Halibut Regs
- Thread starter bigbruce
- Start date
Your daily limit is either one over size (90-133) or two under 90. While your possession will be two undersized fish or 1 over. So technically you could catch 1 over sized and your possession would be reached, or you could catch two under in one day and fill your possession only way you could catch your possession over two days would be catching 1 fish under 90 each day.
searun
Well-Known Member
There are 2 regulatory tools we have to manage the halibut fishery. A Condition of License (CoL), and Daily/possession/annual limits. The CoL has to be written onto your license, and once on there cannot be changed. The only flexibility we have is to use a tool called a Variation Order (VO), which can be used to vary or amend only daily/possession limits which are already written into the BC Sport Fishing Regulations.
So against that background....the CoL for April 1, 2021 is actually a choice of either 1 fish under 90 cm per day with a possession of 2 per trip....or a choice to retain 1 fish under 133cm with 1 in possession. NOTE - under means 89.9 cm or 132.9 cm...not 90 and 133. Under is the operative word.
Going into the season, the SFAB requested DFO use a Variation Order (VO) to amend the CoL to allow the daily limit to be varied up to 2 on the under 90 cm fish. That allows anglers to obtain their daily and possession limit in one day provided they retain only fish under the 90 cm limit. It doesn't mean people can have 2 under 90 cm and then go out next day for another under 133 cm.
Not to complicate further, but the SFAB then asked if we could go to the IPHC to make a request to allow us to use a Variation Order to increase the daily limit to 3 IF we noted in-season that our catch data tracking demonstrated we were likely tracking to end the season under our available TAC. As a tool, we could use the VO mid-season once we had enough data to adjust the daily limit either up to 3 under 90 cm, or reduce it to 1 from 2 if catch and effort was stronger than forecast. The reason for requirement to go to the IPHC is under the international agreement between Canada and the US, the recreational regulation is a maximum of 2 daily, with 3 in possession...thus the request at IPHC for ability to amend.
Hope that helps. I realize this sounds complicated. Many good folks both in DFO and SFAB working hard to find innovative ways to use all the regulatory tools we have to create as much flexibility in a year where Covid-19 has made it unbelievably difficult to predict effort and catch.
So against that background....the CoL for April 1, 2021 is actually a choice of either 1 fish under 90 cm per day with a possession of 2 per trip....or a choice to retain 1 fish under 133cm with 1 in possession. NOTE - under means 89.9 cm or 132.9 cm...not 90 and 133. Under is the operative word.
Going into the season, the SFAB requested DFO use a Variation Order (VO) to amend the CoL to allow the daily limit to be varied up to 2 on the under 90 cm fish. That allows anglers to obtain their daily and possession limit in one day provided they retain only fish under the 90 cm limit. It doesn't mean people can have 2 under 90 cm and then go out next day for another under 133 cm.
Not to complicate further, but the SFAB then asked if we could go to the IPHC to make a request to allow us to use a Variation Order to increase the daily limit to 3 IF we noted in-season that our catch data tracking demonstrated we were likely tracking to end the season under our available TAC. As a tool, we could use the VO mid-season once we had enough data to adjust the daily limit either up to 3 under 90 cm, or reduce it to 1 from 2 if catch and effort was stronger than forecast. The reason for requirement to go to the IPHC is under the international agreement between Canada and the US, the recreational regulation is a maximum of 2 daily, with 3 in possession...thus the request at IPHC for ability to amend.
Hope that helps. I realize this sounds complicated. Many good folks both in DFO and SFAB working hard to find innovative ways to use all the regulatory tools we have to create as much flexibility in a year where Covid-19 has made it unbelievably difficult to predict effort and catch.
MadJigga
Well-Known Member
Thanks
Newf
Crew Member
This is what was issued or what I received through email. Does the Daily and Possession Limits in this document not contradict each other or am I just reading it wrong????
DAILY--2 fish, one of which can be 90-133cm so the 2nd would be less than 90cm
POSSESSION--1fish only, if its 90-133cm OR 2 if they are less than 90cm. They just said I could have one over and one under 90cm in the DAILY limit so why only 1 fish for your possession if it's over 90cm. I'm confused,,,but it's late and maybe I need a drink to make it become a little clearer to me. I'm sure it will come to me in the morning..
Effective at 00:01 hours February 15, 2021, fishing for Halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (See Fishery Notice FN0133).
Daily Limit:
Effective April 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022:
The Daily limit is 2 Halibut per day, of which only one (1) may measure between 90 cm (69 cm head-off) and 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
No person shall retain a Halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Possession Limit:
Daily Limit is two (2), therefore the Possession Limit (by condition of licence) is EITHER:
one (1) Halibut measuring from 90 cm to 133 cm head-on length
OR –
two (2) Halibut measuring under 90 cm head-on length.
DAILY--2 fish, one of which can be 90-133cm so the 2nd would be less than 90cm
POSSESSION--1fish only, if its 90-133cm OR 2 if they are less than 90cm. They just said I could have one over and one under 90cm in the DAILY limit so why only 1 fish for your possession if it's over 90cm. I'm confused,,,but it's late and maybe I need a drink to make it become a little clearer to me. I'm sure it will come to me in the morning..
Effective at 00:01 hours February 15, 2021, fishing for Halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (See Fishery Notice FN0133).
