the proposed rule appears in the Federal Register. There will likely be a 30 day comment period, so everyone should be prepared to submit comments over the holidays.
CHTF will be preparing legal arguments to be submitted with our comments in order to help with a possible legal challenge of the new rule. As with the last case, funds will be needed to prepare arguments and file the lawsuit. Donations can be sent to CHTF via our website at
http://www.charterhalibut.org/id2.html

Canada closes sport halibut season.

VANCOUVER -- When the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans suddenly announced last week that the sport fishing season for halibut was closing early, it sent a shudder along the West Coast.
With salmon stocks at historic lows, recreational anglers this year have increasingly turned their attention to halibut.
Guides and lodges especially have been counting on the bottom fish to get them through a poor salmon season, with many advertising their access to good halibut grounds.
But with two months left to go in the season, the DFO has announced fishing will be closed from Oct. 31 to Dec. 31. Guides will have to cancel any trips they have booked and lodges that are now selling next year's season at outdoor shows will have to explain to customers why this season has been cut short. Get the whole story @
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081027.BCHUME27/TPStory/Environment

Update and Discussion on the Sport Fishing Guides Services Board

CLICK ON THE HEADING OF THIS POST TO SEE THE DRAFT REPORT.

Draft Catch Sharing Plan!

Check out the draft plan by clicking on the title of this post.

Catch share passes.

Saturday evening the NPFMC voted 10 to 1 to pass a catch sharing plan. Friday afternoon the State of Alaska offered the first motion on the halibut charter issue. This motion had no set allocation between the commercial and charter sectors. It did have a framework where at various level of abundance the charter fleet would fish under a one fish bag limit, two fish bag limit with one under 32″ and a two fish bag limit with no leasing of IFQ’s. This proposal allowed a range of charter harvest from 12% to 30% depending upon the level of abundance in 2C and 11.8% to 30% in 3A. The Council allowed the motion to sit overnight, while they took staff reports on 3A management measures to allow the public a chance to review, understand and offer to council members their opinions on a one to one basis.

The final motion ended up being a catch sharing plan that has a clear allocation between sectors. The charter fleet allocation is a fixed percentage of 15.1% in 2C except when the combined commercial and charter catch limit is below 5 million pounds when the allocation goes to 17.3%. In 3A the allocation is 14% except when the combined commercial and charter catch limit is below 10 million pounds when the allocation goes to 15.4%. The allocation acknowledges that management measures and projections of harvest in the charter fleet are imprecise therefore up to a 3.5% variance may occur and that overtime the variances should balance out. The allocation is what will be used in IPHC’s calculations for determining the commercial catch limits. The State of Alaska approach of predetermining set management measures that IPHC and NMFS will abide by at various levels of abundance as determined by the combined commercial and charter catch limit although these differ then the State’s original motion. Leasing was added as an amendment to the motion which passed with a split vote of 8 to 3 and became part of the main motion which passed the Council.

Alaska Board of fish Proposals!!

Just a heads up on a few proposals that have to do with charter vessels and personal use fisheries.
Proposal #307... Prohibit charter vessel use in the subsistence or personal use fisheries within 30 days of use in guided sport fishery.
Proposal #308... Restrict subsistence and personal use fisheries by lodge or charter operators.
Proposals #309 thru 313 are infringements to some degree on our civil rights as private citizens. Search your vessel without probable cause just because you have a green sticker on your boat or if your fishing clients stay in your guest house they can kick down your door and look in your freezer.
The assault continues on the rights of the guided sport fisherman so make your comments either written or in person in a timely fashion. ADF&G offices have proposal books if you need one.

A call to action.

The Alaska halibut charter fleet needs your help.

Beginning September 29, 2008 at the Anchorage Alaska, Sheraton Hotel.
On the agenda.
Charter Halibut Catch Sharing Plan: Final Action
Halibut 3A GHL: ADF&G Report and Final Action if necessary (T)
AGENDA<<<<< http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/threemeetingoutlook.pdf

NPFMC meeting... The final halibut allocation for the charter fleet to be set. The amount of fish will determine if we’re fishing under a one-per-day bag limit for the foreseeable future and how much money you might have to spend to buy your way back to a two-per-day bag limit. Be prepared to make phone calls, write letters, and email the decision makers. Attend the meeting.
The NPFMC needs to allocate sufficient fixed poundage of halibut to the charter industry to allow for a two-daily bag limit for the entire May to September season.

January 13-16, 2009. The IPHC will decide how halibut are apportioned throughout the range. Area 2C – Southeast Alaska – has suffered major reductions in harvest opportunity due to a new biological model and the apportionment of halibut based on that mode. The charter industry needs to participate in the IPHC process or there will be a one fish limit statewide.
Attend the IPCH annual meeting. We need your help to afford this fight.
Join or renew your membership with the Homer charter association and make sure your voice is heard in Anchorage and Vancouver, BC. The HCA September meeting date will be established soon so stay in touch.

