Will longliners soon be allowed to retain smaller halibut?

摘要

Halibut proposal: A major player in the Pacific halibut fishery has proposed a fundamental management change.The proposal from the Seattle-based Fishing Vessel Owners' Association would reduce the minimum size requirement for commercially caught halibut from 32 inches to 30 inches.FVOA said initial reports from the 2013 observer program in the Gulf of Alaska indicate that the directed halibut fleet is releasing 8.7 million pounds of undersized halibut - fish under 32 inches.With a 2-inch reduction in the size requirement, the fleet could reduce handling and cut wastage from 1.35 million pounds to 580,000 pounds, FVOA said in a letter to the International Pacific Halibut Commission.