Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 13475 

The Service’s 2019 revisions to 50 

CFR 424.12 did not change the language 

that allows us to determine that critical 

habitat may not be prudent if ‘‘the 

species is threatened by taking or other 

human activity and identification of 

critical habitat can be expected to 

increase the degree of such threat to the 

species.’’ The Service relied upon this 

language in making the prudency 

determination for designation of critical 

habitat for the Missouri DPS of eastern 

hellbender. 

Required Determinations 

National Environmental Policy Act 

We have determined that 

environmental assessments and 

environmental impact statements, as 

defined under the authority of the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), need not 

be prepared in connection with listing 

a species as an endangered or 

threatened species under the 

Endangered Species Act. We published 

a notice outlining our reasons for this 

determination in the Federal Register 

on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244). 

Government-to-Government 

Relationship With Tribes 

In accordance with the President’s 

memorandum of April 29, 1994 

(Government-to-Government Relations 

with Native American Tribal 

Governments; 59 FR 22951), Executive 

Order 13175 (Consultation and 

Coordination With Indian Tribal 

Governments), and the Department of 

the Interior’s manual at 512 DM 2, we 

readily acknowledge our responsibility 

to communicate meaningfully with 

recognized Federal Tribes on a 

government-to-government basis. In 

accordance with Secretarial Order 3206 

of June 5, 1997 (American Indian Tribal 

Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust 

Responsibilities, and the Endangered 

Species Act), we readily acknowledge 

our responsibilities to work directly 

with tribes in developing programs for 

healthy ecosystems, to acknowledge that 

tribal lands are not subject to the same 

controls as Federal public lands, to 

remain sensitive to Indian culture, and 

to make information available to tribes. 

We have no records of the Missouri DPS 

of the eastern hellbender occurring on 

tribal lands. 

References Cited 

A complete list of references cited in 

this final rule is available on the 

internet at http://www.regulations.gov 

and upon request from the Missouri 

Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

Authors 

The primary authors of this final rule 

are the staff members of the Service’s 

Great Lakes Regional Office and the 

Columbia, Missouri, Ecological Services 

Field Office. 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17 

Endangered and threatened species, 

Exports, Imports, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, 

Transportation. 

Regulation Promulgation 

Accordingly, we amend part 17, 

subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth 

below: 

PART 17—ENDANGERED AND 

THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 17 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361–1407; 1531– 

1544; and 4201–4245, unless otherwise 

noted. 

■ 2. Amend § 17.11(h) by adding an 

entry for ‘‘Hellbender, eastern [Missouri 

DPS]’’ to the List of Endangered and 

Threatened Wildlife in alphabetical 

order under Amphibians to read as set 

forth below: 

§ 17.11 Endangered and threatened 

wildlife. 

* * * * * 

(h) * * * 

Common name Scientific name Where listed Status Listing citations and 

applicable rules 

*******

AMPHIBIANS

* * * * * * * 

Hellbender, eastern [Missouri DPS] ....... Cryptobranchus alleganiensis 

alleganiensis.

Missouri ............. E 86 FR [Insert Federal Register page 

where the document begins]; 3/9/ 

2021. 

* * * * * * * 

Martha Williams, 

Principal Deputy Director Exercising the 

Delegated Authority of the Director U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–04629 Filed 3–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 300 

[Docket No. 210303–0037] 

RIN 0648–BK30 

Pacific Halibut Fisheries; Catch 

Sharing Plan 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Administrator 

for Fisheries, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

on behalf of the International Pacific 

Halibut Commission (IPHC), publishes 

as regulations the 2021 annual 

management measures governing the 

Pacific halibut fishery that have been 

recommended by the IPHC and accepted 

by the Secretary of State. This action is 

intended to enhance the conservation of 

Pacific halibut and further the goals and 

objectives of the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (PFMC) and the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (NPFMC). 


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13476 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

DATES: The IPHC’s 2021 annual 

management measures took effect 

February 18, 2021. The 2021 

management measures are effective 

until superseded. 

ADDRESSES: Additional requests for 

information regarding this action may 

be obtained by contacting the 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission, 2320 W. Commodore Way, 

Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98199–1287; or 

Sustainable Fisheries Division, NMFS 

Alaska Region, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 

AK 99802; or Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, NMFS West Coast Region, 

1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, 

Portland, OR 97232. This final rule also 

is accessible via the internet at the 

Federal eRulemaking portal at http://

www.regulations.gov, identified by 

docket number NOAA–NMFS–2021– 

0017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

waters off Alaska, Kurt Iverson, 907– 

586–7210; or, for waters off the U.S. 

West Coast, Kathryn Blair, 503–231– 

6858. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The IPHC has recommended 

regulations that would govern the 

Pacific halibut fishery in 2021, pursuant 

to the Convention between Canada and 

the United States for the Preservation of 

the Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific 

Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention), 

signed at Ottawa, Ontario, on March 2, 

1953, as amended by a Protocol 

Amending the Convention (signed at 

Washington, DC, on March 29, 1979). 

As provided by the Northern Pacific 

Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act) at 16 

U.S.C. 773b, the Secretary of State, with 

the concurrence of the Secretary of 

Commerce, may accept or reject, on 

behalf of the United States, regulations 

recommended by the IPHC in 

accordance with the Convention 

(Halibut Act, Sections 773–773k). The 

Secretary of State, with the concurrence 

of the Secretary of Commerce, accepted 

the 2021 IPHC regulations as provided 

by the Halibut Act. 

The Halibut Act provides the 

Secretary of Commerce with the 

authority and general responsibility to 

carry out the requirements of the 

Convention and the Halibut Act. The 

Regional Fishery Management Councils 

may develop, and the Secretary of 

Commerce may implement, regulations 

governing harvesting privileges among 

U.S. fishermen in U.S. waters that are in 

addition to, and not in conflict with, 

approved IPHC regulations. The NPFMC 

has exercised this authority in 

developing halibut management 

programs for three fisheries that harvest 

halibut in Alaska: the subsistence, sport, 

and commercial fisheries. The PFMC 

has exercised this authority by 

developing a catch sharing plan 

governing the allocation of halibut and 

management of sport fisheries on the 

U.S. West Coast. 

The IPHC apportions catch limits for 

the Pacific halibut fishery among 

regulatory areas (Figure 1): Area 2A 

(Oregon, Washington, and California), 

Area 2B (British Columbia), Area 2C 

(Southeast Alaska), Area 3A (Central 

Gulf of Alaska), Area 3B (Western Gulf 

of Alaska), and Area 4 (subdivided into 

5 areas, 4A through 4E, in the Bering 

Sea and Aleutian Islands of Western 

Alaska). 

Subsistence and sport halibut fishery 

regulations for Alaska are codified at 50 

CFR part 300. Commercial halibut 

fisheries off Alaska are subject to the 

Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program 

and Community Development Quota 

(CDQ) Program (50 CFR part 679) 

regulations, and the area-specific catch 

sharing plans (CSPs) for Areas 2C, 3A, 

and Areas 4C, 4D, and 4E. 

The NPFMC implemented a CSP 

among commercial IFQ and CDQ 

halibut fisheries in IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 4C, 4D, and 4E (Area 4, Western 

Alaska) through rulemaking, and the 

Secretary of Commerce approved the 

plan on March 20, 1996 (61 FR 11337). 

The Area 4 CSP regulations were 

codified at 50 CFR 300.65, and were 

amended on March 17, 1998 (63 FR 

13000). New annual regulations 

pertaining to the Area 4 CSP also may 

be implemented through IPHC action, 

subject to acceptance by the Secretary of 

State. 

The NPFMC recommended and 

NMFS implemented through 

rulemaking a CSP for guided sport 

(charter) and commercial IFQ halibut 

fisheries in IPHC Regulatory Area 2C 

and Area 3A on January 13, 2014 (78 FR 

75844, December 12, 2013). The Area 2C 

and 3A CSP regulations are codified at 

50 CFR 300.65. The CSP defines an 

annual process for allocating halibut 

between the commercial and charter 

fisheries so that each sector’s allocation 

varies in proportion to halibut 

abundance, specifies a public process 

for setting annual management 

measures, and authorizes limited annual 

leases of commercial IFQ for use in the 

charter fishery as guided angler fish 

(GAF). 

The IPHC held its annual meeting 

remotely by video conference on 

January 25 through 29, 2021, and 

recommended a number of changes to 

the previous IPHC regulations (85 FR 

14586, March 13, 2020, and revisions at 

85 FR 37024, June 19, 2020). The 

Secretary of State accepted the annual 

management measures, including the 

following changes to sections of the 

2021 IPHC regulations: 

1. New commercial halibut fishery 

opening and closing dates in Section 9; 

2. Minor changes to Section 12 to 

ensure the regulatory text of that section 

aligns with the fishing season dates 

established in Section 9; 

3. New halibut catch limits in all 

regulatory areas. The catch limits are 

presented in two tables in Section 5 that 

distinguish between limits resulting 

from Commission decisions and those 

that are from catch limits that are the 

responsibility of the respective United 

States and Canada governments; 

4. New management measures for 

Area 2C and Area 3A guided sport 

fisheries in Section 29; and 

5. An addition to regulatory language 

in Section 22 to clarify that authorized 

representatives of the IPHC may sample 

halibut that are being unloaded and 

weighed. 

Pursuant to regulations at 50 CFR 

300.62, the 2021 IPHC annual 

management measures are published in 

the Federal Register to provide notice of 

their regulatory effectiveness and to 

inform persons subject to the 

regulations of their restrictions and 

requirements. Because NMFS publishes 

the regulations applicable to the entire 

Convention area, these regulations 

include some provisions relating to and 

affecting Canadian fishing and fisheries. 

NMFS may implement more restrictive 

regulations for the fishery for halibut or 

components of it; therefore, anglers are 

advised to check the current Federal 

and IPHC regulations prior to fishing. 

Catch Limits 

The IPHC recommended to the 

governments of Canada and the United 

States fishery catch limits (FCEY) for 

2021 totaling 30,340,000 lb (17,661.99 

mt). Overall, this represents a 10.4 

percent increase over catch limits 

implemented in 2020. The catch limits 

in most regulatory areas increased, with 

the exception of the combined Areas 

4CDE, which decreased slightly relative 

to the 2020 catch limits. A description 

of the process the IPHC used to set these 

catch limits follows. 

In 2020, the IPHC conducted its 

annual stock assessment using a range 

of updated data sources as described in 

detail in the IPHC overview of data 

sources for the Pacific halibut stock 

assessment, harvest policy, and related 

analyses (IPHC–2021–AM097–06; 

available at www.iphc.int). To evaluate 

the Pacific halibut stock, the IPHC used 

an ‘‘ensemble’’ of four equally weighted 


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models, comprised of two long timeseries models, and two short time-series 

models incorporating data from 1996 to 

the present. Each time-series length 

used data series that are divided either 

by four geographical regions or 

aggregated into coastwide summaries. 

These models incorporate data from the 

2020 IPHC Fishery Independent Setline 

Survey (FISS), the 2020 commercial 

halibut fishery, the most recent NMFS 

trawl survey, sex-specific recreational 

age composition data from Area 3A, 

weight-at-age and male/female sex ratio 

estimates by region in the directed 

commercial fisheries and in the FISS, 

commercial fishery logbook 

information, and age distribution 

information for bycatch, sport, and 

sublegal discard removals. 

As has been the case since 2012, the 

results of the ensemble models are 

integrated and incorporate uncertainty 

in natural mortality rates, 

environmental effects on recruitment, 

and other structural and parameter 

categories. The data and assessment 

models used by the IPHC are reviewed 

by the IPHC’s Scientific Review Board 

comprised of non-IPHC scientists who 

provide an independent scientific 

review of the stock assessment data and 

models and provide recommendations 

to IPHC staff and to the Commissioners. 

The Scientific Review Board did not 

identify any substantive errors in the 

data or methods used in the 2021 stock 

assessment. NMFS believes the IPHC’s 

data and assessments models constitute 

best available science on the status of 

the Pacific halibut resource. 

The IPHC’s data, including the FISS, 

indicate that the Pacific halibut stock 

declined continuously from the late 

1990s to around 2012, largely as a result 

of decreasing size at a given age (sizeat-age), higher harvest rates in early 

2000s, as well as somewhat weaker 

recruitment strengths than those 

observed during the 1980s. Results from 

the 2020 stock assessment incorporate 

data from an expansion of the FISS 

throughout the survey range over the 

2011–2019 period. Among other things, 

improvements in the setline spatial 

coverage have helped gain a greater 

understanding of the degree of spatial 

and temporal Pacific halibut density, 

and has helped reduce the uncertainty 

in the weight per unit effort (WPUE) and 

number per unit effort (NPUE) indices. 

Overall, the biomass of spawning 

females is estimated to have increased 

gradually to 2016, then decreased to 

approximately 192,000,000 lb 

(87,243.96 mt) at the beginning of 2021. 

