When the quota fishery was first introduced, DFO imposed on the commercial fleet some of the most stringent regulations that could be devised. At the very heart of these regulations is the 30-inch minimum. Halibut do not reproduce until age eight, when about 30 inches (76 centimetres) long. It is for that reason commercial fishermen can not keep halibut less than this size. The same cannot be said for the sport fishery. Any size counts -- to everyone's detriment.
