Non-Tribal Commercial Halibut Regulatory Changes: Vessel Monitoring Systems, Seabird Avoidance Measures, and Catch Reporting

What did the Council recommend? 

The Council recommended that vessels participating in the non-Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut (DC) halibut fishery that only retain halibut must carry and operate a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) unit and deploy streamer lines when setting gear. Specifically, the Council recommended: 

For waters north of 42 degrees north latitude (Oregon and Washington): 

• Require all vessels participating in the DC halibut fishery to carry and operate a NMFS type-approved VMS unit when fishing in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ, federal waters) with a VMS ping rate of four times per hour (i.e. once every 15 minutes); and the VMS unit must be turned on and transmitting location data when participating in the DC halibut fishery.  

• Require vessels participating in the DC halibut fishery and using bottom longline gear to deploy streamer lines when setting gear (follow seabird avoidance measures) when fishing in the EEZ. 

For waters south of 42 degrees north latitude (California): 

• Require all vessels participating in the DC halibut fishery to carry and operate a NMFS type-approved VMS unit when fishing in the convention waters of IPHC Area 2A (state and federal waters) with a VMS ping rate of four times per hour (i.e. once every 15 minutes); and the VMS unit must be turned on and transmitting location data when participating in the DC halibut fishery.  

• Require vessels participating in the DC halibut fishery and using bottom longline gear to deploy streamer lines when setting gear (follow seabird avoidance measures) when fishing in the convention waters of IPHC Area 2A (state and federal waters). 

There are vessels that participate in the DC halibut fishery that simultaneously fish for groundfish, but these vessels are already subject to VMS and streamer line requirements under federal groundfish regulations. Until the streamer line requirements are implemented, the Council requested that NMFS do outreach promoting voluntary usage of streamer lines by DC halibut vessels. 

Why were these recommendations necessary? 

The Council identified these changes as necessary to ensure the intended benefits of closed area regulations and essential fish habitat are fully realized and to reduce the likelihood of seabird bycatch.   

The DC halibut fishery is subject to closed areas to protect rebuilding rockfish stocks and essential fish habitat. VMS units transmit a vessel’s location periodically and automatically to an overhead satellite in real time and are monitored and interpreted by NOAA OLE officers in near-real time.   

Seabirds are known to dive on baited hooks near the surface when longline gear is deployed, and birds can become entangled with or hooked by the gear and drown. Streamer lines have been shown to deter seabirds from the fishing gear.  

These changes may also ease enforcement operations during the DC halibut fishery openers by aligning regulations already in place for vessels participating in the DC halibut fishery and simultaneously fishing for groundfish. 

Did the Council consider anything else under this action? 

The Council also considered modifying reporting requirements for commercial landings of Pacific halibut. Pacific halibut is caught commercially in the DC halibut fishery and incidentally in the salmon troll and primary sablefish fishery north of point Chehalis. There were concerns that if both pounds and number of Pacific halibut landed in these fisheries is not recorded, it may be difficult to properly monitor catch in these fisheries.  Incidental limits for the salmon troll and primary sablefish fishery north of Point Chehalis are set as a ratio of number of halibut to number of Chinook or number and pounds of halibut to pounds of sablefish.  

The Council determined that modifications to reporting requirements are not necessary at this time. For the DC halibut fishery, pounds of fish are all that is required for management purposes and already recorded on fish tickets. For incidental catch in the salmon troll fishery in Oregon and Washington, state regulations explicitly require that both number and pounds be recorded on state fish tickets. For incidental catch in the primary sablefish fishery north of Point Chehalis, both pounds and number of fish are already required to be reported on electronic fish tickets.  

When did the Council consider this action? 

In September 2024, the Council reviewed a draft analysis of the impacts of the above items (Agenda Item F.2, Attachment 1) and adopted a range of alternatives. The Council also selected a preliminary preferred alternative for streamer lines, specifically that they would be required by vessels participating in the DC halibut fishery when setting gear in the EEZ (see September 20204 Decision Summary Document).  

In November 2024, the Council reviewed updated analysis (Agenda Item G.2, Attachment 1 and Attachment 2) and selected their final preferred alternatives as described above and in the November 2024 Decision Summary Document.