Comments due on halibut Catch Sharing Plan

There’s less than a week for Alaskans to weigh in on the new Catch Sharing Plan for halibut. The deadline is next Wednesday, September 21st.

A final rule could be issued this fall on the proposal that allocates halibut between commercial longliners and charter operators. The Secretary of Commerce could approve it by December. That could put the plan in place for next year.

Rachel Baker, a fisheries management specialist for NOAA Fisheries, briefed members of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce on the players involved in halibut management and how the new Catch Sharing Plan would work on limiting growth in the charter sector.

Baker says the proposed Catch Sharing Plan was designed for its predictability and includes an initial allocation and a set of daily bag limits for the charter sector. There’s also a potential transfer of Individual Fishing Quota from commercial longliners to charter operators in the form of Guided Angler Fish, or GAF.

Here’s the first part of Baker’s presentation before the Chamber on Thursday:

Part two:

Part three:

More on information on the Catch Sharing Plan can be found at NOAA’s website. Scroll down to the section on Public Comment Periods

Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov

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