Court Grants TRO

Court Grants TRO
At a hearing today June 10th, the Judge granted the Charter fleet a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the one halibut daliy bag limit. This will make the halibut charter daily bag limit back to two halibut a day, one under 32 inches.
The TRO is effective on June 10th will remain in effect until next Friday, June 20, when another hearing is scheduled. At that hearing, and possibly before if the government agrees, the TRO could be converted into a preliminary injunction that would remain in effect until the judge rules on the merits of the case, likely after the end of the summer fishing season

Halibut Coalition, Linda Behnken Response

May 22, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Linda Behnken (907) 747-3400
Halibut Coalition response to the Halibut Charter Task Force Press Release of May 21, 2008
The Halibut Charter Task Force press release of May 21 fails to provide the most critical information relative to the pending reduction in the daily charter halibut bag limit for Southeast Alaska—the reduction is necessitated by reduced abundance of halibut in the Southeast area. The abundance of halibut in the area has dropped, as have catch rates in the stock assessment survey, the longline fishery, the charter fishery, the sport fishery, and the subsistence fishery. Because there is less halibut, all commercial sectors—longline and charter—have taken a quota reduction. In 2007, the Southeast longline quota was reduced by 20%; the charter Guideline Harvest Level (GHL) was not reduced—and the charter sector EXCEEDED its GHL by 36%. In 2008, the longline sector’s quota was cut by an additional 27%; and finally, the charter GHL, which is tied to abundance but in 15% stair steps, was reduced to protect stocks. The reduced bag limit is a management action to hold charter harvest to their GHL during this time of reduced abundance. These actions are necessary to conserve the resource. Yes, tourism is important to Southeast; yes some tourists enjoy catching a halibut as part of their Alaska experience, and under a one fish daily bag limit they still have this opportunity. But if the charter industry does not do its part to conserve the resource, there will be no halibut to catch in the future—and no one to blame but themselves.
The Southeast charter sector has exceeded its GHL every year since 2004. Every year the charter sector has objected to management actions that restrict their harvest. Since charter harvest is concentrated near towns, this over harvest has caused significant localized depletion of halibut and rockfish (taken as bycatch in the charter halibut fishery), making it increasingly difficult for resident subsistence and personal use fishermen to catch a fish to eat. The Southeast charter clientele is 97% non-resident. The Southeast longline fleet is 83% Alaskan. Is providing fish to tourists more important then taking care of the resource and supporting resident fishermen?
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) has spent 15 years developing a management plan for the charter sector through a very public, carefully analyzed process. Both the charter GHL and the pending management actions to restrict charter harvest to the GHL were developed by the NPFMC. The Council places resource conservation above economic hardship; for that reason Alaska’s marine fisheries are
thriving while stocks crash in other parts of the world. Alaska fishermen are steeped in a culture of conservation; it is time the charter industry joined the ranks.
For more information see NMFS/NPFMC analysis at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/analyses/halibut/earirirfa_1107.pdf ).
Charter Halibut Task Force: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) estimates a 1-fish daily limit could result in up to a 30% reduction in angler demand in Area 2C—that’s 27,000 fewer people flying into Southeast Alaska coastal communities that rely heavily on sport fishing tourism. Even a 10 percent reduction could put a significant number of charter operators out of business.
RESPONSE: This is one possible outcome. However, prior action by the State of Alaska to limit non-resident guided anglers to one Chinook salmon in Southeast did not significantly harm the guided sport industry. In 2008, the overall treaty quota of Chinook salmon is being reduced 40% from 2007. All aspects of the independent tourism industry are expected to experience problems due to high fuel costs and the downturn in the national economy. Anyone who relies on naturally fluctuating resources like halibut and salmon, needs to factor this into their business model since conservation of the resource comes first and all sectors must share the conservation responsibility.
Charter Halibut Task Force: “ If Secretary Gutierrez decides on the 1-halibut limit, he would be reversing a decision he made only a year ago”..
RESPONSE: Last year the charter GHL was 1.42 million pounds, in 2008 the charter GHL is 0.931 million pounds. New management measures are necessary to hold the charter sector to their allocation in a declining stock condition. The one-fish daily bag limit is the only management measure that will hold the charter sector to their 2008 allocation.
Charter Halibut Task Force: Americans who cannot afford their own fishing boat, or do not feel safe fishing in Alaska without a licensed captain, whether due to age, limited experience, disabilities, or any other reason, will be limited to catching 50% less fish.
RESPONSE: Most of the public accesses halibut through the longline industry. The Southeast longline fishery provides an estimated 10 million meals per year, with virtually all those meals being consumed by Americans. Many people do not have the resources or inclination to travel to Alaska to catch halibut. It is important to these people that the longline quota be preserved since this preserves their access to the fish.
Charter Halibut Task Force: Charter fishing accounted for only 6.2 percent of the total halibut caught off the coast of Alaska over the last 10 years. By comparison, that is over 12 times less than the 75.8 percent that the commercial halibut fleet harvests, and less than half the 14.6 percent allocated for bycatch (halibut caught incidentally by commercial fleets while fishing for other fish).

Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association ♦ Cordova District Fishermen ♦ Deep Sea Fishermen’s Union ♦ Fishing Vessel Owners Association ♦ Halibut Association of North America ♦North Pacific Fisheries Association ♦ Petersburg Vessel Owners Association ♦ Sea Food Producers Cooperative ♦ Southeast Alaska Fishermen’s Association ♦United Cook Inlet Driftnetters Association ♦ United Fishermen’s Marketing Association ♦ United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters Association

NOAA Reduces Halibut Catch for Southeast

NOAA Reduces Halibut Catch for Southeast Alaska Charter Anglers to Protect Stock NOAA’s Fisheries Service issued a new rule today that states starting June 1, charter vessel anglers in southeast Alaska will be allowed to keep one instead of two halibut per day. In addition, the number of lines used to fish for halibut must not exceed the number of anglers onboard the charter vessel, to a maximum of six lines. Also, guides and crew are not allowed to catch and retain halibut while clients are onboard.“These new regulations are needed because charter fishing has grown in southeast Alaska while the abundance of halibut has decreased,” said Doug Mecum, NOAA’s Fisheries Service Alaska region acting administrator. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA’s Fisheries Service approved the new regulations to reduce the harvest of halibut to the new target level of 931,000 pounds in 2008 in the waters of southeast Alaska, which is International Pacific Halibut Commission Area 2C. The new regulations will remain in effect until further notice.While the target harvest for southeast Alaska in 2007 was 1.4 million pounds, the actual amount of halibut harvested by charter anglers was estimated at more than 1.7 million pounds.Sport anglers who are not aboard guided charter vessels may continue to keep two halibut of any size daily. Guided charter vessel anglers outside of Southeast Alaska may also continue to keep two halibut of any size per day.A regulation implemented earlier this year to assist enforcement officers to count the number of fish each angler possesses, says anglers can cut their halibut on board into not more than two ventral and two dorsal pieces and two cheeks, all with the skin on.NOAA’s Fisheries Service received many comments on the proposed regulations for the charter vessel fishery. A summary of those comments and the agency’s responses will be published with the final regulations, which will be at http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov

Secretary of Commerce to Rule on Charter Halibut Limits

Secretary of Commerce to Rule on Charter Halibut Limits
Washington, D.C. – May 21, 2008 – U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez is expected to decide any day on limits for sport-caught halibut off the coast of Alaska fishermen and the outcome could mean significant economic harm on the economy of Southeast Alaska coastal communities.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has asked the Secretary to approve a 1-halibut daily limit for Southeast Alaska only, while other areas of Alaska and Canada still have 2-halibut daily limits. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) estimates a 1-fish daily limit could result in up to a 30% reduction in angler demand in Area 2C—that’s 27,000 fewer people flying into Southeast Alaska coastal communities that rely heavily on sportfishing tourism. Even a 10 percent reduction could put a significant number of charter operators out of business.

Homer Charter Association Meeting 5/14/08

Subject: Questions and suggestions from Homer Charter Assn. meeting last night
Here are some answers to the questions posed at last night's meeting. I hope this helps.

1. Why do we collect information on clients that don't fish? This was a good question; best as anyone could recall, this was due to an interest in capturing economic information about the charter fleet. I'm still looking into this, and will let you know if I come up with a better answer.
2. Can we make the "Angler Name" box bigger next year?
Likely - this suggestion was recorded for future reference when designing next year's logbook. Without an annual limit in Area 2C next year, we can eliminate the "YTD Kept in 2C" column, and maybe condense the trip information on the left side.

3. Why the limits on the leasing provisions in the catch sharing plan?
The NPFMC analysis staff requested an explanation of this at the April meeting. here's an excerpt of the explanation was provided in the version of the state's motion that was distributed at the meeting. I'm guessing these are Jane DiCosimo's notes:
The commercial fleet supports tight leasing constraints in order to minimize disruption to their sector and not open up a leasing loophole. They are concerned about the 1500 pound level allowing for perpetual leasing instead of active participation in the IFQ fishery. The 10% leasing of individual quota holding limitation doesn't make sense from a business perspective. The average quota share holding in 3A is about 8,000 pounds; in SE it's between 3,500-5,000 pounds. the 1500 pounds was an attempt to balance out how many different people a charter operator would have to go to in order to secure a couple thousand pounds to augment their charter harvest. 10% was also used because of the IFQ 10% annual rollover provision.
There are a number of charter operators that also hold IFQ, usually less than 1,500 pounds. This language was crafted in order to attempt to provide equity between charter operators that already hold QS and those that don't. Commercial fishermen believe charter operators holding QS should be allowed to lease/use all their QS as GAF if they choose because they believe this will make approximately 200,000 pounds of IFQ available to convert to GAF. Community interests also got involved in the discussion. In 2C, so much of the QS is in such small blocks that a strict 10% limitation would be extremely cumbersome.
I also have a summary from the "Halibut Negotiating Group," (whatever that was), with "Points of Consensus not Discussed in the AP Motion" from 4/4/08. That summary contains the following bullet with regard to the leasing provision:
The GAF-leasing limits proposed for Area 3A are constraining; the Council may wish to expand the range of options to provide equivalent preservation of historic fishing opportunities as is provided for 2C.

4. Question about GAF fish being issued in pounds versus fish.
See Elements 5C and 5E of the state's motion, as well as discussion on pages 85-86 of the March 14 initial review draft of the catch sharing plan EA/RIR/IRFA. These clearly point out that leased IFQ is converted to numbers of fish for use as GAF, and converted back to pounds when unused GAF are returned to the IFQ holder.
-----
The state's motion with regard to the catch sharing plan can be downloaded from the NPFMC web site:http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues/HalibutCharterMotion408.pdf

Official Board of Fish Teleconference Summary.

