We need your help to save Alaska Halibut Sportfishing. Just a few emails before the Sept 29th meetingcan make the difference.
This October, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council plans to decide on a set allocation (either in fixed pounds or percentage) for guided recreational fishermen which will likely be enough for only 1-fish daily limits for both Southeast and Southcentral Alaska in 2009 and beyond.
Regulatory officials have repeatedly stated this is not a conservation issue. In fact, in our area, the biomass is projected to increase over the next 10 years no more fish will stay in the ocean if the guided limit goes to a 1-per-day but more pounds will go to commercial fishermen.
This effects Resident and Non-Resident charter clients alike
You can help stop this, 2 emails that is all it takes to voice your opinion. Copy and paste the paragraph below or write your own but send 2 emails to the addresses below and cc me at Ed@LuckyDogAdventure.com , I will make sure a hardcopy is presented to the council.
Fish & Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd: denby.lloyd@alaska.gov
National Marine Fisheries Sue Salveson: sue.salveson@noaa.gov
I DO NOT agree to a one fish limit for halibut when this is not a conservation issue, the commercial fisheries already take almost 90% of the halibut. I strongly urge the council to delay any action at this meeting until next April and evaluate alternatives to options currently being considered. As a sport fisherman I strongly oppose a fixed poundage or percentage allocation, and oppose leasing fish from commercial fisherman who are already harvesting a majority of the halibut. Why should we pay commercial fishermen for something that is ours to begin with? The Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 requires allocation of halibut fishing privileges be fair and equitable, buying fish we should be allowed to catch anyway is not fair and equitable.
Please act now to help us save the right to recreationally fish for Halibut