This level is currently estimated to be 

33 percent (with a 95% credible interval 

of 22% to 52%) of unfished levels. This 

estimate reflects updated calculations 

recommended during stock assessment 

external review and review by the 

Scientific Review Board, as well as 

developments in the IPHC Management 

Strategy Evaluation. 

The IPHC’s current interim 

management procedure strives to 

maintain the total mortality of halibut 

across its range from all sources based 

on a reference level of fishing intensity 

so that the Spawning Potential Ratio 

(SPR) is equal to 43 percent. The 

reference fishing intensity of F43 

percent SPR seeks to allow a level of 

fishing intensity that is expected to 

result in approximately 43 percent of 

the spawning stock biomass per recruit 

compared to an unfished stock (i.e., no 

fishing mortality). Lower values indicate 

higher fishing intensity. The 2020 stock 

assessment and estimates of fishing 

intensity were enhanced by newly 

available data on the male/female sex 

ratio for the 2019 commercial fishery 

landings. Combined with similar data 

collected from the 2017 and 2018 

commercial fisheries, the refined and 

quantified information on the sex ratio 

affected the treatment of the stock 

assessment data for the directed 

commercial fishery in the stock 

assessment models; it did not change 

the treatment or sex ratio estimates of 

mortalities associated with the 

recreational, subsistence, or nondirected halibut fisheries. Additional 

information on the status of the halibut 

resource under these catch limit 

alternatives is provided in the Analysis 

(see ADDRESSES). 

The IPHC harvest decision table 

(Table 3 in: Summary of the Data, Stock 

Assessment, and Harvest Decision Table 

for the Pacific Halibut Stock at the End 

of 2020; IPHC–2021–AM097–08) 

provides a comparison of the relative 

risk of a decrease in stock biomass, 

status, or fishery metrics, for a range of 

alternative harvest levels for 2021. The 

harvest decision table employs two 

metrics of fishing mortality: (1) The 

Total Constant Exploitation Yield 

(TCEY), which includes harvests and 

incidental wastage from directed 

commercial fisheries, plus mortality 

estimates from sport, subsistence, 

personal use, and estimates of nondirected discard mortality of halibut 

over 26 inches; and, (2) Total Mortality, 

which includes all the above sources of 

mortality, plus estimates of non-directed 

discard mortality of halibut less than 26 

inches (U26). Although U26 halibut 

mortality is factored into the stock 

assessment and harvest strategy 

calculations, there is currently no 

reliable tool for describing the annual 

distribution of halibut under 26 inches 

across the entire coastwide area. 

For 2021, the IPHC adopted a TCEY 

totaling 39,000,000 lb (17,690.10 mt) 

coastwide. This corresponds to a fishing 

intensity of approximately F43 percent, 

which is similar to the projected fishing 

intensity of approximately F42 percent 

used by the IPHC to establish the 2020 

TCEY. The 2021 TCEY is 2,400,000 lb 

(1,088.62 mt) greater than the TCEY 

adopted in 2020. 

The IPHC noted this management 

approach represents a relatively 

conservative level of harvest that 

considers the inherent uncertainties in 

the stock assessment models. The IPHC 

notes that under a broad range of catch 

limits, including highly restrictive catch 

limits, the halibut stock is likely to 

experience a continued decrease in 

spawning stock biomass given the best 

available scientific information. In 

making its recommendation, the IPHC 

considered likely stock status, and 

uncertainties in the status of the stock 

as well as the significant social and 

economic impacts of catch limits among 

areas. 

At a 39,000,000 lb TCEY, the IPHC 

estimates that the spawning stock 

biomass will likely decrease over the 

period from 2022 to 2024 relative to 

2021. Specifically, the IPHC estimates 

there is a 65 percent probability that the 

spawning stock biomass will decrease in 

2022 relative to 2021, and that there is 

a 39 percent probability that the 

decrease in 2022 will be at least 5 

percent of the 2021 spawning stock 

biomass. The factors that the IPHC 

considered in making their TCEY 

recommendations are described in the 

2021 Annual Meeting Report (IPHC– 

2021–AM097_R) and the key 

recommendations are briefly 

summarized here. 

This final rule does not establish the 

combined commercial and recreational 

catch limit for Area 2B (British 

Columbia), which is subject to 

rulemaking by the Canada and British 

Columbia governments. However, the 

IPHC’s recommendation for the Area 2B 

catch limit is directly related to the 

current and future U.S. catch limits 

established by this final rule and is 

therefore discussed herein. The IPHC 

recommended a 2021 TCEY of 7,000,000 

lb (3,175.15 mt) for Area 2B, which 

equates to 19.1 percent of the total 

coastwide TCEY. The IPHC made this 

recommendation after considering 

recent historic harvests in Area 2B, the 

distribution of the TCEY in Area 2B as 

estimated from the FISS under the 

current interim management procedure, 

and other factors described in the 2021 


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IPHC Annual Meeting Report (IPHC– 

2021–AM097_R). 

The IPHC recommended an allocation 

to Area 2A that would provide a TCEY 

of 1,650,000 lb (748.43 mt) with a 

combined commercial, subsistence, and 

recreational catch limit of 1,510,000 lb 

(684.92 mt). This allocation is larger 

than the catch limit that would apply to 

Area 2A under the adopted fishing 

intensity of F43 percent and the 

proportion of the stock as estimated 

from the FISS under the current interim 

management procedure. To achieve the 

Area 2A and Area 2B allocations and 

still maintain the target coastwide 

fishing intensity of F43 percent, the 

IPHC recommended an overall 

reduction in catch limits in other IPHC 

regulatory areas in U.S. waters that are 

intended to maintain total mortality to 

the adopted fishing intensity of F43 

percent. 

After the allocations for Areas 2A and 

2B are accounted for, the IPHC 

apportioned the remaining TCEY to the 

Alaska regulatory areas (Areas 2C 

through Area 4) after considering the 

distribution of harvestable biomass of 

halibut based on the Fishery 

Independent Setline Survey, as well as 

2020 harvest rates, the 

recommendations from the IPHC’s 

advisory boards, public input, and 

social and economic factors. The only 

U.S. area with a decreased TCEY 

relative to 2020 is Area 2C (¥0.9 

percent; see Table 1). Areas 3A, 4A, 4B, 

and 4CDE received increases over 2020 

levels that ranged from +2.5 percent in 

Areas 4CDE to +17.1 percent in Area 

4A. The TCEY in Area 3B remained the 

same for 2021 as in 2020. The IPHC 

determined that the 2021 catch limit 

recommendations are consistent with its 

conservation objectives for the halibut 

stock and its management objectives for 

the halibut fisheries. 

The IPHC also considered the Catch 

Sharing Plan for Area 4CDE developed 

by the NPFMC in its catch limit 

recommendation. The Area 4CDE catch 

limit is determined by subtracting 

estimates of the Area 4CDE subsistence 

harvests, commercial discard mortality, 

and non-directed discard mortality of 

halibut over 26 inches from the area 

TCEY. When the resulting Area 4CDE 

catch limit is greater than 1,657,600 lb 

(751.87 mt), a direct allocation of 80,000 

lb (36.29 mt) is made to Area 4E to 

provide CDQ fishermen in that area 

with additional harvesting opportunity. 

After this 80,000 lb allocation is 

deducted from the catch limit, the 

remainder is divided among Areas 4C, 

4D, and 4E according to the percentages 

specified in the CSP. Those percentages 

are 46.43 percent each to 4C and 4D, 

and 7.14 percent to 4E. For 2021, the 

IPHC recommended a catch limit for 

Area 4CDE of 1,670,000 lb (757.50 mt). 

TABLE 1—PERCENT CHANGE IN TCEY MORTALITY LIMITS FROM 2020 TO 2021 BY IPHC REGULATORY AREA

Regulatory area 

2020 Total 

mortality limit 

(lb) 

2021 Total 

mortality limit 

(lb) 

Change from 

2020 

(percent) 

2A ................................................................................................................................................. 1,650,000 1,650,000 0.0 

2B ................................................................................................................................................. 6,830,000 7,000,000 2.5 

2C ................................................................................................................................................ 5,850,000 5,800,000 ¥0.9 

3A ................................................................................................................................................. 12,200,000 14,000,000 14.8 

3B ................................................................................................................................................. 3,120,000 3,120,000 0.0 

4A ................................................................................................................................................. 1,750,000 2,050,000 17.1 

4B ................................................................................................................................................. 1,310,000 1,400,000 6.9 

4CDE ........................................................................................................................................... 3,900,000 3,980,000 2.1 

Coastwide .................................................................................................................................... 36,600,000 39,000,000 6.6 

Commercial Halibut Fishery Opening 

and Closing Dates 

The IPHC considers advice from the 

IPHC’s two advisory boards, as well as 

direct testimony from the public, when 

selecting opening and closing dates for 

the commercial halibut fishery. The 

opening date for all IPHC regulatory 

areas is March 6, 2021, which is eight 

days earlier than the 2020 opening date 

of March 14. The closing date for the 

commercial halibut fisheries in all 

regulatory areas is December 7, 2021, 

which is 22 days later than the 2020 

closing date of November 15. By 

adopting a longer fishing season, the 

IPHC was persuaded by considerable 

public testimony that cited the 

increased harvest flexibility and 

potential market advantages of a longer 

season. No detrimental conservation 

effects were identified by the change. 

The new dates also take into account the 

anticipated time required to fully 

harvest the commercial halibut catch 

limits, seasonal holidays, and adequate 

time for IPHC staff to review the 

complete record of 2021 commercial 

catch data for use in the stock 

assessment process. It also takes into 

account the administrative tasks that are 

linked to halibut regulations developed 

independently by the domestic partners. 

For Area 2A, the IPHC recommended 

that the non-treaty directed commercial 

fishery will open for 58 hours, 

beginning at 0800 hours on June 22 and 

closing at 1800 hours on June 24. After 

this first opening, if the IPHC 

determines that the fishing limit has not 

been exceeded, it may announce a 

second fishing period of up to three 

fishing days to begin on Tuesday two 

weeks after the first period. Specific 

fishing period limits (vessel quota) will 

be determined and communicated by 

IPHC. 

Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan 

The NMFS West Coast Region has 

published a proposed rule to approve 

the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan 

(CSP) for Area 2A off Washington, 

Oregon, and California and implement 

annual management measures for Area 

2A as recommended by the PFMC in the 

CSP. These annual management 

measures include the sport fishery 

allocations and management measures 

for Area 2A which are not implemented 

through the IPHC. Public comments will 

be accepted for 30 days following 

publication of the proposed rule and 

NMFS will address any comments 

received in a final rule. The proposed 

and final rules for the Area 2A CSP will 

be available on the NOAA Fisheries 

West Coast Region’s website at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/2021- 

pacific-halibut-catch-sharing-plan and 

also at www.regulations.gov. 

Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2C and 

Area 3A 

In 2014, NMFS implemented a CSP 

for Area 2C and Area 3A. The CSP 

defines an annual process for allocating 

halibut between the charter and 

commercial fisheries in Area 2C and 

Area 3A, and establishes allocations for 


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each fishery. To allow flexibility for 

individual commercial and charter 

fishery participants, the CSP also 

authorizes annual transfers of 

commercial halibut IFQ as GAF to 

charter halibut permit holders for 

harvest in the charter fishery. Under the 

CSP, the IPHC recommends combined 

catch limits (CCLs) for the charter and 

commercial halibut fisheries in Area 2C 

and Area 3A. Each CCL includes 

estimates of discard mortality (wastage) 

for each fishery. The CSP was 

implemented to achieve the halibut 

fishery management goals of the 

NPFMC. More information is provided 

in the final rule implementing the CSP 

(78 FR 75844, December 12, 2013). 

Implementing regulations for the CSP 

are at 50 CFR 300.65. The Area 2C and 

Area 3A CSP allocation tables are 

located in Tables 1 through 4 of subpart 

E of 50 CFR part 300. 

At its January 2021 meeting, the IPHC 

recommended a CCL of 4,410,000 lb 

(2,000.34 mt) for Area 2C. Following the 

CSP allocations in Tables 1 and 3 of 

subpart E of 50 CFR part 300, the charter 

fishery is allocated 810,000 lb (367.41 

mt) of the CCL and the remainder of the 

CCL, 3,600,000 lb (1,632.93 mt), is 

allocated to the commercial fishery. 

Wastage in the amount of 70,000 lb 

(31.75 mt) was deducted from the 

commercial allocation to obtain the 

commercial catch limit of 3,530,000 lb 

(1,601.18 mt). The commercial 

allocation (including wastage) increased 

by 120,000 lb (54.43 mt) or 3.4 percent, 

from the 2020 allocation of 3,480,000 lb 

(1,578.50 mt). The charter allocation for 

2021 increased by 30,000 lb (13.60 mt), 

or 3.8 percent more than the 2020 

charter sector allocation of 780,000 lb 

(353.80 mt). 