Daily Limit:
Effective April 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022:
The Daily limit is 2 Halibut per day, of which only one (1) may measure between 90 cm (69 cm head-off) and 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
No person shall retain a Halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Possession Limit:
Daily Limit is two (2), therefore the Possession Limit (by condition of licence) is EITHER:
one (1) Halibut measuring from 90 cm to 133 cm head-on length
OR –
two (2) Halibut measuring under 90 cm head-on length.
searun
Well-Known Member
Roger, noted and will be corrected.
jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
is it true the anual limit was increased from 6-10 ?
bigbruce
Crew Member
Apparently, that’s what I was missing...
searun
Well-Known Member
Roger, SFAB motion passed at Main Board supporting moving annual limit from 6 to 10. From a data perspective there really isn't a significant impact to how much TAC is used or retained if we move annual limit to 10...and, there is a smaller age class cohort that will be increasingly contributing to the fishery from the 2011/12 brood years. The larger fish are slowly aging out of the biomass. In some areas the fish from this larger recruitment are now entering the size class where they will begin contributing to our catch. So the thinking being we want to create opportunity to fish those stocks which will begin contributing more significantly to the fishery as time progresses.
Bringing this back up because I still can not find clear written regulations for halibut this year.
I don't have a decoder ring for what I was able to find....
2 No person shall catch and retain more than ten (10) halibut in the aggregate from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. No person shall retain a halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length. If the Daily Limit is one (1) or two (2), the Possession Limit is EITHER of: one (1) halibut measuring from 90 cm to 133 cm head-on length - OR - two (2) halibut measuring under 90 cm head-on length. If the Daily Limit is three (3), the Possession Limit is EITHER of: one (1) halibut measuring from 90 cm to 133 cm head-on length – OR - three (3) halibut measuring under 90 cm head-on length. Notes: (1) The Daily Limit is published in the BC Sport Fishing Guide (link above); (2) Head-off measurement equivalent for 133 cm is 102 cm, for 90 cm is 69 cm; (3) Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Can someone please point me in the right direction. Area 19-20 Victoria to Renfrew.
Thanks
I don't have a decoder ring for what I was able to find....
2 No person shall catch and retain more than ten (10) halibut in the aggregate from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. No person shall retain a halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length. If the Daily Limit is one (1) or two (2), the Possession Limit is EITHER of: one (1) halibut measuring from 90 cm to 133 cm head-on length - OR - two (2) halibut measuring under 90 cm head-on length. If the Daily Limit is three (3), the Possession Limit is EITHER of: one (1) halibut measuring from 90 cm to 133 cm head-on length – OR - three (3) halibut measuring under 90 cm head-on length. Notes: (1) The Daily Limit is published in the BC Sport Fishing Guide (link above); (2) Head-off measurement equivalent for 133 cm is 102 cm, for 90 cm is 69 cm; (3) Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Can someone please point me in the right direction. Area 19-20 Victoria to Renfrew.
Thanks
scott craven
Well-Known Member
Daily limit 1 Halibut
Either one over (up to 133cm) OR 2 under (under 90cm) in possession
max 10 fish per year
(that's how i interpret it)
Either one over (up to 133cm) OR 2 under (under 90cm) in possession
max 10 fish per year
(that's how i interpret it)
Newf
Crew Member
Daily limit 2 Halibut if under 90cm.
The latest email notice I received stated that the daily AND the possession limit was either of:
1 measuring 90cm to 133cm (possession is one)
OR
2 measuring less than 90cm. (meaning for Daily Limit you can have 2 under on one day)(possession is still only 2)
The latest email notice I received stated that the daily AND the possession limit was either of:
1 measuring 90cm to 133cm (possession is one)
OR
2 measuring less than 90cm. (meaning for Daily Limit you can have 2 under on one day)(possession is still only 2)
spring fever
Well-Known Member
Newf's correct!!
scott craven
Well-Known Member
So the old one per day is gone ?
the daily and possession limit is the same ?
the daily and possession limit is the same ?
Newf
Crew Member
That's not something that I hear everyday. Just ask my wife. LOL
I tried to attached the link for you but couldn't get it to work. Just type in and search FN0296 and you will get the notice as shown below.. This was the latest notice that I had received.
Fishery Notice
Category(s):RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)
Subject:
FN0296-Recreational - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) - Halibut - 2021 Conditions of Licence starting April 1, 2021 - Amendment to FN0294
This Fishery Notice supersedes FN0294 to provide clarity on the daily and possession limits effective April 1, 2021. The corrected Fishery Notice reads as follows:
For 2021, the recreational Halibut fishery allocation is 914,750 pounds. The recreational Halibut fishery is actively managed to stay within sector's allocation and fishers should watch for subsequent Fishery Notices to announce potential in-season changes.
The following measures are in effect coast wide as noted below:
Open time:
Effective at 00:01 hours February 15, 2021, fishing for Halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (See Fishery Notice FN0133).
Effective April 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022:
The daily and possession limit for Halibut is EITHER of:
---- one (1) Halibut measuring 90 cm to 133 cm in length (69 cm to 102 cm head-off),
OR
---- two (2) Halibut, each measuring under 90 cm in length (69 cm head-off).
No person shall retain a Halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Annual Limit:
No person shall catch and retain more than ten (10) Halibut in the aggregate from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Newf
Crew Member
That's the way I read it Scott.
