Tag Archives: halibut as bycatch

OPINION: IPHC must reduce allowable bycatch – By Curtis Jackson

deckhand-halibut-longline-rbI first began commercial fishing for halibut along the Aleutian Chain and Bering Sea in 2002. The Aleutian Islands are an incredibly wild and beautiful place to make a living. The halibut we often saw were averaging 100 pounds and we had several trips of thirty to forty thousand pounds caught in just a few days and long hard working nights. The money was good and the work was some of the most difficult and rewarding I have ever done. Read the rest here 17:25

Trawlers defeat relief for halibut fishermen – Balk at Compensation

The emergency measure was opposed by the At-sea Processors Association, United Catcher Boats, and other industry groups. The failed emergency measure was part of the voting to set quotas for Bering Sea groundfish species, including the billion dollar pollock fishery. Trawlers feared that a reduction in halibut bycatch limits for trawlers could shut them down early, leaving their fish in the water. But halibut fishermen complain that the trawlers are allowed to waste more  than they’ll be allowed to catch for the high-value market, a policy called “unacceptable” by St. Paul mayor Simeon Swetzof. Read the rest here 21:08