The IPHC recommended a CCL of 

11,140,000 lb (5,053.02 mt) for Area 3A. 

Following the CSP allocations in Tables 

2 and 4 of subpart E of 50 CFR part 300, 

the charter fishery is allocated 1,950,000 

lb (885.51.64 mt) of the CCL and the 

remainder of the CCL, 9,190,000 lb 

(4,168.51 mt), is allocated to the 

commercial fishery. Wastage in the 

amount of 240,000 lb (108.86 mt) was 

deducted from the commercial 

allocation to obtain the commercial 

catch limit of 8,950,000 lb (4,059.65 mt). 

The commercial allocation (including 

wastage) increased by about 1,850,000 

lb (839.15 mt) or 25.2 percent, from the 

2020 allocation of 7,340,000 lb (3,329.37 

mt). The charter allocation increased by 

240,000 lb (108.86 mt), or 14.0 percent, 

from the 2020 allocation of 1,710,000 lb 

(775.65 mt). 

Charter Halibut Management Measures 

for Area 2C and Area 3A 

Guided (charter) recreational halibut 

anglers are managed under different 

regulations than unguided recreational 

halibut anglers in Areas 2C and 3A in 

Alaska. According to Federal 

regulations at 50 CFR 300.61, a charter 

vessel angler means a person, paying or 

non-paying, receiving sport fishing 

guide services for halibut. Sport fishing 

guide services means assistance, for 

compensation or with the intent to 

receive compensation, to a person who 

is sport fishing, to take or attempt to 

take halibut by accompanying or 

physically directing the sport fisherman 

in sport fishing activities during any 

part of a charter vessel fishing trip. A 

charter vessel fishing trip is the time 

period between the first deployment of 

fishing gear into the water from a 

charter vessel by a charter vessel angler 

and the offloading of one or more 

charter vessel anglers or any halibut 

from that vessel. The charter fishery 

regulations described below apply only 

to charter vessel anglers receiving sport 

fishing guide services during a charter 

vessel fishing trip for halibut in Area 2C 

or Area 3A. These regulations do not 

apply to unguided recreational anglers 

in any regulatory area in Alaska, or 

guided anglers in areas other than Areas 

2C and 3A. 

The NPFMC formed the Charter 

Halibut Management Committee as an 

industry advisory body to provide 

recommendations for annual 

management measures intended to limit 

charter harvest to the charter catch 

allocation. The committee is composed 

of representatives from the charter 

fishing industry in Areas 2C and 3A. 

The 2020 charter fishing season was 

greatly impacted by the coronavirus 

pandemic and the resulting unexpected 

and substantial drop in fishing effort, 

which in turn affected the anticipated 

results of the pre-season analysis and 

adopted management measures for that 

year. In May and June of 2020, the 

NPFMC and IPHC responded with 

revised management measures that were 

published on June 19, 2020 (85 FR 

37024). The revised management 

measures relaxed the halibut size limits 

in both Area 2C and 3A, and in Area 3A 

the new regulations rescinded an annual 

limit on retained halibut and allowed 

halibut retention on all days of the 

week. Preliminary estimates indicate 

that the final 2020 charter halibut 

harvests were 36.0 percent below the 

Area 2C allocation, and 6.6 percent 

below the Area 3A allocation. 

In November 2020, the Charter 

Halibut Management Committee began 

the process of reviewing the analysis for 

various alternatives for the upcoming 

2021 fishing year. Because the 2021 

charter season was expected to be 

similarly impacted by reduced charter 

angler effort as the 2020 season, the 

Committee requested the analysis 

should contain elements that would 

allow a consideration of options that 

could address this likelihood. After 

reviewing all the analyses of the effects 

of the alternative measures on estimated 

charter removals, the committee made 

conservative recommendations for 

preferred management measures to the 

NPFMC for 2021 that are intended to 

provide harvest opportunity and 

stimulate charter business while also 

maintaining total charter harvests 

within the 2021 allocations for both 

Areas 2C and 3A. The NPFMC 

considered the recommendations of the 

committee along with public testimony 

to develop its recommendation to the 

IPHC, and the IPHC took action 

consistent with the NPFMC’s 

recommendations. The NPFMC has 

used this process to select and 

recommend annual management 

measures to the IPHC since 2012. 

The IPHC recognizes the role of the 

NPFMC to develop policy and 

regulations that allocate the Pacific 

halibut resource among fishermen in 

and off Alaska, and that NMFS has 

developed numerous regulations to 

support the NPFMC’s goals of limiting 

charter harvests. For 2021, the IPHC 

concluded that in Area 3A, with a 14 

percent increase in the catch limit from 

2020, and factoring in a drop in fishing 

effort relative to years prior to 2020, the 

2021 management measures should be 

similar to the revised measures adopted 

in 2020, with the addition of a closure 

to halibut retention on all Wednesdays. 

For Area 2C, the 2021 charter catch 

limits are also higher than 2020. 

However, the effect of management 

measures over the 2018–2020 period has 

resulted in under-harvests of the charter 

allocation by 18.9 percent, 11.6 percent, 

and 36.0 percent, respectively. 

Consequently, the IPHC determined that 

the charter management measures in 

Area 2C could be slightly less restrictive 

than the revised 2020 measures. The 

IPHC determined that limiting charter 

harvests by implementing the 

management measures discussed below 

would meet the conservation and 

allocation objectives. 

Management Measures for Charter 

Vessel Fishing in Area 2C 

As noted above, the preliminary 

estimate of 2020 charter removals in 

Area 2C was below the 2020 charter 

allocation by 280,465 lb (127.22 mt) or 


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36.0 percent, indicating that the 

management measures were effective at 

limiting harvest by charter vessel 

anglers to the charter allocation, but 

given the sharp drop in angler effort in 

2020, could have been less restrictive 

than the revised measures. The two 

primary management measures in Area 

2C in 2020 were a daily bag limit of 1 

halibut per charter angler, and size 

limits where retained halibut were 

required to be less than or equal to 38 

inches (96.5 cm), which was revised in 

June to 45 inches (114.3 cm), or greater 

than or equal to 80 inches (203.2 cm). 

The effect of these regulations was to 

limit both the number and pounds of 

retained halibut. The analysis also 

indicates that in most years since 2014 

when the CSP was implemented, the 

Area 2C harvest has been less than the 

allocation. When these considerations 

were balanced with the combined 

increase in charter allocation in 2021 

and a reduced charter angler effort 

relative to the pre-2020 period, the IPHC 

concluded that less restrictive 

management measures for Area 2C in 

2021 are appropriate. 

Specifically, for 2021 in Area 2C, the 

IPHC recommended the continuation of 

a one-fish daily bag limit with a reverse 

slot limit that prohibits a person on 

board a charter vessel referred to in 50 

CFR 300.65 and fishing in Area 2C from 

taking or possessing any halibut, with 

head on, that is greater than 50 inches 

(127.0 cm) and less than 72 inches 

(182.9 cm), as measured in a straight 

line, passing over the pectoral fin from 

the tip of the lower jaw with mouth 

closed, to the extreme end of the middle 

of the tail. These measures, combined 

with a reduction in fishing effort that is 

estimated to be 35 percent below the 

pre-2020 levels, are projected to yield 

786,000 lb (356.52 mt) of charter 

removals, which is 24,000 lb (10.87 mt) 

and 3.0 percent below the charter 

allocation. 

Management Measures for Charter 

Vessel Fishing in Area 3A 

The preliminary estimate of charter 

removals in Area 3A in 2020 was below 

the charter allocation by 113,303 lb 

(51.39 mt), or 6.6 percent. Starting in 

2014, charter vessel anglers in Area 3A 

have been limited to a two-fish daily bag 

limit with a maximum size limit on one 

fish. One effect of the maximum size 

limit has been that the number of fish 

harvested per angler has steadily 

decreased, but the average weight of 

harvested fish has increased as many 

anglers opted to maximize the size of 

retained fish. 

This final rule changes the revised 

management measures adopted by the 

IPHC for the charter halibut fishery in 

Area 3A in 2020. The NPFMC and IPHC 

considered information on charter 

removals in 2020 and for previous years, 

as well as the projections of charter 

harvest, and increase in the charter 

allocation, and a consideration for a 

reduction in effort in 2021. With this 

information, the NPFMC and IPHC 

determined that slightly more restrictive 

management measures in Area 3A, 

relative to the revised 2020 measures, 

were appropriate to limit charter 

removals to the 2021 allocation. 

For 2021, the IPHC recommended the 

following management measures for 

Area 3A: (1) A two-fish bag limit with 

a 32-inch (81.3 cm) maximum size limit 

on one of the halibut; (2) a one-trip per 

day limit for charter vessels and for 

charter halibut permits for the entire 

season; and, (3) prohibition on halibut 

retention by charter vessel anglers on all 

Wednesdays. The projected charter 

harvest for 2021 under this combination 

of recommended measures is 1,853,000 

lb (840.51 mt), which is 97,000 lb (44.0 

mt) and 5.0 percent below the charter 

allocation. Each of these management 

measures is described in more detail 

below. 

Size Limit for Halibut Retained on a 

Charter Vessel in Area 3A 

The 2021 charter halibut fishery in 

Area 3A will be managed under a twofish daily bag limit in which one of the 

retained halibut may be of any size and 

one of the retained halibut must be 32 

inches or less, as measured in a straight 

line, passing over the pectoral fin from 

the tip of the lower jaw to the extreme 

end of the middle of the tail. This is the 

same as the revised regulations adopted 

in June 2020, and an increase from a 28 

inch (71.1 cm) maximum size limit that 

was in place from 2016 through 2019. 

This daily bag and size limit will be 

combined with additional restrictions to 

limit charter halibut removals to the 

2021 allocation. 

Trip Limit for Charter Vessels 

Harvesting Halibut in Area 3A 

Charter halibut permits and charter 

vessels in 2021 are only authorized for 

use to catch and retain halibut on one 

charter halibut fishing trip per day in 

Area 3A. If no halibut are retained 

during a charter vessel fishing trip, the 

charter halibut permit and vessel may 

be used to take an additional trip to 

catch and retain halibut that day. These 

regulations have been in place each year 

since 2016, and have proven to be 

effective in controlling halibut harvests. 

For purposes of the trip limit in Area 

3A in 2021, a charter vessel fishing trip 

will end when anglers or halibut are 

offloaded, or at the end of the calendar 

day, whichever occurs first. Charter 

operators are still able to conduct 

overnight trips and anglers may retain a 

bag limit of halibut on two calendar 

days, but operators are not allowed to 

begin another overnight trip until the 

day after the trip ends. GAF halibut are 

exempt from the trip limit. Therefore, 

GAF could be used to harvest halibut on 

a second trip in a day, but only if 

exclusively GAF halibut were harvested 

on that trip. 

Day-of-Week Closures in Area 3A 

The NPFMC and the IPHC 

recommended a closure on retaining 

halibut by charter vessel anglers on all 

Wednesdays for Area 3A in 2021. Only 

the retention of GAF halibut will be 

allowed on charter vessels on 

Wednesdays; all other halibut that are 

caught while fishing on a charter vessel 

must be released. The Wednesday 

closures are expected to effectively 

decrease the charter halibut harvest, 

relative to previous years. 

Other Regulatory Amendments 

Minor Revisions To Address Changes for 

the Application of Halibut Fishing 

Season Dates 

As noted above, the regulatory text in 

Section 9 establishes the opening and 

closing dates of the commercial halibut 

fishery. Subsections 12(3) and 12(4) 

address when the fishery shall close, 

and formerly named a specific date of 

November 15. The text in subsections 

12(3) and 12(4) now refers back to the 

fishery closure dates established in 

Section 9, so that the dates in Section 

9 and Section 12 are aligned. 

Clarifying That IPHC May Obtain 

Samples During Halibut Offloads and 

Weighing 

To ensure regulatory compliance, 

Section 22 authorizes officers to 

supervise the offloading and weighing 

of halibut from fishing vessels. Section 

22 is amended by adding subsection 

22(2) to clarify that authorized 

representatives of the IPHC may also 

access the offloading and weighing of 

halibut in order to obtain biological 

samples. 

Annual Halibut Management Measures 

The following annual management 

measures for the 2021 Pacific halibut 

fishery are those recommended by the 

IPHC and accepted by the Secretary of 

State, with the concurrence of the 

Secretary of Commerce. 

1. Short Title 

These Regulations may be cited as the 

International Pacific Halibut 


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1Call NOAA Enforcement Division, Alaska 

Region, at 907–586–7225 between the hours of 0800 

and 1600 local time for a list of NOAA Fisheriesapproved VMS transmitters and communications 

service providers. 

Commission (IPHC) Fishery Regulations 

(2021). 