Official Board of Fish Teleconference Summary
ALASKA BOARD OF FISHERIES
Teleconference
Southeast King Salmon Sport Fishery
April 28, 2008
Summary of Actions
The Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) met by teleconference on April 28, 2008 to consider possible emergency regulations regarding sport fishing for king salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Six of seven board members were in attendance (Morris absent). Public listen-only sites were available in Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Juneau.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game recently announced a 48 percent reduction in the Southeast Alaska king salmon harvest quota for the 2008 season. The board considered possible adjustments to the sport fishing regulations beyond those announced by the department in a April 9, 2008 Emergency Order, including modifying the date of a salmon derby, allowing for in-season adjustment to regulations, and modifying the number of allowable lines for charter boats.
The board adopted a finding of emergency based on the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare as provided for in Alaska Statute 44.62.250.
The board adopted an emergency regulation to apply to the 2008 season that would 1) allow retention of king salmon 28 inches or greater in length during the period of July 15-Sept. 30 by resident anglers, and 2) allow charter boats to use up to six lines in May and June. In addition from July 15 through September 30 nonresidents may only retain king salmon 48 inches or greater in length.
The board noted that a key consideration from a resident fishing perspective was that prohibiting the retention of king salmon 28-inches or greater after August 1 for residents would essentially close an important fishing opportunity. The action taken was intended by the board to allow for continued sport fishing opportunity for king salmon in marine waters for unguided sport anglers, consistent with board finding #1993-142-FB. It was understood that a week-long reduction in non-resident fishing would make up the difference to allow an additional two months of resident fishing time in terms of conservation savings.
The board also noted that a key consideration from a charter fleet perspective was avoiding a reduction in the number of lines allowed per vessel from six down to four, particularly during the months of May and June. It was understood by the board that an additional week of non-resident fishing restriction in July would make up the difference in conservation savings that could be achieved by a reduction in the number of lines to four.
The board addressed the allocation criteria, the sustainable salmon fisheries policy, and discussed costs to the public. The board clarified its intent to delegate to the Commissioner the authority to adopt the emergency regulation permanently. The emergency regulation will sunset on September 30, 2008.

More Emergency Orders on the guided sportfishermen.

Is this a sign of things to come?

EXPLANATION:
This emergency order modifies lingcod sport fishing seasons, bag and possession limits and, for non-resident and guided anglers only, establishes minimum and maximum size limits and annual limits for lingcod in the marine waters of Southeast Alaska.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Alaska Board of Fisheries modified sport fisheries regulations for lingcod in Southeast Alaska in response to indications in the directed lingcod commercial fishery of a widespread decline in abundance.
To read the whole EO click below.

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/eonr/Devpdf/2008/R1/EO-1-LC-R-05-08(F).pdf

It seems the state is ok with a 1 fish limit.

All correspondence with Sarah and her minions about the impending doom associated with a one fish limit is simply ignored. Perhaps its because commissioner Denby S. Lloyd has a long history of working with the commercial fisheries and Deputy Commissioner David Bedford served as Director of The SE AK Seiners Association and the governor is a setnetter,
No wonder the department thinks that the one king salmon limit is adequate for recreational anglers and a 1 halibut limit should be just fine also. They have history to draw on that says 1 fish is a good regulation that is easy to enforce. A 1 fish limit in area 2C is only the beginning. They will not allow a 1 fish limit in 2C and a two fish limit in 3A for very long. It can only be effective if 3A and 2C are both 1 fish areas so one area does not have an advantage over another and shifts angler effort to that area.
All interested parties need to come together and demand a solution to this nonsense before the halibut sportifshing charters are forced out of business by a totally biased process.

Charter fleet to lease halibut quota shares.

AP story in the Anchorage Daily News.

JUNEAU -- The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is trying a new way to fix allocation disputes between the charter and commercial halibut fleets.
Charter boat operators are wary of relying on commercial fishermen, who would have to choose to lease their quotas to charters, he said. When prices are good, there might be no quota to lease because fishermen would use it themselves, Bierman said.
But commercial fishermen argue that the charters shouldn't be getting fish for free that they have to pay for.
"From the commercial side, we think it's a really good thing, because (charter boats) are obviously going over their allocation," said Kathy Hansen, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Fishermen's Alliance.
Under the plan, the council would impose gradually stricter regulations on charter operators if they exceeded their limits.
The Department of Fish and Game says charter boats have exceeded soft guideline harvest limits for the last several years.
Tiered restrictions on charter boats would only be triggered if they exceeded their allocations. Less severely, charter boat employees could be forbidden from taking fish; more severely, clients could be limited to a one-fish bag limit.
After years of a two-fish bag limit, charter boats were restricted to a smaller-size second fish last year. Charter captains have said that any reduction in the two-fish bag limit would severely hurt their business, because clients come up expecting two fish.

April fools!!!!!!

