IPHC Will Hold a Special Online Session on September 17

The International Pacific Halibut Commission has announced a special online session following a request from Canada for in-season regulatory changes in Area 2B, off the coast of British Columbia, in response to the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus.

The IPHC said commercial and recreational fisheries for Pacific halibut have seen disruptions to fishing opportunities and markets and are proposing sector-specific management responses for consideration by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the IPHC.

The first proposal called for a season extension in the commercial fishery, changing the closure from Nov. 15 to Feb. 20, 2021. The second proposal, for the recreational fishery, seeks an underage carryover provision that would allow 10 percent of this year’s recreational total allowable catch, if not caught, to be added to the recreational total allowable catch in 2021.

The meeting will be held via a Go-To-Meeting platform with a link to be added to the meeting page immediately prior to the session.

Join this special session via meeting page https://www.iphc.int/venues/details/8th-special-session-of-the-iphc-ss08.

More information about the IPHC can be found at www.iphc.int.