Coastal Halibut Recreational Fisheries

One of the primary coastal recreational fishery management challenges WDFW is facing is with regard to the North Coast (Neah Bay and La Push) subarea and its short halibut season. There has been a significant increase in fishing effort in this area over the past few years, resulting in earlier quota attainment. In 2001, the North Coast halibut season lasted a total of 29 days—in 2005, it was less than a third of that amount at 9 days long. The Department sponsored a series of recreational halibut meetings to develop and discuss management tools for the North Coast halibut fishery. Through these meetings, the group collectively decided to reduce the number of days per week in May from five consecutive days (Tue-Sat) to three staggered days (Tue, Thur, and Sat), and in June to two staggered days (Thur and Sat), beginning in 2006.

Other management tools, including an annual bag limit, were discussed, but not adopted at this time. WDFW has annual bag limits in place for other species, such as sturgeon and steelhead. We would like to consider, in conjunction with the fishery managers and participants of these other fisheries, a comprehensive approach to how catches are recorded and annual limits are enforced. Following those discussions, we may propose an annual bag limit for halibut in the future.

Other changes to the Catch Sharing Plan for Washington sport fisheries for 2006 include modifying the definition of the northern nearshore area in the South Coast—the changes move the outer boundary closer to shore and extend the southern boundary slightly—and using a two-season approach in the Columbia River subarea (a primary season beginning May 1, open 7 days per week, and a secondary season beginning on the first Friday in August, open Friday-Sunday only).

Puget Sound Halibut Catch Estimate

The Department manages the Puget Sound halibut fishery based on “fishing equivalent days” (FEDs). We apply the highest catch per FED for the previous five years (which, for the 2005 calculation, occurred in 2003) to determine the total amount of FEDs that will be available in the following season. In projecting the season length, a weekday is equivalent to one FED, while weekends and holidays are 2.5 FEDs. Using this method, the amount of FEDs available for the 2005 fishery was 82.

WDFW produces a post-season catch estimate using a telephone survey of the marine anglers who obtained saltwater fishing licenses to estimate effort, and creel surveys of anglers returning to port to estimate the catch per angler-trip. WDFW samplers measured over 700 fish in 2005, which was approximately 25% of the catch, to determine the average weight.

This method produced a catch estimate of 2,700 halibut; multiplied by the average weight (23.1 lbs) results in a total estimated catch of 62,370 lbs. The division of this catch between the two regions for 2005, and a comparison to 2004, is described in Table 2.

Table 2. Puget Sound catch estimates, by region, in 2005, as compared to 2004.
Area	2005		2004
	Number of Halibut	lbs	Number of Halibut	lbs
Eastern Region	1,990	45,969	1,269	28,806
Western Region	710	16,401	916	20,793

Anecdotal information from anglers indicated that the earlier season opening was successful; this is supported by both the creel data and the telephone survey results. A detailed description of the Puget Sound catch by area and month, and the average weight data collected, is contained in Appendix B.

Following the annual meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission and the adoption of the Area 2A total allowable catch (TAC), WDFW will have a public meeting to develop proposed season dates for Puget Sound for 2006, which will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval.

Canadian Halibut Landed Into Neah Bay

As part of WDFW’s port sampling efforts for recreational halibut fisheries, we also sample the halibut caught in Canadian waters and landed into Neah Bay. Using the average weight from the U.S. fish landed into the North Coast subarea in 2005 (21.4 lbs) and applying it to the Canadian catch landed into Neah Bay, produces a catch estimate of 189,034 lbs.

Table 3. is a comparison of the Canadian halibut catch landed into Neah Bay in 2000-2005. The total catch in pounds is calculated using the average weight for the U.S. fish landed into the North Coast subarea for each respective year. A weekly catch summary of Canadian halibut brought into Neah Bay by charter and private vessels (in numbers of fish) is described in Appendix C.

Table 3. Canadian halibut landings into Neah Bay, Washington, in 2000-2005.
Year	Number of Boats	Number of Anglers	Number of Halibut	Avg Wt (lbs)	Total lbs
2005	1,448	5,517	8,821	21.43	189,034
2004	1,468	5,941	9,693	21.63	209,660
2003	1,555	6,089	10,805	20.03	216,424
2002	1,328	5,361	9,027	19.47	175,756
2001	1,594	6,202	9,716	19.24	186,936
2000	2,007	6,857	10,088	20.80	209,830

Incidental Halibut Catch in the Sablefish Fishery North of Point Chehalis, WA

The 2A Halibut Catch Sharing Plan provides for incidental landings of halibut in the primary longline sablefish fishery north of Pt. Chehalis, Washington, in years when the Area 2A TAC is greater than 900,000 lbs. The amount of halibut allowed in the directed sablefish fishery is capped at 70,000 lbs, and the remaining allocation is transferred back to the Washington recreational fishery and divided among the subareas according to the method described in the Plan. For the 2005 season, the Council adopted a landing ratio of 100 lbs. of halibut for every 1,000 lbs. of sablefish plus two additional halibut per fishing trip (both dressed weight, halibut with head-on). The sablefish fishery extends from April 1 through October 31 with associated halibut landings allowed beginning in May.

Twenty-seven individual vessels made a total of 124 landings containing halibut in the directed sablefish fishery. The average amount of sablefish in these landings was 6,649 lbs. and the average amount of halibut was 623 lbs. (both dressed, halibut with head on). This represents an average of approximately 94% of the amount of halibut that could have been legally retained under the regulation. The overall per-landing average in last year’s fishery was only 60% of the incidental halibut allowed. Several landings of halibut appear to have exceeded the allowed ratio to sablefish in the catch, and are currently under investigation. If the overage from these landings is not included in the calculation, the overall average of incidental halibut retention drops to 86% of the amount possible under the regulation.

Retention of halibut in the primary sablefish fishery north of Pt. Chehalis was prohibited beginning October 23 to avoid exceeding the 70,000-pound quota. The total catch of dressed, head-off halibut in the sablefish fishery was 68,013 lbs. which is 97% of the established quota.