2. Application 

(1) These Regulations apply to 

persons and vessels fishing for Pacific 

halibut in, or possessing Pacific halibut 

taken from, the maritime area as defined 

in Section 3. 

(2) Sections 3 to 8 and 30 apply 

generally to all Pacific halibut fishing. 

(3) Sections 8 to 23 apply to 

commercial fishing for Pacific halibut. 

(4) Section 24 applies to Indigenous 

fisheries in British Columbia. 

(5) Section 25 applies to customary 

and traditional fishing in Alaska. 

(6) Sections 26 to 29 apply to 

recreational (also called sport) fishing 

for Pacific halibut. 

(7) These Regulations do not apply to 

fishing operations authorized or 

conducted by the Commission for 

research purposes. 

3. Definitions 

(1) In these Regulations, 

(a) ‘‘authorized officer’’ means any 

State, Federal, or Provincial officer 

authorized to enforce these Regulations 

including, but not limited to, the 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NOAA Fisheries), Department of 

Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Alaska 

Wildlife Troopers (AWT), United States 

Coast Guard (USCG), Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife 

(WDFW), the Oregon State Police (OSP), 

and California Department of Fish and 

Wildlife (CDFW); 

(b) ‘‘authorized clearance personnel’’ 

means an authorized officer of the 

United States of America, a 

representative of the Commission, or a 

designated fish processor; 

(c) ‘‘charter vessel’’ outside of Alaska 

waters means a vessel used for hire in 

recreational (sport) fishing for Pacific 

halibut, but not including a vessel 

without a hired operator, and in Alaska 

waters means a vessel used while 

providing or receiving recreational 

(sport) fishing guide services for Pacific 

halibut; 

(d) ‘‘commercial fishing’’ means 

fishing, the resulting catch of which is 

sold or bartered; or is intended to be 

sold or bartered, other than (i) 

recreational (sport) fishing; (ii) treaty 

Indian ceremonial and subsistence 

fishing as referred to in section 23, (iii) 

Indigenous groups fishing in British 

Columbia as referred to in section 24; 

and (iv) customary and traditional 

fishing as referred to in section 25 and 

defined by and regulated pursuant to 

NOAA Fisheries regulations published 

at 50 CFR part 300; 

(e) ‘‘Commission’’ or ‘‘IPHC’’ means 

the International Pacific Halibut 

Commission; 

(f) ‘‘daily bag limit’’ means the 

maximum number of Pacific halibut a 

person may take in any calendar day 

from Convention waters; 

(g) ‘‘fishing’’ means the taking, 

harvesting, or catching of fish, or any 

activity that can reasonably be expected 

to result in the taking, harvesting, or 

catching of fish, including specifically 

the deployment of any amount or 

component part of gear anywhere in the 

maritime area; 

(h) ‘‘fishing period limit’’ means the 

maximum amount of Pacific halibut that 

may be retained and landed by a vessel 

during one fishing period; 

(i) ‘‘land’’ or ‘‘offload’’ with respect to 

Pacific halibut, means the removal of 

Pacific halibut from the catching vessel; 

(j) ‘‘license’’ means a Pacific halibut 

fishing license issued by the 

Commission pursuant to section 15; 

(k) ‘‘maritime area,’’ in respect of the 

fisheries jurisdiction of a Contracting 

Party, includes without distinction areas 

within and seaward of the territorial sea 

and internal waters of that Party; 

(l) ‘‘net weight’’ of a Pacific halibut 

means the weight of Pacific halibut that 

is without gills and entrails, head-off, 

washed, and without ice and slime. If a 

Pacific halibut is weighed with the head 

on or with ice and slime, the required 

conversion factors for calculating net 

weight are a 2 percent deduction for ice 

and slime and a 10 percent deduction 

for the head; 

(m) ‘‘operator,’’ with respect to any 

vessel, means the owner and/or the 

master or other individual on board and 

in charge of that vessel; 

(n) ‘‘overall length’’ of a vessel means 

the horizontal distance, rounded to the 

nearest foot, between the foremost part 

of the stem and the aftermost part of the 

stern (excluding bowsprits, rudders, 

outboard motor brackets, and similar 

fittings or attachments); 

(o) ‘‘person’’ includes an individual, 

corporation, firm, or association; 

(p) ‘‘regulatory area’’ means an IPHC 

Regulatory Area referred to in section 4; 

(q) ‘‘setline gear’’ means one or more 

stationary, buoyed, and anchored lines 

with hooks attached; 

(r) ‘‘sport fishing’’ or ‘‘recreational 

fishing’’ means all fishing other than (i) 

commercial fishing; (ii) treaty Indian 

ceremonial and subsistence fishing as 

referred to in section 23; (iii) Indigenous 

groups fishing in British Columbia as 

referred to in section 24; and (iv) 

customary and traditional fishing as 

referred to in section 25 and defined in 

and regulated pursuant to NOAA 

Fisheries regulations published in 50 

CFR part 300; 

(s) ‘‘tender’’ means any vessel that 

buys or obtains fish directly from a 

catching vessel and transports it to a 

port of landing or fish processor; 

(t) ‘‘VMS transmitter’’ means a NOAA 

Fisheries-approved vessel monitoring 

system transmitter that automatically 

determines a vessel’s position and 

transmits it to a NOAA Fisheriesapproved communications service 

provider.1

(2) In these Regulations, all bearings 

are true and all positions are determined 

by the most recent charts issued by the 

United States National Ocean Service or 

the Canadian Hydrographic Service. 

4. IPHC Regulatory Areas 

The following areas within the IPHC 

Convention waters shall be defined as 

IPHC Regulatory Areas for the purposes 

of the Convention (see Figure 1): 

(1) IPHC Regulatory Area 2A includes 

all waters off the states of California, 

Oregon, and Washington; 

(2) IPHC Regulatory Area 2B includes 

all waters off British Columbia; 

(3) IPHC Regulatory Area 2C includes 

all waters off Alaska that are east of a 

line running 340° true from Cape 

Spencer Light (58°11′56′′ N latitude, 

136°38′26′′ W longitude) and south and 

east of a line running 205° true from 

said light; 

(4) IPHC Regulatory Area 3A includes 

all waters between Area 2C and a line 

extending from the most northerly point 

on Cape Aklek (57°41′15′′ N latitude, 

155°35′00′′ W longitude) to Cape Ikolik 

(57°17′17′′ N latitude, 154°47′18′′ W 

longitude), then along the Kodiak Island 

coastline to Cape Trinity (56°44′50′′ N 

latitude, 154°08′44′′ W longitude), then 

140° true; 

(5) IPHC Regulatory Area 3B includes 

all waters between Area 3A and a line 

extending 150° true from Cape Lutke 

(54°29′00′′ N latitude, 164°20′00′′ W 

longitude) and south of 54°49′00′′ N 

latitude in Isanotski Strait; 

(6) IPHC Regulatory Area 4A includes 

all waters in the Gulf of Alaska west of 

Area 3B and in the Bering Sea west of 

the closed area defined in section 10 

that are east of 172°00′00′′ W longitude 

and south of 56°20′00′′ N latitude; 

(7) IPHC Regulatory Area 4B includes 

all waters in the Bering Sea and the Gulf 

of Alaska west of IPHC Regulatory Area 

4A and south of 56°20′00′′ N latitude; 

(8) IPHC Regulatory Area 4C includes 

all waters in the Bering Sea north of 


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IPHC Regulatory Area 4A and north of 

the closed area defined in section 10 

which are east of 171°00′00′′ W 

longitude, south of 58°00′00′′ N latitude, 

and west of 168°00′00′′ W longitude; 

(9) IPHC Regulatory Area 4D includes 

all waters in the Bering Sea north of 

IPHC Regulatory Areas 4A and 4B, north 

and west of IPHC Regulatory Area 4C, 

and west of 168°00′00′′ W longitude; 

and 

(10) IPHC Regulatory Area 4E 

includes all waters in the Bering Sea 

north and east of the closed area defined 

in section 10, east of 168°00′00′′ W 

longitude, and south of 65°34′00′′ N 

latitude. 

5. Mortality and Fishery Limits 

(1) The Commission has adopted the 

following distributed mortality (TCEY) 

limits: 

IPHC regulatory area 

Distributed mortality limits 

(TCEY) (net weight) 

Tonnes 

(t) 

Million pounds 

(Mlb) 

Area 2A (California, Oregon, and Washington) ...................................................................................................... 748 1.65 

Area 2B (British Columbia) ...................................................................................................................................... 3,175 7.00 

Area 2C (southeastern Alaska) ............................................................................................................................... 2,631 5.80 

Area 3A (central Gulf of Alaska) ............................................................................................................................. 6,350 14.00 

Area 3B (western Gulf of Alaska) ............................................................................................................................ 1,415 3.12 

Area 4A (eastern Aleutians) .................................................................................................................................... 930 2.05 

Area 4B (central/western Aleutians) ........................................................................................................................ 635 1.40 

Areas 4CDE (Bering Sea) ....................................................................................................................................... 1,805 3.98 

Total .................................................................................................................................................................. 17,690 39.00 

(2) The fishery limits resulting from 

the IPHC-adopted distributed mortality 

(TCEY) limits and the existing 

Contracting Party catch sharing 

arrangements are as follows, recognizing 

that each Contracting Party may 

implement more restrictive limits: 

IPHC regulatory area 

Fishery limits 

(net weight) 

Tonnes 

(t) 

Million pounds 

(Mlb) * 

Area 2A (California, Oregon, and Washington) ...................................................................................................... 685 1.51 

Non-treaty directed commercial (south of Pt. Chehalis) .................................................................................. 116 * 256,122 

Non-treaty incidental catch in salmon troll fishery ........................................................................................... 21 * 45,198 

Non-treaty incidental catch in sablefish fishery (north of Pt. Chehalis) ........................................................... 32 * 70,000 

Treaty Indian commercial ................................................................................................................................. 225 * 496,300 

Treaty Indian ceremonial and subsistence (year-round) ................................................................................. 15 * 32,200 

Recreational—Washington ............................................................................................................................... 127 * 279,414 

Recreational—Oregon ...................................................................................................................................... 132 * 291,506 

Recreational—California ................................................................................................................................... 18 * 39,260 

Area 2B (British Columbia) ...................................................................................................................................... 2,790 6.15 

Commercial fishery ........................................................................................................................................... 2,372 5.23 

Recreational fishery .......................................................................................................................................... 417 0.92 

Area 2C (southeastern Alaska) (combined commercial/guided recreational) ......................................................... 2,000 4.41 

Commercial fishery (3.53 Mlb catch and 0.70 Mlb incidental mortality) .......................................................... 1,633 3.60 

Guided recreational fishery (includes catch and incidental mortality) ............................................................. 367 0.81 

Area 3A (central Gulf of Alaska) (combined commercial/guided recreational) ....................................................... 5,053 11.14 

Commercial fishery (8.95 Mlb catch and 0.24 Mlb incidental mortality) .......................................................... 4,169 9.19 

Guided recreational fishery (includes catch and incidental mortality) ............................................................. 885 1.95 

Area 3B (western Gulf of Alaska) ............................................................................................................................ 1,161 2.56 

Area 4A (eastern Aleutians) .................................................................................................................................... 753 1.66 

Area 4B (central/western Aleutians) ........................................................................................................................ 558 1.23 

Areas 4CDE ............................................................................................................................................................. 757 1.67 

Area 4C (Pribilof Islands) ................................................................................................................................. 335 0.738 

Area 4D (northwestern Bering Sea) ................................................................................................................. 335 0.738 

Area 4E (Bering Sea flats) ............................................................................................................................... 88 0.194 

Total ........................................................................................................................................................... 13,757 30.33 

* Allocations resulting from the IPHC Regulatory Area 2A Catch Share Plan are listed in pounds. 

6. In-Season Actions 

(1) The Commission is authorized to 

establish or modify regulations during 

the season after determining that such 

action: 

(a) Will not result in exceeding the 

fishery limit established preseason for 

each IPHC Regulatory Area; 

(b) is consistent with the Convention 

between Canada and the United States 

of America for the Preservation of the 

Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific 

Ocean and Bering Sea, and applicable 

domestic law of either Canada or the 

United States of America; and 

(c) is consistent, to the maximum 

extent practicable, with any domestic 


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2The non-tribal directed fishery is restricted to 

waters that are south of Point Chehalis, 

Washington, (46°53.30′ N latitude) under 

regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and 

published in the Federal Register. 

3The incidental fishery during the directed, fixed 

gear sablefish season is restricted to waters that are 

north of Point Chehalis, Washington, (46°53.30′ N 

latitude) under regulations promulgated by NOAA 

Fisheries at 50 CFR 300.63. Landing restrictions for 

Pacific halibut retention in the fixed gear sablefish 

fishery can be found at 50 CFR 660.231. 

catch sharing plans or other domestic 

allocation programs developed by the 

governments of Canada or the United 

States of America. 