April 1st could mark the beginning of the end of the sport fishing halibut charter industry in Alaska.
The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council will decide the fate of many a small business person’s future by putting permanent restrictions on the number of halibut caught by guided sport fishermen. Currently, the statewide catch for guided sport halibut is approximately six million lbs. This is a significant number until we consider the commercial longline catch of 54 million pounds. And consider the total commercial fishing "wastage" of over 13 million pounds of halibut and over 248 million pounds of total resource wastage in the Alaska wide commercial fishery in 2005. All these numbers add up to a totally skewed council process that encourages a conflict of interest to be a council member. Most of the council members are commercial fisherman from the west coast or their surrogates. They would rather waste tons of halibut as "Bycatch", before they allow the guided sport fisherman a chance to catch a sport fish and enjoy a home cooked delight. The NPFMC has no interest in any sport user group and view them as a nuisance. It is time for us all to do something about the horrible wastage going on in our magnificent fisheries resource. Just say "no" to the restriction of guided sport caught halibut and say "yes" to the end of wastage. . I think we should allow sportfishermen to determine the amount of fish they need ‘before " wastage is allowed for, not after.
I am a charter operator out of Homer and would like the same representation at the council as my commercial neighbors.
The NPFMC meeting is ongoing this week at the Anchorage Hilton. The agenda is @http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/408agenda.pdf

Logbook Evaluation by AKF&G.

This is from the Logbook Evaluation by AKF&G. Seems we were not the Liars we were accused of being after all.
Adoption of logbooks as the preferred charter harvest monitoring tool by the North Pacific FisheryManagement Council will present a problem with respect to management of annual harvest. Specifically,the Council will have to address the mismatch between the reported harvest and the allocation options that were all calculated using past SHWS estimates of charter harvest. Logbook harvests were consistently higher than SHWS estimates for all years in which halibut were reported in the logbook. Options to address this mismatch include revision of allocation options, either through recalculation using recent logbook harvest, or through negotiation. Applying average weights by SWHS area to logbook numbers results in 2006 charter harvest estimates of 2.094 M lb in Area 2C and 4.691 M lb in Area 3A. These harvest estimates are 16% and 28% higher than the respective harvest estimates based on the SWHS. The discrepancy in weight between the Area 2C logbook and SWHS estimates (16%) was smaller than the discrepancy in numbers of fish (23%), due to differences in the distribution of harvest among ports. The largest difference in numbers was in the Princeof Wales area (13,298 more fish in the logbook), which had an average weight of only 9.7 lb, well belowthe 18.9 lb average for Area 2C.

The Common Pool is a Loser!

The following thoughts were sent by email and I must say they need to be considered.

Another issue that is really pissing me off is this the common pool approach with MAYBE the option to lease commercial quota?? Has anyone thought about WHO is going to be leasing quota? It will be every long standing, fully operational and developed companies that has a full calendar on a regular basis!! Is this where you want to be? The less than fully developed charters can freely fish within the GHL (common pool) for several years of the interim with no care of where the common pool becomes constraining on the full operators, because it will be them causing the need to lease, but it will be the fully developed charter doing the leasing. They can EXPAND and it won’t cost them anything, but for some of you that have a full marketing plan that keeps your calendars full, guess what, it will be you who will be leasing this supplemental quota to continue in each year the common pool is used up. Why are we so happy with this? Do you think you owe the less than developed charters this extra burden on your businesses?We should be looking at holding every charter at the level of harvest based on their moratorium qualifying level through the interim. THEN if we need to lease more quota cause the common pool is exhausted then EVERY charter begins leasing at the same time. I don’t look forward to having to lease so I can continue to operate at my regular level for several years knowing some (new kids) are happily growing each year until their portion of the common pool forces me to lease extra just so I can continue as I have been for many years. THIS sounds like Affirmative Action to me and it stinks.

Sport Fish Guide Services Board !!

In late-November 2007, the Sport Fish Guide Limited Entry Task Force recommended that the creation of a Sport Fish Guide Services Board (similar to the Big Game Commercial Services Board) would be an appropriate first step to limiting sport fishing guide activities in Alaska, rather than a limited entry system. This recommendation was based on potential legal issues associated with the issuance of limited entry permits to the business owners rather than the guides (fishermen), as initially recommended by the task force.
The creation of a Sport Fish Guide Services Board would not raise constitutional issues, but would require legislation and regulation to implement. This type of program would categorize and professionally license the charter industry as guides, outfitters or transporters and would provide an opportunity to gather accounting information on levels of participation and of fish being harvested within each of these groups. Participants believed this approach would increase professional standards within the industry and as a result may serve to reduce entry over time in the sport fish guide industry. Participants also felt this was a necessary first step towards developing a more formal limited entry or concessionaire program for the sport fish guide industry.
Participants also felt it was necessary to develop workable definitions for guiding and related activities such as outfitting and transporting. In discussing definitions, the group discussed the different types of businesses models and definitions for the various types of activities. Draft definitions were developed which will be further reviewed at the group's next meeting in January. Participants felt it was necessary to develop workable definitions for all guide related activities before any legislation is introduced. A sport fish guide representative of the Limited Entry Task Force met with ADF&G to draft statutory language modeled after AS 08.54.591 which establishes the Big Game Commercial Services Board. If Commissioner Lloyd approves the task force's recommendation to pursue the creation of a Sport Fish Guide Services Board as a first step towards a limited entry program, task force members will be provided a copy of the draft statutory language for review and discussion during their meeting January 8-9, 2008.
The timeline for implementing this initiative would likely remain as originally proposed, with appropriate legislation introduced during the 2009 Legislative Session. Steps previously proposed under the recommendation of a limited entry approach would apply as well.

