Charter Halibut Permit Endorsements!

The Council recommended an amendment to the charter halibut

limited entry (moratorium) program to revise the approach used to

assign angler endorsements to charter halibut permits held by

businesses that receive more than one permit in Area 2C or Area 3A.

The effect of the action is to more closely align angler endorsements

with the distribution of highest client loads for vessels used by

qualifying applicants. The Council selected Alternative 2, Option 3 for

businesses that would be issued multiple permits. One permit would

be issued to a business with an endorsement equal to the greatest

number of charter vessel anglers onboard any vessel used by the

business to generate a permit as reported to ADF&G on any bottom

fish logbook trip in 2004 or 2005, but not less than 4. Each

subsequent permit issued to the same business would be issued with

an endorsement equal to the next greatest number of charter vessel

anglers onboard any other vessel used by the business to generate a

permit, whose catch history has not already been used by the

business to determine an angler endorsement, as reported to ADF&G

on any trip in 2004 or 2005, until all permits are issued. The Council

deleted the following language from its original motion for analysis,

“The year selected for determining angler endorsements must be the

year selected by the applicant for permit qualification.” The effect of

the action is to reduce the number of permit endorsements by

approximately 400 in both areas. The Council intended that this

amendment be implemented in regulation prior to issuance of charter

halibut permits to businesses that would be issued multiple permits.

The Council also initiated a discussion paper to amend the charter

halibut permit program to promulgate regulations to prohibit leasing of

charter halibut permits. The Council noted that its highest priority for

staff tasking remains implementation of the halibut catch share plan

that was adopted by the Council in October 2008. The Council’s next

priorities would be two commercial IFQ analyses initiated in February

2010. Four commercial IFQ discussion papers were also initiated in

February. The priority of the discussion papers will be identified in the

future by the Council. Contact Jane DiCosimo for more information