(2) In-season actions may include, but 

are not limited to, establishment or 

modification of the following: 

(a) Closed areas; 

(b) fishing periods; 

(c) fishing period limits; 

(d) gear restrictions; 

(e) recreational (sport) bag limits; 

(f) size limits; or 

(g) vessel clearances. 

(3) In-season changes will be effective 

at the time and date specified by the 

Commission. 

(4) The Commission will announce 

in-season actions under this section by 

providing notice to major Pacific halibut 

processors; Federal, State, United States 

of America treaty Indian, and Provincial 

fishery officials; and the media. 

7. Careful Release of Pacific Halibut 

(1) All Pacific halibut that are caught 

and are not retained shall be 

immediately released outboard of the 

roller and returned to the sea with a 

minimum of injury by: 

(a) Hook straightening; 

(b) cutting the gangion near the hook; 

or 

(c) carefully removing the hook by 

twisting it from the Pacific halibut with 

a gaff. 

(2) Except that paragraph (1) shall not 

prohibit the possession of Pacific 

halibut on board a vessel that has been 

brought aboard to be measured to 

determine if the applicable size limit of 

the Pacific halibut is met and, if not 

legal-sized, is promptly returned to the 

sea with a minimum of injury. 

8. Retention of Tagged Pacific Halibut 

(1) Nothing contained in these 

Regulations prohibits any vessel at any 

time from retaining and landing a 

Pacific halibut that bears a Commission 

external tag at the time of capture, if the 

Pacific halibut with the tag still attached 

is reported at the time of landing and 

made available for examination by a 

representative of the Commission or by 

an authorized officer. 

(2) After examination and removal of 

the tag by a representative of the 

Commission or an authorized officer, 

the Pacific halibut: 

(a) May be retained for personal use; 

or 

(b) may be sold only if the Pacific 

halibut is caught during commercial 

Pacific halibut fishing and complies 

with the other commercial fishing 

provisions of these Regulations. 

(3) Any Pacific halibut that bears a 

Commission external tag will not count 

against commercial fishing period 

limits, Individual Vessel Quotas (IVQ), 

Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ), 

Community Development Quotas 

(CDQ), or Individual Fishing Quotas 

(IFQ), and are not subject to size limits 

in these regulations, but should still be 

recorded in the landing record. 

(4) Any Pacific halibut that bears a 

Commission external tag will not count 

against recreational (sport) daily bag 

limits or possession limits, may be 

retained outside of recreational (sport) 

fishing seasons, and are not subject to 

size limits in these regulations. 

(5) Any Pacific halibut that bears a 

Commission external tag will not count 

against daily bag limits, possession 

limits, or fishery limits in the fisheries 

described in section 23, paragraph 

(1)(c), section 24, or section 25. 

9. Fishing Periods 

(1) The fishing periods for each IPHC 

Regulatory Area apply where the fishery 

limits specified in section 5 have not 

been taken. 

(2) Unless the Commission specifies 

otherwise, commercial fishing for 

Pacific halibut in all IPHC Regulatory 

Areas may begin no earlier in the year 

than 1200 local time on 6 March. 

(3) All commercial fishing for Pacific 

halibut in all IPHC Regulatory Areas 

shall cease for the year at 1200 local 

time on 7 December. 

(4) The first fishing period in the 

IPHC Regulatory Area 2A non-tribal 

directed commercial fishery 2 shall 

begin at 0800 on the fourth Tuesday in 

June and terminate at 1800 local time on 

the subsequent Thursday, unless the 

Commission specifies otherwise. If the 

Commission determines that the fishery 

limit specified for IPHC Regulatory Area 

2A in Section 5 has not been exceeded, 

it may announce a second fishing period 

of up to three fishing days to begin on 

Tuesday two weeks after the first 

period, and, if necessary, a third fishing 

period of up to three fishing days to 

begin on Thursday four weeks after the 

first period. 

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (4), 

and paragraph (6) of section 12, an 

incidental catch fishery 3 is authorized 

during the sablefish seasons in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A in accordance with 

regulations promulgated by NOAA 

Fisheries. This fishery will occur 

between the dates and times listed in 

paragraphs (2) and (3) of this section. 

(6) Notwithstanding paragraph (4), 

and paragraph (6) of section 12, an 

incidental catch fishery is authorized 

during salmon troll seasons in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A in accordance with 

regulations promulgated by NOAA 

Fisheries. This fishery will occur 

between the dates and times listed in 

paragraphs (2) and (3) of this section. 

10. Closed Area 

All waters in the Bering Sea north of 

55°00′00′′ N latitude in Isanotski Strait 

that are enclosed by a line from Cape 

Sarichef Light (54°36′00′′ N latitude, 

164°55′42′′ W longitude) to a point at 

56°20′00′′ N latitude, 168°30′00′′ W 

longitude; thence to a point at 58°21′25′′ 

N latitude, 163°00′00′′ W longitude; 

thence to Strogonof Point (56°53′18′′ N 

latitude, 158°50′37′′ W longitude); and 

then along the northern coasts of the 

Alaska Peninsula and Unimak Island to 

the point of origin at Cape Sarichef 

Light are closed to Pacific halibut 

fishing and no person shall fish for 

Pacific halibut therein or have Pacific 

halibut in his/her possession while in 

those waters except in the course of a 

continuous transit across those waters. 

All waters in Isanotski Strait between 

55°00′00′′ N latitude and 54°49′00′′ N 

latitude are closed to Pacific halibut 

fishing. 

11. Closed Periods 

(1) No person shall engage in fishing 

for Pacific halibut in any IPHC 

Regulatory Area other than during the 

fishing periods set out in section 9 in 

respect of that area. 

(2) No person shall land or otherwise 

retain Pacific halibut caught outside a 

fishing period applicable to the IPHC 

Regulatory Area where the Pacific 

halibut was taken. 

(3) Subject to paragraphs (7), (8), (9), 

and (10) of section 18, these Regulations 

do not prohibit fishing for any species 

of fish other than Pacific halibut during 

the closed periods. 

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3), no 

person shall have Pacific halibut in his/ 

her possession while fishing for any 

other species of fish during the closed 

periods. 

(5) No vessel shall retrieve any Pacific 

halibut fishing gear during a closed 

period if the vessel has any Pacific 

halibut on board. 

(6) A vessel that has no Pacific halibut 

on board may retrieve any Pacific 

halibut fishing gear during the closed 

period after the operator notifies an 


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authorized officer or representative of 

the Commission prior to that retrieval. 

(7) After retrieval of Pacific halibut 

gear in accordance with paragraph (6), 

the vessel shall submit to a hold 

inspection at the discretion of the 

authorized officer or representative of 

the Commission. 

(8) No person shall retain any Pacific 

halibut caught on gear retrieved in 

accordance with paragraph (6). 

(9) No person shall possess Pacific 

halibut on board a vessel in an IPHC 

Regulatory Area during a closed period 

unless that vessel is in continuous 

transit to or within a port in which that 

Pacific halibut may be lawfully sold. 

12. Application of Commercial Fishery 

Limits 

(1) Notwithstanding the fishery limits 

described in section 5, regulations 

pertaining to the division of the IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A fishery limit 

between the directed commercial 

fishery and the incidental catch fishery 

as described in paragraphs (5) and (6) of 

section 9 will be promulgated by NOAA 

Fisheries and published in the Federal 

Register. 

(2) The Commission shall determine 

and announce to the public the date on 

which the fishery limit for IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A will be taken. 

(3) Notwithstanding the fishery limits 

described in section 5, the commercial 

fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 2B will 

close only when all Individual Vessel 

Quotas (IVQ) and Individual 

Transferable Quotas (ITQ) assigned by 

DFO are taken, or on the date when 

fishing must cease as specified in 

Section 9, whichever is earlier. 

(4) Notwithstanding the fishery limits 

described in section 5, IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 

4E will each close only when all 

Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) and all 

CDQ issued by NOAA Fisheries have 

been taken, or on the date when fishing 

must cease as specified in Section 9, 

whichever is earlier. 

(5) If the Commission determines that 

the fishery limit specified for IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A in section 5 would 

be exceeded in an additional directed 

commercial fishing period as specified 

in paragraph (4) of section 9, the fishery 

limit for that area shall be considered to 

have been taken and the directed 

commercial fishery closed as announced 

by the Commission. 

(6) When under paragraphs (1), (2), 

and (5) the Commission has announced 

a date on which the fishery limit for 

IPHC Regulatory Area 2A will be taken, 

no person shall fish for Pacific halibut 

in that area after that date for the rest 

of the year, unless the Commission has 

announced the reopening of that area for 

Pacific halibut fishing. 

(7) Notwithstanding the fishery limits 

described in section 5, the total 

allowable catch of Pacific halibut that 

may be taken in the IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4E directed commercial fishery is 

equal to the combined annual fishery 

limits specified for the IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 4D and 4E CDQ fisheries and any 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4D IFQ received 

by transfer by a CDQ organization. The 

annual IPHC Regulatory Area 4D fishery 

limit will decrease by the equivalent 

amount of CDQ and IFQ received by 

transfer by a CDQ organization taken in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4E in excess of 

the annual IPHC Regulatory Area 4E 

fishery limit. 

(8) Notwithstanding the fishery limits 

described in section 5, the total 

allowable catch of Pacific halibut that 

may be taken in the IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4D directed commercial fishery is 

equal to the combined annual fishery 

limits specified for IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 4C and 4D. The annual IPHC 

Regulatory Area 4C fishery limit will 

decrease by the equivalent amount of 

Pacific halibut taken in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4D in excess of the annual IPHC 

Regulatory Area 4D fishery limit. 

13. Fishing in Regulatory IPHC 

Regulatory Areas 4D and 4E 

(1) Section 13 applies only to any 

person fishing for, or any vessel that is 

used to fish for, IPHC Regulatory Area 

4E Community Development Quota 

(CDQ) Pacific halibut, IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4D CDQ Pacific halibut, or IPHC 

Regulatory Area 4D IFQ received by 

transfer by a CDQ organization provided 

that the total annual Pacific halibut 

catch of that person or vessel is landed 

at a port within IPHC Regulatory Areas 

4E or 4D. 

(2) A person may retain Pacific 

halibut taken with setline gear that are 

smaller than the size limit specified in 

section 19, provided that no person may 

sell or barter such Pacific halibut. 

(3) The manager of a CDQ 

organization that authorizes persons to 

harvest Pacific halibut in the IPHC 

Regulatory Area 4E or 4D CDQ fisheries 

or IFQ received by transfer by a CDQ 

organization must report to the 

Commission the total number and 

weight of undersized Pacific halibut 

taken and retained by such persons 

pursuant to section 13, paragraph (2). 

This report, which shall include data 

and methodology used to collect the 

data, must be received by the 

Commission prior to 1 November of the 

year in which such Pacific halibut were 

harvested. 

14. Fishing Period Limits 

(1) It shall be unlawful for any vessel 

to retain more Pacific halibut than 

authorized by that vessel’s license in 

any fishing period for which the 

Commission has announced a fishing 

period limit. 

(2) The operator of any vessel that 

fishes for Pacific halibut during a 

fishing period when fishing period 

limits are in effect must, upon 

commencing an offload of Pacific 

halibut to a commercial fish processor, 

completely offload all Pacific halibut on 

board said vessel to that processor and 

ensure that all Pacific halibut is 

weighed and reported on State fish 

tickets. 

(3) The operator of any vessel that 

fishes for Pacific halibut during a 

fishing period when fishing period 

limits are in effect must, upon 

commencing an offload of Pacific 

halibut other than to a commercial fish 

processor, completely offload all Pacific 

halibut on board said vessel and ensure 

that all Pacific halibut are weighed and 

reported on State fish tickets. 

(4) The provisions of paragraph (3) are 

not intended to prevent retail over-theside sales to individual purchasers so 

long as all the Pacific halibut on board 

is ultimately offloaded and reported. 

(5) When fishing period limits are in 

effect, a vessel’s maximum retainable 

catch will be determined by the 

Commission based on: 

(a) the vessel’s overall length in feet 

and associated length class; 

(b) the average performance of all 

vessels within that class; and 

(c) the remaining fishery limit. 

(6) Length classes are shown in the 

following table: 

Overall length 

(in feet) 

Vessel 

class 

1–25 .............................................. A 

26–30 ............................................ B 

31–35 ............................................ C 

36–40 ............................................ D 

41–45 ............................................ E 

46–50 ............................................ F 

51–55 ............................................ G 

56+ ................................................ H 

(7) Fishing period limits in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A apply only to the 

directed Pacific halibut fishery referred 

to in paragraph (4) of section 9. 

15. Licensing Vessels for IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A 

(1) No person shall fish for Pacific 

halibut from a vessel, nor possess 

Pacific halibut on board a vessel, used 

either for commercial fishing or as a 

charter vessel in IPHC Regulatory Area 

2A, unless the Commission has issued 


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a license valid for fishing in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A in respect of that 

vessel. 