ITS TIME TO SUBMIT COMMENTS.

The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council is currently considering charter halibut allocation. I’m writing to advocate for a fixed allocation of at least 1.9 million pounds in Area 2C and 4.15 million pounds in Area 3A.
What are you advocating? Give them your thoughts.

Submission of Written Comments. Written comments and materials to be included in Council meeting notebooks must be received at the Council office by 5:00 pm (Alaska Time) on March 26 (Wednesday)
Written and oral comments should include a statement of the source and date of information provided as well as a brief description of the background and interests of the person(s) submitting the statement.
Comments can be sent by mail or fax—please do not submit comments by e-mail.
MAIL TO:
Mr. Eric Olson, Chairman
North Pacific Fishery Management Council
605 West 4th, Suite 306
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2252

Fax: (907) 271-2817

Charter Halibut Allocation/Reallocation: Initial Review

We had better get some input on this issue. 125% of the 2001-2005 avg charter harvest (GHL updated thru 2005) is the only equation relevant to the 21st century. A ten year old GHL is out of date and out of reality. Setting a harvest level with a flawed census that is only beneficial to the over burdensome commercial interests is the clasic case of the monopoly holders dictate the rules . This is a felonius assault on the free enterprise system. A federal governing board is held to the constitutional free enterprise system. Does anyone know a constitutional lawyer? Perhaps we think too small?
This is it, either you get onboard now with a linited entery with catch history verified or you are an old man fighting the system! What a noble cause! Been There Done That!!!!

Prefered Alternative

For discussion purposes by the Charter Industry

The following plan now before the Stakeholders and the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council is under consideration by the industry as our primary alternative for the long term solution for management of our industry.

There are certain options that we will discuss where options must be chosen.

The proposal follows:

ALTERNATIVE 6. Limited Entry Plan with Angler Days and charter allocation with limited access to commercial QS (purchase) and IFQ (leasing) for charter operators
10/26/07

Action: Implement an Angler Day Limited Entry Plan with charter allocation and limited access to commercial QS (purchase) and IFQ (leasing) for charter operators

Halibut Charter Limited Entry Permits

Element 1. Permits may be held by a U.S. citizen or a U.S. business with at least 75 percent U.S. ownership of the business. Businesses may receive multiple permits due to charter halibut activity by vessels reported by the businesses in ADF&G logbooks. Initial permit recipients may be “grandfathered” below the U.S. ownership level and above proposed use caps.

Element 2. Permit would be designated for Area 2C or Area 3A. If a business owner qualifies for a permit in both areas based on the history from a single vessel, he/she would be issued a separate permit for both areas. Only one permit could be used on any given trip.

Element 3. Permit would be issued to the holder of a Guided Sport Moratorium (GSM) Permit

Element 4. Permit applicant would be required to sign an affidavit attesting that all legal requirements were met.

Element 5. Permit would carry an Endorsement for Angler Days based on logbook history during qualification years to be determined prior to and including 2005 (the control date year for the moratorium).

Option 8.1. Actual Angler Days averaged over a period of qualifying years

Option 8.2. Classes of Permits based on a tight range of Angler Days averaged over a
period of qualifying years: Example:
A Class 750 Angler Days or more
B Class 600 - 749 Angler Days
C Class 450 - 599 Angler Days
D Class 300 - 449 Angler Days
E Class 150- 299 Angler Days
F Class 61 - 149 Angler Days
G Class 60 or less Angler Days

Option 8.3. Placeholder for other options
Permits issued under the military hardship provision would receive an Angler Day endorsement to be determined.
Note: Military (Morale, Welfare, and Recreational) boats are not required to meet the qualification requirements of the program, but harvests still count against the Allocation.

Element 6. Annual permit renewal criteria
Option 6.1. Does not require renewal
Option 6.2. Must be renewed annually.
Option 6.3. Not renewable, if permit holder lets it expire
Option 6.4. Emergency medical exception

Program Management

Element 7. Angler Days, Initial issuance, leasing, transfers.
Provide for share-based assignment predicated on Angler Days.
Evidence of participation for determining Angler Day Endorsements is ADF&G saltwater
logbook entry with bottomfish statistical area, rods, or boat hours.
Initial issuance: Award number of Angler Day units from ADF&G logbooks that correspond to:
Suboption 1. Total Angler Days during best year during 1998-2005
Suboption 2. Average Angler Days during best 3 years from 1998 – 2005
Suboption 3. Placeholder for other options
Permit Transfers: Permits and endorsements may be transferred and may be stacked, up to use caps.
Endorsement Transfers:
Suboption 1. Angler Days not transferable
Suboption 2. Angler Days fully transferable:
1. Permanent: must go through NMFS (RAM division)
2. In-season transfers: allowed between charter businesses
Permit Leases (in-season only; reverts to permit holder at beginning of next season)
Suboption 1. leasing is allowed limited to use caps
Suboption 2. not allowed, except for “unavoidable circumstance”
Endorsement leases:
Suboption 1. Allow leasing, limited to Angler Day endorsement caps
Suboption 2. Allow unlimited leasing
Notes:
1. Permit endorsement of an angler day for every client fishing bottomfish/halibut in a day
2. "Unavoidable circumstances" will be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis through the National Marine Fisheries Appeals Division, but includes medical emergencies, military exemptions, and constructive losses.

