The Halibut Catch Sharing Plan is under review by the Council in February 2022 and the charter fleet is asking for more commercial quota to be reallocated to the charter sector—this despite the fact that the CSP allows charter operators to lease commercial quota and the council has approved a Recreational Quota Entity program to allow the charter fleet to purchase commercial quota (once the funding mechanism is approved by Congress).
The NPFMC is taking up a scheduled review of the Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) Feb 1-10. Some charter organizations are working to take more uncompensated quota from the commercial sector, despite the CSP allowance for charter operators to lease commercial quota and the Recreational Quota Entity’s (RQE) proposal to allow a charter entity to purchase commercial quota for use by the charter sector. The RQE authority to collect fees pends Congressional action; when/if passed, this will allow the RQE to purchase up to 10% of 2C QS and 12% of 3A QS. The Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) was implemented in 2014 to end the reallocation of halibut from the commercial to the charter fleet.
NPFMC meeting info and analysis is at http://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/2753 Agenda Item D1.
Written comments must be received by COB 1/28/22; oral testimony at the SSC (1/31), AP (2/1) and NPFMC (2/8).
COMMENT PROCEDURES.
1. Written comments must be submitted electronically by 5PM AST January 28.
a. Go to http://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/2753 and scroll down to item D1.
b. Click on “comment now”. Recommend typing up comments ahead of time so you can copy/past or attach. Written comments will not be made public until after comment period closes
2. Oral comments will be @Feb 1 at the Advisory Panel and @ February 8 at the NPFMC. The links for signup will be activated later. And you will need to call in by phone; instructions will be provided on the meeting website.
For updates sign up for emails from halibutcoalition@gmail.com or join Facebook Halibut Coalition.
To review the timeline of this issue, click below:
Development of the Council’s GHL and other halibut charter policies by year of Council action