(2) A license issued for a vessel 

operating in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A 

shall be valid only for operating either 

as a charter vessel or a commercial 

vessel, but not both. 

(3) A vessel with a valid IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A commercial license 

cannot be used to recreationally (sport) 

fish for Pacific halibut in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A. 

(4) A license issued for a vessel 

operating in the commercial fishery in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 2A shall be valid 

for one of the following: 

(a) The directed commercial fishery 

during the fishing periods specified in 

paragraph (4) of section 9; 

(b) the incidental catch fishery during 

the sablefish fishery specified in 

paragraph (5) of section 9; or 

(c) the incidental catch fishery during 

the salmon troll fishery specified in 

paragraph (6) of section 9. 

(5) A vessel with a valid license for 

the IPHC Regulatory Area 2A incidental 

catch fishery during the sablefish 

fishery described in paragraph (4)(b) 

may also apply for or be issued a license 

for the directed commercial fishery 

described in paragraph (4)(a). 

(6) A license issued in respect to a 

vessel referred to in paragraph (1) of this 

section must be carried on board that 

vessel at all times and the vessel 

operator shall permit its inspection by 

any authorized officer. 

(7) The Commission shall issue a 

license in respect to a vessel from its 

office in Seattle, Washington, upon 

receipt of a completed ‘‘Application for 

Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut 

Fishery’’ form. 

(8) A vessel operating in the directed 

commercial fishery in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 2A must have submitted its 

‘‘Application for Vessel License for the 

Pacific Halibut Fishery’’ form no later 

than 2359 local time on 30 April, or the 

first weekday in May if 30 April is a 

Saturday or Sunday. 

(9) A vessel operating in the 

incidental catch fishery during the 

sablefish fishery in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 2A must have submitted its 

‘‘Application for Vessel License for the 

Pacific Halibut Fishery’’ form no later 

than 2359 local time on 29 May, or the 

next weekday in May if 29 May is a 

Saturday or Sunday. 

(10) A vessel operating in the 

incidental catch fishery during the 

salmon troll fishery in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 2A must have submitted its 

‘‘Application for Vessel License for the 

Pacific Halibut Fishery’’ form no later 

than 2359 local time on 15 March, or the 

next weekday in March if 15 March is 

a Saturday or Sunday. 

(11) Applications are submitted on 

the IPHC Secretariat web page. 

(12) Information on the ‘‘Application 

for Vessel License for the Pacific Halibut 

Fishery’’ form must be accurate. 

(13) The ‘‘Application for Vessel 

License for the Pacific Halibut Fishery’’ 

form shall be completed by the vessel 

owner. 

(14) Licenses issued under this 

section shall be valid only during the 

year in which they are issued. 

(15) A new license is required for a 

vessel that is sold, transferred, renamed, 

or for which the documentation is 

changed. 

(16) The license required under this 

section is in addition to any license, 

however designated, that is required 

under the laws of the United States of 

America or any of its States. 

(17) The United States of America 

may suspend, revoke, or modify any 

license issued under this section under 

policies and procedures in U.S. Code 

Title 15, CFR part 904. 

16. Vessel Clearance in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4 

(1) The operator of any vessel that 

fishes for Pacific halibut in IPHC 

Regulatory Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, or 4D must 

obtain a vessel clearance before fishing 

in any of these areas, and before the 

landing of any Pacific halibut caught in 

any of these areas, unless specifically 

exempted in paragraphs (10), (13), (14), 

(15), or (16). 

(2) An operator obtaining a vessel 

clearance required by paragraph (1) 

must obtain the clearance in person 

from the authorized clearance personnel 

and sign the IPHC form documenting 

that a clearance was obtained, except 

that when the clearance is obtained via 

VHF radio referred to in paragraphs (5), 

(8), and (9), the authorized clearance 

personnel must sign the IPHC form 

documenting that the clearance was 

obtained. 

(3) The vessel clearance required 

under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4A may be 

obtained only at Nazan Bay on Atka 

Island, Dutch Harbor, or Akutan, 

Alaska, from an authorized officer of the 

United States of America, a 

representative of the Commission, or a 

designated fish processor. 

(4) The vessel clearance required 

under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4B may only be 

obtained at Nazan Bay on Atka Island or 

Adak, Alaska, from an authorized officer 

of the United States of America, a 

representative of the Commission, or a 

designated fish processor. 

(5) The vessel clearance required 

under paragraph (1) prior to fishing in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4C or 4D may be 

obtained only at St. Paul or St. George, 

Alaska, from an authorized officer of the 

United States, a representative of the 

Commission, or a designated fish 

processor by VHF radio and allowing 

the person contacted to confirm visually 

the identity of the vessel. 

(6) The vessel operator shall specify 

the specific regulatory area in which 

fishing will take place. 

(7) Before unloading any Pacific 

halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 

4A, a vessel operator may obtain the 

clearance required under paragraph (1) 

only in Dutch Harbor or Akutan, Alaska, 

by contacting an authorized officer of 

the United States of America, a 

representative of the Commission, or a 

designated fish processor. 

(8) Before unloading any Pacific 

halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 

4B, a vessel operator may obtain the 

clearance required under paragraph (1) 

only in Nazan Bay on Atka Island or 

Adak, by contacting an authorized 

officer of the United States of America, 

a representative of the Commission, or 

a designated fish processor by VHF 

radio or in person. 

(9) Before unloading any Pacific 

halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Areas 

4C and 4D, a vessel operator may obtain 

the clearance required under paragraph 

(1) only in St. Paul, St. George, Dutch 

Harbor, or Akutan, Alaska, either in 

person or by contacting an authorized 

officer of the United States of America, 

a representative of the Commission, or 

a designated fish processor. The 

clearances obtained in St. Paul or St. 

George, Alaska, can be obtained by VHF 

radio and allowing the person contacted 

to confirm visually the identity of the 

vessel. 

(10) Any vessel operator who 

complies with the requirements in 

section 17 for possessing Pacific halibut 

on board a vessel that was caught in 

more than one regulatory area in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 4 is exempt from the 

clearance requirements of paragraph (1) 

of this section, provided that: 

(a) The operator of the vessel obtains 

a vessel clearance prior to fishing in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4 in either Dutch 

Harbor, Akutan, St. Paul, St. George, 

Adak, or Nazan Bay on Atka Island by 

contacting an authorized officer of the 

United States of America, a 

representative of the Commission, or a 

designated fish processor. The clearance 

obtained in St. Paul, St. George, Adak, 

or Nazan Bay on Atka Island can be 

obtained by VHF radio and allowing the 

person contacted to confirm visually the 

identity of the vessel. This clearance 


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will list the areas in which the vessel 

will fish; and 

(b) before unloading any Pacific 

halibut from IPHC Regulatory Area 4, 

the vessel operator obtains a vessel 

clearance from Dutch Harbor, Akutan, 

St. Paul, St. George, Adak, or Nazan Bay 

on Atka Island by contacting an 

authorized officer of the United States of 

America, a representative of the 

Commission, or a designated fish 

processor. The clearance obtained in St. 

Paul or St. George can be obtained by 

VHF radio and allowing the person 

contacted to confirm visually the 

identity of the vessel. The clearance 

obtained in Adak or Nazan Bay on Atka 

Island can be obtained by VHF radio. 

(11) Vessel clearances shall be 

obtained between 0600 and 1800, local 

time. 

(12) No Pacific halibut shall be on 

board the vessel at the time of the 

clearances required prior to fishing in 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4. 

(13) Any vessel that is used to fish for 

Pacific halibut only in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4A and lands its total annual 

Pacific halibut catch at a port within 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4A is exempt 

from the clearance requirements of 

paragraph (1). 

(14) Any vessel that is used to fish for 

Pacific halibut only in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 4B and lands its total annual 

Pacific halibut catch at a port within 

IPHC Regulatory Area 4B is exempt 

from the clearance requirements of 

paragraph (1). 

(15) Any vessel that is used to fish for 

Pacific halibut only in IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 4C or 4D or 4E and lands its total 

annual Pacific halibut catch at a port 

within IPHC Regulatory Areas 4C, 4D, 

4E, or the closed area defined in section 

10, is exempt from the clearance 

requirements of paragraph (1). 

(16) Any vessel that carries a NOAA 

Fisheries observer, a NOAA Fisheries 

electronic monitoring system, or a 

transmitting VMS transmitter while 

fishing for Pacific halibut in IPHC 

Regulatory Areas 4A, 4B, 4C, or 4D and 

until all Pacific halibut caught in any of 

these IPHC Regulatory Areas is landed, 

is exempt from the clearance 

requirements of paragraph (1) of this 

section, provided that: 

(a) The operator of the vessel 

complies with NOAA Fisheries’ 

observer or electronic monitoring 

regulations published at 50 CFR Subpart 

E, or vessel monitoring system 

regulations published at 50 CFR 

679.28(f)(3), (4) and (5); and 

(b) the operator of the vessel notifies 

NOAA Fisheries Office for Law 

Enforcement at 800–304–4846 (select 

option 1 to speak to an Enforcement 

Data Clerk) between the hours of 0600 

and 0000 (midnight) local time within 

72 hours before fishing for Pacific 

halibut in IPHC Regulatory Areas 4A, 

4B, 4C, or 4D and receives a VMS 

confirmation number. 

17. Fishing Multiple Regulatory Areas 

(1) Except as provided in this section, 

no person shall possess at the same time 

on board a vessel Pacific halibut caught 

in more than one IPHC Regulatory Area. 

(2) Pacific halibut caught in more than 

one of the IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 

3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E may be 

possessed on board a vessel at the same 

time only if: 

(a) Authorized by NOAA Fisheries 

regulations published at 50 CFR Section 

679.7(f)(4); and 

(b) the operator of the vessel identifies 

the regulatory area in which each 

Pacific halibut on board was caught by 

separating Pacific halibut from different 

areas in the hold, tagging Pacific 

halibut, or by other means. 

18. Fishing Gear 

(1) No person shall fish for Pacific 

halibut using any gear other than hook 

and line gear, 

(a) except that vessels licensed to 

catch sablefish in IPHC Regulatory Area 

2B using sablefish trap gear as defined 

in the Condition of Licence can retain 

Pacific halibut caught as bycatch under 

regulations promulgated by DFO; or 

(b) except that a person may retain 

Pacific halibut taken with longline or 

single pot gear if such retention is 

authorized by NOAA Fisheries 

regulations published at 50 CFR part 

679. 

(2) No person shall possess Pacific 

halibut taken with any gear other than 

hook and line gear, 

(a) except that vessels licensed to 

catch sablefish in IPHC Regulatory Area 

2B using sablefish trap gear as defined 

by the Condition of Licence can retain 

Pacific halibut caught as bycatch under 

regulations promulgated by DFO; or 

(b) except that a person may possess 

Pacific halibut taken with longline or 

single pot gear if such possession is 

authorized by NOAA Fisheries 

regulations published at 50 CFR part 

679. 

(3) No person shall possess Pacific 

halibut while on board a vessel carrying 

any trawl nets. 

(4) All gear marker buoys carried on 

board or used by any United States of 

America vessel used for Pacific halibut 

fishing shall be marked with one of the 

following: 

(a) The vessel’s State license number; 

or 

(b) the vessel’s registration number. 

(5) The markings specified in 

paragraph (4) shall be in characters at 

least four inches in height and one-half 

inch in width in a contrasting color 

visible above the water and shall be 

maintained in legible condition. 

(6) All gear marker buoys carried on 

board or used by a Canadian vessel used 

for Pacific halibut fishing shall be: 

(a) Floating and visible on the surface 

of the water; and 

(b) legibly marked with the 

identification plate number of the vessel 

engaged in commercial fishing from 

which that setline is being operated. 

(7) No person on board a vessel used 

to fish for any species of fish anywhere 

in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A during the 

72-hour period immediately before the 

fishing period for the directed 

commercial fishery shall catch or 

possess Pacific halibut anywhere in 

those waters during that Pacific halibut 

fishing period unless, prior to the start 

of the Pacific halibut fishing period, the 

vessel has removed its gear from the 

water and has either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its catch of other fish; or 

(b) submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(8) No vessel used to fish for any 

species of fish anywhere in IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2A during the 72-hour 

period immediately before the fishing 

period for the directed commercial 

fishery may be used to catch or possess 

Pacific halibut anywhere in those waters 

during that Pacific halibut fishing 

period unless, prior to the start of the 

Pacific halibut fishing period, the vessel 

has removed its gear from the water and 

has either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its catch of other fish; or 

(b) submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(9) No person on board a vessel used 

to fish for any species of fish anywhere 

in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2B, 2C, 3A, 

3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E during the 72- 

hour period immediately before the 

opening of the Pacific halibut fishing 

season shall catch or possess Pacific 

halibut anywhere in those areas until 

the vessel has removed all of its gear 

from the water and has either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its entire catch of other fish; 

or 

(b) submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(10) No vessel used to fish for any 

species of fish anywhere in IPHC 

Regulatory Areas 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 

4B, 4C, 4D, or 4E during the 72-hour 

period immediately before the opening 

of the Pacific halibut fishing season may 

be used to catch or possess Pacific 


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4 DFO has more restrictive regulations; therefore, 

section 21 paragraph (2)(b) does not apply to fish 

caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 2B or landed in 

British Columbia. 