Element 8. Use caps and grandfather rights. The AFA 10% ownership rule for affiliation will be applied to determine the number of permits associated with an entity under the use cap.
Option 1. 5 Permits
Option 2. Placeholder for other options
Option 3. Grandfather rights below the U.S ownership level shall expire upon any
change in ownership of the business. Grandfather rights above ownership and/or use caps shall pass to successors to the business, until and unless elements of the business, i.e., vessels, are sold or spun off from the business. Grandfathered businesses may not increase capacity above the grandfathered level, however in the event of restrictions, step-downs etc. a grandfathered business may acquire additional capacity up to but not exceeding the original grandfathered level.
Note from previous Council analysis: A business that owns/controls permits in excess of the use cap maintains the grandfather status for those permits that remain in its control after other permits are sold, but the sold permits lose the grandfather status in perpetuity. Grandfathered permits that are sold in total when a business owner sells his entire business/fleet maintain that grandfathered status. Grandfathered status refers to permits, not to vessels.

Element 9. Supplemental individual use of commercial IFQ
This element implements measures to allow Permit holders to purchase or lease commercial IFQ in order to provide anglers with additional opportunities, not to exceed regulations in place for unguided anglers.
Provisions:
A. Permit holders may purchase commercial QS or lease commercial IFQ for conversion to GAF.
B. Permit holders harvesting GAF while participating in the guided sport halibut fishery are exempt from landing and use restrictions associated with commercial IFQ fishery, but subject to the landing and use provisions detailed below.
C. GAF would be issued in numbers of fish. The conversion between annual IFQ and GAF would be based on average weight of halibut landed in each region’s charter halibut fishery (2C or 3A) during the previous year as determined by ADF&G.
D. Subleasing of GAF would be prohibited.
E. GAF holders may request NMFS convert unused GAF into IFQ pounds for harvest in
compliance with commercial fishing regulations provided the GAF holder qualifies under the commercial IFQ regulations.
F. Unused GAF may revert back to pounds of IFQ at the end of the year and be subject to the underage provisions applicable to their underlying commercial QS.
G. GAF derived from commercial QS may not be sold into commerce, i.e., all sport regulations remain in effect.
H. GAF derived from commercial QS may not be used to harvest fish in excess of the non-guided sport bag limit on any given day.
I. Charter operators landing GAF on private property (e.g. lodges) and motherships would be required to allow ADF&G samplers/enforcement personnel access to the point of landing.

Element 10. Limits on Holding Quota Share and IFQ
A. Commercial IFQ, when purchased or leased and converted to GAF for use in the guided halibut (charter) fishery shall not exceed the following limits in total holdings:
Option 1. An individual or entity holding a Limited Entry Permit or multiple Limited
Entry Permits may not hold or control more IFQ and/or GAF in excess of an amount equal to the current setline ownership cap in each area (Currently1% of the setline catch limit in 2C or approximately 4,000 fish and 1/2% in 3A or approximately 6,500 fish.)
Option 2. An individual or entity holding Limited Entry Permit or multiple Limited Entry
Permits in Area 2C or Area 3A may not hold or control more GAF than:
i. 1,000 fish
ii. 2,000 fish
iii, 5,000 fish
iv. 7,500 fish
B. Holding GAF on charter Limited Entry Permits:
Option 1. An individual or entity holding a Limited Entry Permit or multiple Limited
Entry Permits in Area 2C may not hold or control more GAF per Limited Entry Permit than:
i. 200 fish
ii. 300 fish
iii, 400 fish
Note: In Area 2C a charter vessel is restricted to a maximum of six lines, regardless of the size or type of the vessel, or how many passengers the vessel carries.
Option 2. An individual or entity holding a Limited Entry Permit or multiple Limited
Entry Permits in Area 3A and operating a "six-pack" charter vessel may not hold or control more GAF per permitted six-pack vessel than:
i. 200 fish
ii. 300 fish
iii, 400 fish
Option 3. An individual or entity holding a Limited Entry Permit or multiple Limited
Entry Permits in Area 3A and operating a "super six-pack" charter vessel may not hold or control more GAF per permitted super six-pack vessel than:
i. 200 fish
ii. 400 fish
iii, 600 fish
Option 4. An individual or entity holding a Limited Entry Permit or multiple Limited
Entry Permits in Area 3A and operating a USCG Subchapter T "certified" charter vessel may not hold or control more GAF per permitted certified vessel than provided for in the following formula:
L x B x DBL x d = GAF
40
Where: L = documented vessel length
B = documented vessel breadth
DBL = daily bag limit for halibut
d = a range of multiples to be analyzed and to be determined by the Council at Final
Action which would approximate the number days that a charter operator might reasonably be allowed to extend his season in Area 3A, or alternatively, a multiple to simply determine a reasonable number of GAF that a certified vessel may hold that would correlate to the number of GAF allowed for a six-pack vessel in previous options. Suggested multipliers might range from 5, 10, 15 or 20.
The portion of the formula L x B is intended to represent a nominal number of
passengers the vessel might fish comfortably, as opposed to the number of passengers that a vessel might be certified to carry. (A vessel that is also engaged in tours could be certified to carry many more passengers than it would normally be able to fish.)
Example: Documented vessel length 40.4 feet
Documented vessel breadth 13.2 feet
Using 10 as the selected multiplier d
40.4 x 13.2 = 13 passengers x 2 fish x 10 = 260 fish (Approximately 5,000 lbs of IFQ)
Note: A similar formula using vessel dimensions for USCG Subchapter T certified charter vessels might also be used to determine a conversion to Angler Days.
(NOTE: Paragraph C. below is the same as the Council Interim Solution motion except for the additional text in bold.)
C. Commercial Quota Share Holders:
i. Commercial QS holders may lease up to 10% of their annual IFQs for use as
GAF on an individual basis.
ii. Commercial fishermen who hold QS and a Limited Entry permit:
Option 1. May convert all or a portion of their commercial QS to GAF on a yearly basis if they own and fish it on their own Limited Entry permitted vessel(s). Commercial fishermen using their IFQ as GAF will be subject to the same caps, limits and restrictions on the use of IFQ for GAF as charter-only operators. Commercial and charter fishing may not be conducted from the same vessel during the same day.
Option 2. May lease up to 10% of their annual IFQs for use as GAF on an individual basis.
D. Catch accounting
a. The current Statewide Harvest Survey or logbook data would be used to determine the
annual harvest.
b. A catch accounting system* will need to be developed for the GAF fish landed in the
charter industry.
* NOTE: Monitoring and enforcement issue:
In 2003, NMFS contracted with Wostman and Associates to design a data collection program compatible with guided sport operations, yet robust enough to monitor a share-based management plan.
This system was based on logbooks and telephone or Internet call in and reporting numbers of fish.
This system was designed with the technology available to charter operators.

