The general sentiment in the Pacific Northwest halibut industry is relief. Yes, the 2010 quota is down, as expected, but not as low as initially feared.
Still, a 6.3 percent reduction in halibut landings will have a moderate to significant impact on fresh halibut supplies and prices, which more than likely will rise, especially in the days after the 6 March kickoff. Fishing is scheduled to run through mid-November.
At its annual meeting in Seattle in early February, the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) recommended setting the 2010 halibut quota at 51 million pounds. That’s about 2 million pounds higher than what IPHC scientists proposed in early December, which would have been nearly a 10 percent drop from year to year. The total allowable catch is 3.4 million pounds less than 2009’s 54-million-pound halibut quota.
For this year, quotas were reduced in four of the 10 regulatory areas, which stretch from California to Alaska’s Bering Sea. Areas 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E — all located in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands — will see an increase, while 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B and 4A will see a decrease. Section 3A in central Alaska is where nearly half of state’s landings occur.
Despite unfavorable economic conditions for a pricy whitefish, demand should be high for both fresh and frozen product. Cold-storage inventories are bereft of halibut, said one industry insider.
Fresh, whole halibut was available in the low-USD 5 range, f.o.b. Seattle, for 10- to 20-pounders and 20-40s when last year’s season kicked off, while 40-ups were trading in the mid- to high-USD 5 range. Expect prices to be a bit higher this year.
Ex-vessel prices are trending downward, declining from an estimated average of USD 4.31 per pound in 2008 to an estimated average of USD 3.11 per pound in 2009.
The IPHC estimated the 2010 stock population at 334 million pounds, a 14 percent increase over the 325 million pounds estimated at the start of 2009, which was revised down to 291 million pounds by the end of 2009.
Despite a decline in annual landings, which totaled 61 million pounds in 2007, 57 million pounds in 2008 and 51 million pounds in 2009, the IPHC projects that the population will increase over the next several years due to strong year classes entering the population.
2010/2009 Halibut Quotas
| Regulatory Area | 2010 Catch Limit (pounds) | 2009 Catch Limit (pounds) | Percent Difference |
| 2A | 810,000 | 950,000 | -15% |
| 2B (includes sport catch allocation) | 7,500,000 | 7,630,000 | -2% |
| 2C | 4,400,000 | 5,020,000 | -12% |
| 3A | 19,990,000 | 21,700,000 | -8% |
| 3B | 9,900,000 | 10,900,000 | -9% |
| 4A | 2,330,000 | 2,550,000 | -9% |
| 4B | 2,160,000 | 1,870,000 | 15% |
| 4C | 1,625,000 | 1,569,000 | 4% |
| 4D | 1,625,000 | 1,569,000 | 4% |
| 4E | 330,000 | 322,000 | 2% |
| Total | 50,670,000 | 54,080,000 | -6% |
Halibut Regulatory Areas (image courtesy of NMFS)