5 DFO did not adopt this regulation; therefore, 

section 21 paragraph (3) does not apply to fish 

caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 2B. 

halibut anywhere in those areas until 

the vessel has removed all of its gear 

from the water and has either: 

(a) Made a landing and completely 

offloaded its entire catch of other fish; 

or 

(b) submitted to a hold inspection by 

an authorized officer. 

(11) Notwithstanding any other 

provision in these Regulations, a person 

may retain, possess and dispose of 

Pacific halibut taken with trawl gear 

only as authorized by Prohibited 

Species Donation regulations of NOAA 

Fisheries. 

19. Size Limits 

(1) No person shall take or possess 

any Pacific halibut that: 

(a) With the head on, is less than 32 

inches (81.3 cm) as measured in a 

straight line, passing over the pectoral 

fin from the tip of the lower jaw with 

the mouth closed, to the extreme end of 

the middle of the tail, as illustrated in 

Figure 2; or 

(b) with the head removed, is less 

than 24 inches (61.0 cm) as measured 

from the base of the pectoral fin at its 

most anterior point to the extreme end 

of the middle of the tail, as illustrated 

in Figure 2. 

(2) No person on board a vessel 

fishing for, or tendering, Pacific halibut 

in any IPHC Regulatory Area shall 

possess any Pacific halibut that has had 

its head removed, except that Pacific 

halibut frozen at sea with its head 

removed may be possessed on board a 

vessel by persons in IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 

and 4E if authorized by Federal 

regulations. 

(3) The size limit in paragraph (1)(b) 

will not be applied to any Pacific 

halibut that has had its head removed 

after the operator has landed the Pacific 

halibut. 

20. Logs 

(1) The operator of any U.S. vessel 

fishing for Pacific halibut that has an 

overall length of 26 feet (7.9 meters) or 

greater shall maintain an accurate log of 

Pacific halibut fishing operations. The 

operator of a vessel fishing in waters in 

and off Alaska must use one of the 

following logbooks: The Groundfish/IFQ 

Longline and Pot Gear Daily Fishing 

Logbook, in electronic or paper form, 

provided by NOAA Fisheries; the 

Alaska hook-and-line logbook provided 

by Petersburg Vessel Owners 

Association or Alaska Longline 

Fisherman’s Association; the Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) 

longline-pot logbook; or the logbook 

provided by IPHC. The operator of a 

vessel fishing in IPHC Regulatory Area 

2A must use either the WDFW 

Voluntary Sablefish Logbook, Oregon 

Department of Fish and Wildlife 

(ODFW) Fixed Gear Logbook, or the 

logbook provided by IPHC. 

(2) The logbook referred to in 

paragraph (1) must include the 

following information: 

(a) The name of the vessel and the 

State (ADFG, WDFW, ODFW, or CDFW) 

or Tribal ID number; 

(b) the date(s) upon which the fishing 

gear is set or retrieved; 

(c) the latitude and longitude 

coordinates or a direction and distance 

from a point of land for each set or day; 

(d) the number of skates deployed or 

retrieved, and number of skates lost; and 

(e) the total weight or number of 

Pacific halibut retained for each set or 

day. 

(3) The logbook referred to in 

paragraph (1) shall be: 

(a) Maintained on board the vessel; 

(b) updated not later than 24 hours 

after 0000 (midnight) local time for each 

day fished and prior to the offloading or 

sale of Pacific halibut taken during that 

fishing trip; 

(c) retained for a period of two years 

by the owner or operator of the vessel; 

(d) open to inspection by an 

authorized officer or any authorized 

representative of the Commission upon 

demand; and 

(e) kept on board the vessel when 

engaged in Pacific halibut fishing, 

during transits to port of landing, and 

until the offloading of all Pacific halibut 

is completed. 

(4) The log referred to in paragraph (1) 

does not apply to the incidental Pacific 

halibut fishery during the salmon troll 

season in IPHC Regulatory Area 2A 

defined in paragraph (6) of section 9. 

(5) The operator of any Canadian 

vessel fishing for Pacific halibut shall 

maintain an accurate record in the 

British Columbia Integrated Groundfish 

Fishing Log. 

(6) The log referred to in paragraph (5) 

must include the following information: 

(a) The name of the vessel and the 

DFO vessel registration number; 

(b) the date(s) upon which the fishing 

gear is set and retrieved; 

(c) the latitude and longitude 

coordinates for each set; 

(d) the number of skates deployed or 

retrieved, and number of skates lost; and 

(e) the total weight or number of 

Pacific halibut retained for each set. 

(7) The log referred to in paragraph (5) 

shall be: 

(a) Maintained on board the vessel; 

(b) retained for a period of two years 

by the owner or operator of the vessel; 

(c) open to inspection by an 

authorized officer or any authorized 

representative of the Commission upon 

demand; 

(d) kept on board the vessel when 

engaged in Pacific halibut fishing, 

during transits to port of landing, and 

until the offloading of all Pacific halibut 

is completed; 

(e) submitted to the DFO within seven 

days of offloading; and 

(f) submitted to the Commission 

within seven days of the final offload if 

not previously collected by a 

Commission employee. 

(8) No person shall make a false entry 

in a log referred to in this section. 

21. Receipt and Possession of Pacific 

Halibut 

(1) No person shall receive Pacific 

halibut caught in IPHC Regulatory Area 

2A from a United States of America 

vessel that does not have on board the 

license required by section 15. 

(2) No person shall possess on board 

a vessel a Pacific halibut other than 

whole or with gills and entrails 

removed, except that this paragraph 

shall not prohibit the possession on 

board a vessel of: 

(a) Pacific halibut cheeks cut from 

Pacific halibut caught by persons 

authorized to process the Pacific halibut 

on board in accordance with NOAA 

Fisheries regulations published at 50 

CFR part 679; 

(b) fillets from Pacific halibut 

offloaded in accordance with section 21 

that are possessed on board the 

harvesting vessel in the port of landing 

up to 1800 local time on the calendar 

day following the offload 4; and 

(c) Pacific halibut with their heads 

removed in accordance with section 19. 

(3) No person shall offload Pacific 

halibut from a vessel unless the gills 

and entrails have been removed prior to 

offloading.5

(4) It shall be the responsibility of a 

vessel operator who lands Pacific 

halibut to continuously and completely 

offload at a single offload site all Pacific 

halibut on board the vessel. 

(5) A registered buyer (as that term is 

defined in regulations promulgated by 

NOAA Fisheries and codified at 50 CFR 

part 679) who receives Pacific halibut 

harvested in IFQ and CDQ fisheries in 

IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 

4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, directly from the 

vessel operator that harvested such 

Pacific halibut must weigh all the 

Pacific halibut received and record the 


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following information on Federal catch 

reports: Date of offload; name of vessel; 

vessel number (State, Tribal or Federal, 

not IPHC vessel number); scale weight 

obtained at the time of offloading, 

including the scale weight (in pounds) 

of Pacific halibut purchased by the 

registered buyer, the scale weight (in 

pounds) of Pacific halibut offloaded in 

excess of the IFQ or CDQ, the scale 

weight of Pacific halibut (in pounds) 

retained for personal use or for future 

sale, and the scale weight (in pounds) of 

Pacific halibut discarded as unfit for 

human consumption. All Pacific halibut 

harvested in IFQ or CDQ fisheries in 

Areas IPHC Regulatory 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 

4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E, must be weighed 

with the head on and the head-on 

weight must be recorded on Federal 

catch reports as specified in this 

paragraph, unless the Pacific halibut is 

frozen at sea and exempt from the headon landing requirement at section 19(2). 

(6) The first recipient, commercial 

fish processor, or buyer in the United 

States of America who purchases or 

receives Pacific halibut directly from the 

vessel operator that harvested such 

Pacific halibut must weigh and record 

all Pacific halibut received and record 

the following information on State fish 

tickets: The date of offload; vessel 

number (State or Federal, not IPHC 

vessel number) or Tribal ID number; 

total weight obtained at the time of 

offload including the weight (in pounds) 

of Pacific halibut purchased; the weight 

(in pounds) of Pacific halibut offloaded 

in excess of the IFQ, CDQ, or fishing 

period limits; the weight of Pacific 

halibut (in pounds) retained for 

personal use or for future sale; and the 

weight (in pounds) of Pacific halibut 

discarded as unfit for human 

consumption. All Pacific halibut 

harvested in fisheries in IPHC 

Regulatory Areas 2A, 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 

4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E must be weighed 

with the head on and the head-on 

weight must be recorded on State fish 

tickets as specified in this paragraph, 

unless the Pacific halibut is frozen at sea 

and exempt from the head-on landing 

requirement at section 19(2). 

(7) For Pacific halibut landings made 

in Alaska, the requirements as listed in 

paragraphs (5) and (6) can be met by 

recording the information in the 

Interagency Electronic Reporting 

Systems, eLandings, in accordance with 

NOAA Fisheries regulation published at 

50 CFR part 679. 

(8) The master or operator of a 

Canadian vessel that was engaged in 

Pacific halibut fishing must weigh and 

record all Pacific halibut on board said 

vessel at the time offloading commences 

and record on Provincial fish tickets or 

Federal catch reports: The date; locality; 

name of vessel; the name(s) of the 

person(s) from whom the Pacific halibut 

was purchased; and the scale weight 

obtained at the time of offloading of all 

Pacific halibut on board the vessel 

including the pounds purchased, 

pounds in excess of IVQs or ITQs, 

pounds retained for personal use, and 

pounds discarded as unfit for human 

consumption. All Pacific halibut must 

be weighed with the head on and the 

head-on weight must be recorded on the 

Provincial fish tickets or Federal catch 

reports as specified in this paragraph, 

unless the Pacific halibut is frozen at sea 

and exempt from the head-on landing 

requirement at section 19(2). 

(9) No person shall make a false entry 

on a State or Provincial fish ticket or a 

Federal catch or landing report referred 

to in paragraphs (5), (6), and (8) of this 

section. 

(10) A copy of the fish tickets or catch 

reports referred to in paragraphs (5), (6), 

and (8) shall be: 

(a) Retained by the person making 

them for a period of three years from the 

date the fish tickets or catch reports are 

made; and 

(b) open to inspection by an 

authorized officer or any authorized 

representative of the Commission. 

(11) No person shall possess any 

Pacific halibut taken or retained in 

contravention of these Regulations. 

(12) When Pacific halibut are landed 

to other than a commercial fish 

processor, the records required by 

paragraph (6) shall be maintained by the 

operator of the vessel from which that 

Pacific halibut was caught, in 

compliance with paragraph (10). 

(13) No person shall tag Pacific 

halibut unless the tagging is authorized 

by IPHC permit or by a Federal or State 

agency. 

22. Supervision of Unloading and 

Weighing 

(1) The unloading and weighing of 

Pacific halibut may be subject to the 

supervision of authorized officers to 

assure the fulfillment of the provisions 

of these Regulations. 

(2) The unloading and weighing of 

Pacific halibut may be subject to 

sampling by an authorized 

representative of the Commission. 

23. Fishing by United States Indian 

Tribes 

(1) Pacific halibut fishing in IPHC 

Regulatory Area Subarea 2A–1 by 

members of United States treaty Indian 

tribes located in the State of Washington 

shall be regulated under regulations 

promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and 

published in the Federal Register. 

(a) Subarea 2A–1 includes the usual 

and accustomed fishing areas for Pacific 

Coast treaty tribes off the coast of 

Washington and all inland marine 

waters of Washington north of Point 

Chehalis (46°53.30′ N lat.), including 

Puget Sound. Boundaries of a tribe’s 

fishing area may be revised as ordered 

by a United States Federal court. 

(b) Section 15 (Licensing Vessels for 

IPHC Regulatory Area 2A) does not 

apply to commercial fishing for Pacific 

halibut in Subarea 2A–1 by Indian 

tribes. 

(c) Ceremonial and subsistence 

fishing for Pacific halibut in Subarea 

2A–1 is permitted with hook and line 

gear from 1 January through 31 

December. 

(2) In IPHC Regulatory Area 2C, the 

Metlakatla Indian Community has been 

authorized by the United States 

Government to conduct a commercial 

Pacific halibut fishery within the 

Annette Islands Reserve. Fishing 

periods for this fishery are announced 

by the Metlakatla Indian Community 

and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

Landings in this fishery are accounted 

with the commercial landings for IPHC 

Regulatory Area 2C. 