Element 11. Community provisions for Area 2C and 3A communities previously identified under GOA FMP Amendment 66
Placeholder for CQE provisions
Note: Previous Council text from Moratorium motion:
A Community Quota Entity (CQE), representing a community in which 10 or fewer active charter businesses terminated trips in the community in each of the years 2004 and 2005 may request Limited
Entry permits:
Area 2C – use cap of 4 requested permits per eligible community.
Area 3A – use cap of 7 requested permits per eligible community.
Overall use caps for all CQEs in a management area are 2 times those selected for the qualifying CQE requested permit use cap for each area. (Staff note: result is overall use cap of 8 permits for each CQE in Area 2C and 14 permits for each CQE in Area 3A).
Provisions for CQE requested permits:
• Designated for the area in which the community represented by the CQE is located.
• Endorsed for 6 clients.
• Not allowed to be sold (i.e., permanently transferred).
• Under reporting requirements, the CQE must identify the recipient of the permit prior to issuance.
• The requested CQE permit must be used in the community represented by the CQE (the trip must originate or terminate in the CQE community).

what a frickin mess

1. Thanks to ? (you know who you are) for putting our industry in this mess!
2. The GHL is an interim motion with no long term solution.
3. The moratorium has not been signed by Sec. of Commerce. Same as "ol IFQ" plan.
4. Is NPFMC interim motion going to be long term ghl/moratorium solution?
5. How can a moratorium that will allow growth keep us from ghl overages & facing major
repercussions. The GHL is Fixed! Why should there be growth allowed under
moratorium? As is you can do more trips, take more people, do more doubles
-all you need is a permit. What a joke! What about the GHL! knock knock! anybody home?
6. New charters want it all at long term charters expense. Will i need to lease fish to fish
the same number of clients as i have in the past 20 years?
7. Is there still a Stakeholders Committe? Why & When do they meet again?
8. 20 years as a charter, 15 years attending Council meetings, No Solututions, at who' expense?
Why?

What is your take on this?

Check out the revised halibut motion at the address below or click on the heading in the "related sites" list at right and let me know how we can survive in this business.


http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/halibut_issues/Halibutmotion1207_rev.pdf

Fish board hearing slated

Fish board hearing slated
Testimony to be taken in Soldotna on Jan. 30
With 286 proposals on the docket for the Board of Fisheries (BOF) Upper Cook Inlet meeting, user group representatives expect hundreds from all facets of fishing to descend upon Anchorage beginning Feb. 1. "A good couple-hundred people or better will testify," said Jim Marcotte, executive director for the Board of Fisheries. "By the end of public testimony (the BOF) will have heard all sides of most issues." Board members will take testimony from representatives of the area's advisory committees and members of the public at its Anchorage meeting from Feb. 1 to Feb. 12 before beginning their deliberations. But for those who can't devote their time to a 12 day-long meeting or who can't make it to Anchorage the BOF will send three of its members to afford the public an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns at a public testimony at 3 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Soldotna Sports Center.
Some 227 of the 286 proposals concern guided fishing, sport fishing, subsistence fishing and commercial fishing here on the Kenai Peninsula, particularly the Kenai and Kasilof rivers.

Homer Charter Association Meeting Feb 13

Notice to all interested charters. The Homer Charter Association will hold a regular meeting on february 13, 2008 at 7:00pm in the Homer Chamber of Commerce Building.
Topics for discussion will be the ongoing development of the charter halibut management proposals and the new and exciting requirement of the Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) that we all must be in possession of by September 23, 2008. Meeting announcements have been mailed along with membership forms. Mail in your dues of $125.00 or bring them with you. See you there