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Pacific Fishery Management Council adopts 2026 halibut catch‑sharing plan, recommends April 1 California start
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Summary
The Pacific Fishery Management Council unanimously adopted final 2026 commercial and recreational Pacific halibut catch‑sharing plan (CSP) recommendations and related regulations and recommended an April 1 start date for California recreational subareas; council staff will transmit the recommendations to NMFS and notify the IPHC.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council on its December session unanimously adopted final recommendations for the 2026 commercial and recreational Pacific halibut catch‑sharing plan (CSP) and associated annual regulations, including a recommendation that California recreational subareas open as early as April 1.
Heather Hall of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife moved the measure, asking the council to adopt the proposed 2026 season structures and the CSP changes shown in supplemental attachment 3 and to recommend season dates reflected in the state reports. Lynn Mattis seconded the motion. The council chair read the motion into the record before the vote; the motion passed unanimously.
Council staff told members the draft 2026 CSP had been developed in consultation with the three state fish and wildlife agencies and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Staff also said the council had not been able to take final action in November because it could not publish the required Federal Register notice in time under the Magnuson‑Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, prompting the council to schedule final action at this meeting.
Josh Lindsay of NMFS cautioned that implementing earlier season start dates can pose practical challenges. Lindsay said NMFS staff had explored options since November and proposed using the IPHC regulatory process to accommodate the April start dates as a placeholder while pursuing longer‑term federal rulemaking for other CSP changes.
A California representative thanked the council for including the April 1 start date for California recreational subareas, noting that date aligns with the opening of recreational groundfish seasons in northern California. Lynn Mattis and others acknowledged the interagency coordination that produced the proposed changes.
Next steps identified by council staff are to transmit the adopted CSP recommendations and regulatory package to the National Marine Fisheries Service and to inform the International Pacific Halibut Commission of the council’s recommended changes. The council then closed the agenda and adjourned the session.
