Halibut harvests cut 10%

Alaska’s allowable halibut harvest was cut 10 percent by federal fisheries managers to 17.5 million pounds. There was disagreement between Canadian and U.S. officials at the International Pacific Halibut Commission meeting in January, where quotes are normally announced, and the decisions on the U.S. quotas were left to federal officials, which they announced in March. It was just in time for the March 24 start of the halibut fishing season.

In Southeast Alaska halibut limits were down 15.2 percent with 3.57 million pounds allocated for the commercial eet and 810,000 pounds for sports sh operators; in the Central Gulf of Alaska limits were down 5.5 percent with 7.35 million pounds for commercial longliners and 1.75 million pounds for sport shers; in Southwest Alaska the limit was down 16.6 percent to 2.62 million pounds, all for commercial harvest.

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Opening halibut prices are down

Harvesters got a rude surprise when the shery opened. Prices were about $2 per pound lower than was usual at the start of the season at $4.50 per pound to $5 per pound. Last year the season opening price was $7 per pound. The market appears to be soft because of halibut inventory still in storage and increased competition from less-expensive Atlantic halibut.