More protection needed for halibut

To the editor:

Compliments to Les Palmer on his recent article in the Outdoors section of the Kenai Peninsula Clarion about halibut bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska, and compliments to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council for taking the time in the fisheries management process to reduce the bycatch of halibut in the gulf.

National Standard 9 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act mandates we do that and I compliment them for taking action on this agenda item. It is difficult for me discuss this issue without getting emotional, as we have witnessed a decline of 58 percent of the exploitable biomass that is available for commercial harvest and Area 2C Charter sport catch limits have been reduced by 34 percent to help conserve halibut stocks while trawl bycatch caps have not been reduced since 1989.

Reducing bycatch to help conserve and rebuild our halibut resource is the responsible thing to do as bycatch now kills as many halibut in numbers of fish as are harvested in the commercial halibut fishery. The ability to manage so much so well has benefited a wide variety of user groups that have been dependent upon this resource for a long time. To continue to do so will involve making a very difficult decision as do all biological and decisions to allocate.

The council should respectfully consider reducing the halibut bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska by 15 percent. Reducing bycatch is critical to conserve and rebuild the halibut resource. Every year, 2,300 metric tons — just over 5 million pounds — of halibut bycatch is taken out of the Gulf of Alaska. None of this fish ever goes to market, thus impacting local economies and small businesses that rely on halibut fishing to survive.

Everyone should do their part to help protect and rebuild our halibut fisheries by continuing to cut harvest limits for commercial and sport fishermen. We are creating long-term struggles to the communities that depend on halibut as both an economic and nutritional resource.

On June 4, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council will meet in Kodiak to discuss halibut bycatch and determine whether a cut in limits are necessary. I encourage you to attend the meetings, email npfmc.comments@noaa.gov or visit the Alaska Marine Councils website at akmarine.org to tell the council halibut bycatch should be reduced by 15 percent. It will help protect our fisheries long into the future.

Tim Evers

Retired sportfish guide

Ninilchik