(3) Section 7 (careful release of Pacific 

halibut), section 18 (fishing gear), except 

paragraphs (7) and (8) of section 18, 

section 19 (size limits), section 20 (logs), 

and section 21 (receipt and possession 

of Pacific halibut) apply to commercial 

fishing for Pacific halibut by Indian 

tribes. 

(4) Regulations in paragraph (3) of this 

section that apply to State fish tickets 

apply to Tribal tickets that are 

authorized by WDFW and ADFG. 

(5) Commercial fishing for Pacific 

halibut is permitted with hook and line 

gear between the dates specified in 

section 9 paragraphs (2) and (3), or until 

the applicable fishery limit specified in 

section 5 is taken, whichever occurs 

first. 

24. Indigenous Groups Fishing for Food, 

Social and Ceremonial Purposes in 

British Columbia 

(1) Fishing for Pacific halibut for food, 

social and ceremonial purposes by 

Indigenous groups in IPHC Regulatory 

Area 2B shall be governed by the 

Fisheries Act of Canada and regulations 

as amended from time to time. 

25. Customary and Traditional Fishing 

in Alaska 

(1) Customary and traditional fishing 

for Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory 

Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 

4E shall be governed pursuant to 

regulations promulgated by NOAA 


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6 DFO could implement more restrictive 

regulations for the recreational (sport) fishery, 

therefore anglers are advised to check the current 

Federal or Provincial regulations prior to fishing. 

7For regulations on the experimental recreational 

fishery implemented by DFO check the current 

Federal or Provincial regulations. 

8NOAA Fisheries could implement more 

restrictive regulations for the recreational (sport) 

fishery or components of it, therefore, anglers are 

advised to check the current Federal or State 

regulations prior to fishing. 

9Charter vessels are prohibited from harvesting 

Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A 

during one charter vessel fishing trip under 

regulations promulgated by NOAA Fisheries at 50 

CFR 300.66. 

Fisheries and published in 50 CFR part 

300. 

(2) Customary and traditional fishing 

is authorized from 1 January through 31 

December. 

26. Recreational (Sport) Fishing for 

Pacific Halibut—General 

(1) No person shall engage in 

recreational (sport) fishing for Pacific 

halibut using gear other than a single 

line with no more than two hooks 

attached; or a spear. 

(2) Any size limit promulgated under 

IPHC or domestic regulations shall be 

measured in a straight line passing over 

the pectoral fin from the tip of the lower 

jaw with the mouth closed, to the 

extreme end of the middle of the tail as 

depicted in Figure 2. 

(3) Any Pacific halibut brought aboard 

a vessel and not immediately returned 

to the sea with a minimum of injury will 

be included in the daily bag limit of the 

person catching the Pacific halibut. 

(4) No person may possess Pacific 

halibut on a vessel while fishing in a 

closed area. 

(5) No Pacific halibut caught by 

recreational (sport) fishing shall be 

offered for sale, sold, traded, or bartered. 

(6) No Pacific halibut caught in 

recreational (sport) fishing shall be 

possessed on board a vessel when other 

fish or shellfish aboard said vessel are 

destined for commercial use, sale, trade, 

or barter. 

(7) The operator of a charter vessel 

shall be liable for any violations of these 

Regulations committed by an angler on 

board said vessel. In Alaska, the charter 

vessel guide, as defined in 50 CFR 

300.61 and referred to in 50 CFR 300.65, 

300.66, and 300.67, shall be liable for 

any violation of these Regulations 

committed by an angler on board a 

charter vessel. 

27. Recreational (Sport) Fishing for 

Pacific Halibut—IPHC Regulatory Area 

2A 

(1) The Commission shall determine 

and announce closing dates to the 

public for any area in which the fishery 

limits promulgated by NOAA Fisheries 

are estimated to have been taken. 

(2) When the Commission has 

determined that a subquota under 

paragraph (7) of this section is estimated 

to have been taken, and has announced 

a date on which the season will close, 

no person shall recreational (sport) fish 

for Pacific halibut in that area after that 

date for the rest of the year, unless a 

reopening of that area for recreational 

(sport) Pacific halibut fishing is 

scheduled in accordance with the Catch 

Sharing Plan for IPHC Regulatory Area 

2A, or announced by the Commission. 

(3) In California, Oregon, or 

Washington, no person shall fillet, 

mutilate, or otherwise disfigure a Pacific 

halibut in any manner that prevents the 

determination of minimum size or the 

number of fish caught, possessed, or 

landed. 

(4) The possession limit on a vessel 

for Pacific halibut in the waters off the 

coast of Washington is the same as the 

daily bag limit. The possession limit for 

Pacific halibut on land in Washington is 

two daily bag limits. 

(5) The possession limit on a vessel 

for Pacific halibut caught in the waters 

off the coast of Oregon is the same as the 

daily bag limit. The possession limit for 

Pacific halibut on land in Oregon is 

three daily bag limits. 

(6) The possession limit on a vessel 

for Pacific halibut caught in the waters 

off the coast of California is one daily 

bag limit. The possession limit for 

Pacific halibut on land in California is 

one daily bag limit. 

(7) Specific regulations describing 

fishing periods, fishery limits, fishing 

dates, and daily bag limits are 

promulgated by NOAA Fisheries and 

published in the Federal Register. 

28. Recreational (Sport) Fishing for 

Pacific Halibut—IPHC Regulatory Area 

2B 

(1) In all waters off British 

Columbia: 6 7

(a) The recreational (sport) fishing 

season will open on 1 February unless 

more restrictive regulations are in place; 

(b) the recreational (sport) fishing 

season will close when the recreational 

(sport) fishery limit allocated by DFO is 

taken, or 31 December, whichever is 

earlier; and 

(c) the daily bag limit is two Pacific 

halibut of any size per day per person. 

(2) In British Columbia, no person 

shall fillet, mutilate, or otherwise 

disfigure a Pacific halibut in any 

manner that prevents the determination 

of minimum size or the number of fish 

caught, possessed, or landed. 

(3) The possession limit for Pacific 

halibut in the waters off the coast of 

British Columbia is three Pacific 

halibut.6 7

29. Recreational (Sport) Fishing for 

Pacific Halibut—IPHC Regulatory Areas 

2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E 

(1) In Convention waters in and off 

Alaska: 8 9

(a) The recreational (sport) fishing 

season is from 1 February to 31 

December. 

(b) The daily bag limit is two Pacific 

halibut of any size per day per person 

unless a more restrictive bag limit 

applies in Commission regulations or 

Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.65. 

(c) No person may possess more than 

two daily bag limits. 

(d) No person shall possess on board 

a vessel, including charter vessels and 

pleasure craft used for fishing, Pacific 

halibut that have been filleted, 

mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in 

any manner, except that each Pacific 

halibut may be cut into no more than 2 

ventral pieces, 2 dorsal pieces, and 2 

cheek pieces, with a patch of skin on 

each piece, naturally attached. 

(e) Pacific halibut in excess of the 

possession limit in paragraph (1)(c) of 

this section may be possessed on a 

vessel that does not contain recreational 

(sport) fishing gear, fishing rods, hand 

lines, or gaffs. 

(f) Pacific halibut harvested on a 

charter vessel fishing trip in IPHC 

Regulatory Areas 2C or 3A must be 

retained on board the charter vessel on 

which the Pacific halibut was caught 

until the end of the charter vessel 

fishing trip as defined at 50 CFR 300.61. 

(g) Guided angler fish (GAF), as 

described at 50 CFR 300.65, may be 

used to allow a charter vessel angler to 

harvest additional Pacific halibut up to 

the limits in place for unguided anglers, 

and are exempt from the requirements 

in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this section. 

(2) For guided recreational (sport) 

fishing (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

in IPHC Regulatory Area 2C: 

(a) No person on board a charter 

vessel (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

shall catch and retain more than one 

Pacific halibut per calendar day. 

(b) No person on board a charter 

vessel (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

shall catch and retain any Pacific 

halibut that with head on is greater than 

50 inches (127.0 cm) and less than 72 

inches (182.9 cm) as measured in a 

straight line, passing over the pectoral 


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fin from the tip of the lower jaw with 

mouth closed, to the extreme end of the 

middle of the tail. 

(3) For guided recreational (sport) 

fishing (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

in IPHC Regulatory Area 3A: 

(a) No person on board a charter 

vessel (as referred to in 50 CFR 300.65) 

shall catch and retain more than two 

Pacific halibut per calendar day. 

(b) At least one of the retained Pacific 

halibut must have a head-on length of 

no more than 32 inches (81.3 cm) as 

measured in a straight line, passing over 

the pectoral fin from the tip of the lower 

jaw with mouth closed, to the extreme 

end of the middle of the tail. If a person 

recreational (sport) fishing on a charter 

vessel in IPHC Regulatory Area 3A 

retains only one Pacific halibut in a 

calendar day, that Pacific halibut may 

be of any length. 

(c) A ‘‘charter halibut permit’’ (as 

referred to in 50 CFR 300.67) may only 

be used for one charter vessel fishing 

trip in which Pacific halibut are caught 

and retained per calendar day. A charter 

vessel fishing trip is defined at 50 CFR 

300.61 as the time period between the 

first deployment of fishing gear into the 

water by a charter vessel angler (as 

defined at 50 CFR 300.61) and the 

offloading of one or more charter vessel 

anglers or any Pacific halibut from that 

vessel. For purposes of this trip limit, a 

charter vessel fishing trip ends at 2359 

(Alaska local time) on the same calendar 

day that the fishing trip began, or when 

any anglers or Pacific halibut are 

offloaded, whichever comes first. 

(d) A charter vessel on which one or 

more anglers catch and retain Pacific 

halibut may only make one charter 

vessel fishing trip per calendar day. A 

charter vessel fishing trip is defined at 

50 CFR 300.61 as the time period 

between the first deployment of fishing 

gear into the water by a charter vessel 

angler (as defined at 50 CFR 300.61) and 

the offloading of one or more charter 

vessel anglers or any Pacific halibut 

from that vessel. For purposes of this 

trip limit, a charter vessel fishing trip 

ends at 2359 (Alaska local time) on the 

same calendar day that the fishing trip 

began, or when any anglers or Pacific 

halibut are offloaded, whichever comes 

first. 

(e) No person on board a charter 

vessel may catch and retain Pacific 

halibut on any Wednesday. 

30. Previous Regulations Superseded 

These Regulations shall supersede all 

previous regulations of the Commission, 

and these Regulations shall be effective 

each succeeding year until superseded. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 9, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 13491 

Classification 

IPHC Regulations 

These IPHC annual management 

measures are a product of an agreement 

between the United States and Canada 

and are published in the Federal 

Register to provide notice of their 

effectiveness and content. Pursuant to 

Section 4 of the Northern Pacific 

Halibut Act of 1982, 16 U.S.C. 773b, the 

Secretary of State, with the concurrence 

of the Secretary of Commerce, may 

‘‘accept or reject’’ but not modify these 

recommendations of the IPHC. These 

regulations become effective upon that 

acceptance. The notice-and-comment 

and delay-in-effectiveness date 

provisions of the Administrative 

Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 553(b) 

and (d), are inapplicable to IPHC 

management measures because these 

regulations involves a foreign affairs 

function of the United States, 5 U.S.C. 

553(a)(1). As stated above, the Secretary 

of State has no discretion to modify the 

recommendations of the IPHC. The 

additional time necessary to comply 

with the notice-and-comment and 

delay-in-effectiveness requirements of 

the APA would disrupt coordinated 

international conservation and 

management of the halibut fishery 

pursuant to the Convention and the 

Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. 

The publication of these regulations in 

the Federal Register provide the 

affected public with notice that the 

IPHC management measures are in 

effect. Furthermore, no other law 

requires prior notice and public 

comment for this rule. Because prior 

notice and an opportunity for public 

comment are not required to be 

provided for these portions of this rule 

by 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, the 

analytical requirements of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 

et seq., are not applicable. Accordingly, 

no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is 

required for this portion of the rule and 

none has been prepared. This final rule 

has been determined to be not 

significant for the purposes of Executive 

Order 12866. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq. 

Dated: March 3, 2021. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–04821 Filed 3–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 635 

[Docket No. 191125–0090; RTID 0648– 

XA895] 

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; 

Commercial Aggregated Large Coastal 

Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks in the 

Western Gulf of Mexico Sub-Region; 

Closure 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. 

SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the 

commercial fishery for the aggregated 

large coastal sharks (LCS) and 

hammerhead shark management groups 

in the western Gulf of Mexico subregion. This action is necessary because 

the commercial landings of sharks in the 

aggregated LCS management group in 

the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region 

for the 2021 fishing season have reached 

80 percent of the available commercial 

quota, and the aggregated LCS and 

hammerhead shark management groups 

quotas are linked under the regulations. 

This closure will affect anyone 


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