It is closer to 30-35,000 pounds landed in Neah Bay. Those halibut are actually counted by WDFW!
I can't seem to find information concerning the economic value to the U.S., or for that matter any Canadian contribution of all those U.S. salmon being caught in BC? Oh wait... I do recall the U.S. paying Canada approximately $100 million since 1985, for us to be allowed to catch our own fish! There are NO U.S. laws in place that make the reverse impossible. You would just need to find where halibut is actually open to sport in Area 2A. If there were a "one-way street," that street would probably be running more towards Canada - not from it!
The amount of halibut the American catch? That is actually very small! Have you ever noticed, there was only 3,724 TOTAL NON-resident annual licence issued, compared to 150,600 annual resident? 1-5 day permits for residents was 60,682, compared to 37,223 non-resident? Considering less than 70% of those non-resident actually even fished or catch a halibut - that makes them awfully good or a mute point, doesn't it? The majority of your halibut is indeed retained by Canadians! Annual limits would have little affect on any "American"!
Considering the total sport catch was 1.092 MILLION pounds, even if there were 100,000 pounds total catch by non-residents, with or without that the sport still exceeded that UNFAIR 12% allowcation - that my friend is the problem.
I would highly recommend, NOT trying to bring ANY politicans in to this, other than addressing the UNFAIR 88/12 split. To try and open any discussions with the U.S., IPHC, and especially trying to tie this to the Pacific Salmon Treaty, will not and would not work. That would NOT benefit ANYONE in BC, what so ever, in any way! Let that dog lay! That would just jump up and bite everyone in BC, including the commercials!