IPHC Seeks Longline Vessels for Fishery-Independent Setline Survey
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is accepting applications from charter longline vessels through May 21 for its Fishery-Independent Setline Survey (FISS) in FISS Charter Region Yakutat, to collect standardized data for use in the Pacific halibut stock assessment.
Information gathered from the 36 planned stations will also be used to study growth, distribution, biomass, age composition, sexual maturity of Pacific halibut and relative abundance of other fish.
Legal-sized Pacific halibut and Pacific halibut less than 32 inches in length that have been sampled, as well as incidentally caught fish (byproduct) that would die upon release would be retained, sampled for biological data, and sold by the IPHC to offset FISS expenses.
The survey itself must be completed betwee...