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2004 Sportfishing Halibut Regulations
Sport fishing is divided into four regions within Washington State. These four regions are the Columbia River area (Ilwaco), South Washington Coast (Westport), North Washington Coast (La Push and Neah Bay), and Puget Sound (Marine Fish Catch Areas 5-13). Each of these areas has a set of regulations. These regulations are established by the Pacific Fishery Management Council which develops the halibut catch sharing plan; this plan is adopted by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service. The overall catch level for halibut is determined annually by the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
The International Pacific Halibut Commission has set the overall Pacific coast halibut quota at 1.48 million pounds (up from 1.31 million pounds in 2003). Washington's sport anglers will see a subsequent increase in the amount of halibut they will be allowed to catch—278,883 pounds in 2004, up from 237,739 pounds in 2003.
Coastal halibut fisheries are managed on a quota basis, and fisheries remain open until a particular region's quota has been achieved. Recreational sub-area quotas for 2004 are 76,220 pounds for Puget Sound, 126,857 pounds for the North Coast, 61,565 pounds for the South Coast, and 14,241 pounds for the Columbia River.
A yelloweye rockfish conservation closure is again in effect for a portion of the Pacific coast off La Push. The closure is intended to reduce the likelihood that halibut anglers will unintentionally catch yelloweye rockfish, which federal fisheries managers have designated as "depleted" and are under a rebuilding plan.
Like the previous two years, WDFW will stagger seasons in two regions of Puget Sound. The fishery east of Low Point (Marine Fish Catch Areas 6-13) opens on May 6 and continues through July 24. The fishery is open five days a week, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The fishery west of Low Point (Marine Fish Catch Area 5) opens May 27 and continues through August 14, five days a week, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The Neah Bay/La Push fishery will open on May 11, five days a week, closed Sundays and Mondays, and continues until a sub-quota of 91,337 pounds is projected to have been taken. The fishery will reopen June 15, five days per week, closed Sunday and Monday, and will continue until the remaining quota is taken.
The Westport fishery opens May 2 and continues until the quota is reached. The offshore fishery will be open five days a week, closed Fridays and Saturdays. A nearshore fishery in the area from the Queets River south to 47 deg. 00'00" N latitude and east of 124 deg. 40'00" W longitude will be open seven days per week. Beginning July 1, the entire area will be open seven days per week.
There is no minimum size limit for halibut in Marine Areas 2-13, which includes all waters from Westport through Puget Sound. All regions have a one-fish daily bag limit.
The Columbia River opens May 1 and will continue seven days a week until the quota is reached. There is a minimum size limit of 32 inches in Marine Area 1.
The area closed to recreational halibut and bottomfish fisheries includes the northern portion of the "halibut hotspot" off La Push. The closed area is defined by the following coordinates in the order listed:
Questions? Please contact Michele Robinson, Marine Resources Policy Coordinator, at (360) 249-1211.