News & Events: Pacific Halibut

  • Pacific Halibut Area 2A online meeting January 12, 2026

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will host an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public. The online meeting will be held Monday, January 12, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time, or until business for the day has been completed. 

  • CANCELLED: Legislative Committee meeting November 12, 2025

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Legislative Committee (LC) will hold an online meeting that is open to the public. The meeting will be held Wednesday, November 12 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pacific Time until business for each day has been completed. This meeting will be held online. In the event an outage occurs or…

  • Pacific Fishery Management Council Staff to host Advisory Body Practices and Procedures Meeting, January 22, 2025

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is hosting an informational session on Council practices and procedures for all Advisory Body members. This online meeting is open to the public. The meeting will be held Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time or until business for the day has been completed. 

  • Pacific Halibut Area 2A online meeting January 16, 2025

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will host an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public. The online meeting will be held Thursday, January 16, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time, or until business for the day has been completed. 

  • Pacific Council Staff Advisory Bodies Briefing May 21, 2024

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council will hold an all advisory bodies briefing that is open to the public. The meeting will be held Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time or until business for the day has been completed.  This meeting is being conducted remotely with a web broadcast that…

  • Committee of the Whole meeting January 18-19, 2024

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Committee of the Whole (COTW) will hold a two-day in-person work session that is open to the public. The meeting will be held Thursday, January 18 and Friday, January 19, 2024, from 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time until business for each day has been completed.  This meeting is being conducted…

  • Pacific Halibut Area 2A online meeting January 2, 2024

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will host an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public. The online meeting will be held Tuesday, January 2, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, or until business for the day has been completed. …

  • Pacific Halibut Area 2A online meeting January 3, 2023

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) will hold an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public. It will be held Tuesday, January 3, 2023 beginning at 10:30 a.m. and continuing until 1 p.m. Pacific Time or until business for the day has been completed.…

  • Space is still available – Marine Resource Education Program workshop series (2022-2023)

    The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is happy to announce a two-part Marine Resources Education Program West Coast Fisheries Science & Management workshop series October 4-6, 2022 (science) and January 17-19, 2023 (management). Applications are being accepted now. Interested fishermen should apply as soon as possible at https://mrep.gmri.org/apply (please note, the deadline has been extended as space is still…

  • Marine Resource Education Program workshop series (2022-2023)

    The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is happy to announce a two-part Marine Resources Education Program West Coast Fisheries Science & Management workshop series October 4-6, 2022 (science) and January 17-19, 2023 (management). Applications are being accepted now. Interested fishermen should apply by September 16 at https://mrep.gmri.org/apply (please note, the deadline has been extended).  The Marine Resource Education Program (MREP),…

  • 2022 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2A available on Council’s website

    The 2022 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2A is now available on the Council’s Pacific halibut webpage. The 2022 Area 2A Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan guides tribal, non-tribal commercial, and recreational Pacific halibut fisheries off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California by prescribing an allocation formula for the allowable catch, and…

  • Area 2A Pacific Halibut Managers online meeting will be held January 4, 2022

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will host an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public.

  • The Council is soliciting supplemental Advisory Body nominations through 5pm Friday, November 5, 2021.

  • Fact sheet: Halibut

    The fish Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) are large flatfish found on the continental shelf from California to the Bering Sea. Halibut have flat, diamond-shaped bodies, can weigh up to 500 pounds, and can grow to eight feet long. The oldest halibut on record, both male and female, is 55 years old.  The stock status of…

  • IPHC now accepting applications for Area 2A Halibut licenses (2021)

    The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is now accepting applications for Area 2A Halibut licenses (2021). Please see the IPHC website for further information. You may contact the IPHC Secretariat at: secretariat@iphc.int, should you have any questions or require assistance.

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2020: Halibut

    Council adopts final changes to 2021 catch sharing plan, annual regulations In November, the Council adopted final changes to the 2021 Halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual fishing regulations consistent with the recommendations provided by California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, including the…

  • Washington submits draft plan to distribute Federal relief funding

    Washington State announced on December 8 that it has submitted a draft plan for how to distribute $50 million in Federal relief funding to members of Washington’s commercial seafood, shellfish and charter industries to NOAA Fisheries for review and approval. Under Section 12005 of the CARES Act, Congress provided $300 million to states to distribute…

  • Area 2A Pacific Halibut Managers online meeting will be held January 4, 2021

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council will host an online meeting of the Area 2A Pacific halibut governmental management entities that is open to the public. 

  • 2021 proposed changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual regulations, including the non-tribal directed commercial fishery

    The Council adopted for public review proposed changes to the current Area 2A Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) and annual fishing regulations in Washington, Oregon, and California recreational fisheries for the 2021 season as follows: In the Columbia River subarea allow the retention of yellowtail, widow, canary, redstriped, greenstriped, slivergray, chilipepper, bocaccio, and blue/deacon…

  • Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Halibut

    Council adopts 2021 Catch Sharing Plan changes, annual regulations In September the Council adopted proposed changes to the 2020 Area 2A Pacific halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual fishing regulations for West Coast recreational fisheries for public review. In addition to status quo, the options include: In the Columbia River subarea, allowing the retention of…

  • Notice: final rule for the 2020 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan

    NOAA Fisheries has issued the final rule that implements the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for the International Pacific Halibut Commission’s regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. This rule also announces that it may be necessary to further modify the opening dates or other fishing days for some subareas shortly after the publication…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2020: Other news

    Nominations open for advisory body vacancies The Council is accepting nominations for a Washington position on the Ecosystem Advisory Subpanel and the Northern Charter Boat Operator position on the Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel. Nominations for both are due Monday, May 18. Advisory body appointments made in March In March the Council appointed Andrew Babich…

  • National Marine Fisheries Service publishes its final “List of Fisheries” for 2020

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2020, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The final LOF for 2020 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. This final rule is effective May 18, 2020. Information regarding the LOF may be obtained from…

  • Notice of availability: proposed rule for the 2020 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan

    NOAA Fisheries has issued a proposed rule for the Pacific halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual management measures for Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California.  Comments on the proposed changes to the Catch Sharing Plan and domestic Area 2A Pacific halibut management measures must be received by March 9, 2020. Please see the Federal Register…