2024 Halibut Fisheries Notice

[Eden Island]

New Fisheries Notice posted today - full notice at

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fishery Notices

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

An excerpt is below, with a few things highlighted:

Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)


Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0238-Recreational - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) - Halibut - 2024 Conditions of Licence starting April 1, 2024

For 2024, the recreational Halibut fishery total allowable catch is 805,679 pounds. The recreational Halibut fishery is actively managed to stay within the sector's allocation and fishers should watch for subsequent Fishery Notices to announce potential in-season changes.

Limits and sizes:

Effective at 00:01 hours February 03, 2024, fishing for Halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (see 2024 Fishery Notice FN0084)

Effective at 00:01 hours April 01, 2024 until December 31, 2024:

The daily limit will remain at one (1) halibut per day.

The possession limit for halibut is EITHER of:

---- one (1) halibut measuring 85 cm to 126 cm in length (65 cm to 97 cm head-off),
OR
---- two (2) halibut, each measuring under 85 cm in length (65 cm head-off).

No person shall retain a Halibut greater than 126 cm head-on length (97 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, 2024 to March 31, 2025.

All halibut retained by the licence holder between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 shall be immediately recorded on the 2024/2025 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, or, if mobile access is immediately available, the licence holder may record catch in the National Recreational Licensing System or on an approved third-party app. The area from which each halibut is caught and its head-on length shall immediately be recorded.

 

[Hardy Guy]

I'm not sure I would keep 2 waffer under 85 cm. Thank goodness I live where I can fish daily.

 

[bryce]

I'm not sure I would keep 2 waffer under 85 cm. Thank goodness I live where I can fush daily.

I’d rather see a minimum size of 85 cm 1 fish total at a bigger size

 

[eroyd]

Reduce the annual limit and let us keep a few bigger ones. Fair trade off. Who in the heck eats 10 big halibut a year?

 

[Chuck]

Just keep on reducing sporty Hali min size and qty so there is plenty for troller bycatch to waste and toss!! DFO is such a CF!!

 

[Reel Time]

Too many millenials working for DFO, getting real cute now with size limits, real cute.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Reduce the annual limit and let us keep a few bigger ones.

no one i don't think there is any savings reducing it, unless you want it to be two annual

 

[Dale66]

Too many millenials working for DFO, getting real cute now with size limits, real cute.

Sfab decides size limits

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

What was it last year?

 

[Eden Island]

What was it last year?

Believe the limits are the same as last year.

 

[Derby]

Sfab decides size limits

Correct Dale66... interesting to see the reactions for some folks here... first question how many of you attend a local sfac meeting or read the minutes from your area ? Also understand DFO does not decide how we use the available tac and the DFO folks that help the sfab to come to our decision are good hard working people... so be kind and get educated on how we get to the decision for 2024. A lot goes into were we have arrived for the 2024 regulations and for those that are on the water a lot u may have notice that there is more smaller fish available then larger fish as they are aging out and the new recruitment of smaller comes in..

 

[seabeyond]

I’d rather see a minimum size of 85 cm 1 fish total at a bigger size

You fish a different area then most. Look at the data off Ukee that's been posted on other parts of this forum. There would be many a bobbing 75-85cm chicken around here (not many folks fish a circle in our area). I bet I toss back only a handful of overs a year (I don't target them either). Don't get me wrong, they exist but many parts of the coast don't look like the north coast or the charlottes.

I'd be fine with one fish possession period, chicken or not. Honestly I think halibut is the least of our worries. Seems they do what they can with the tac they are given.

 

[bryce]

Correct Dale66... interesting to see the reactions for some folks here... first question how many of you attend a local sfac meeting or read the minutes from your area ? Also understand DFO does not decide how we use the available tac and the DFO folks that help the sfab to come to our decision are good hard working people... so be kind and get educated on how we get to the decision for 2024. A lot goes into were we have arrived for the 2024 regulations and for those that are on the water a lot u may have notice that there is more smaller fish available then larger fish as they are aging out and the new recruitment of smaller comes in..

I am by no means bitching about all the hard work you and everyone else on the sfab do! It’s all appreciated!
And @seabeyond i always thought you guys had a fairly decent average size around there regardless no size reduction for the 126 is a win in my books

 

[wildmanyeah]

I think since they came up with the OR options it’s been maximizing the difference needs of areas

 

[SpringFever552]

I thank all involved for their hard work to have decent rec hali openings,

1 question?
Has it ever been brought up at the meetings if you catch a large hali, say110lbs? Its 1 and done for the yr?
Honestly I suck at hali fishing, 4 yrs ago off Bamfield I brought in a estimated 110lb hali, and released it, didn't get another all yr, haven't caught a legal hali on my boat for many yrs actually, so in my case to keep that it would have be like 4 smalls for the yr, which by the way I have never done lol
just a thought while drinking coffee this morning

 

[Eden Island]

I thank all involved for their hard work to have decent rec hali openings,

1 question?
Has it ever been brought up at the meetings if you catch a large hali, say110lbs? Its 1 and done for the yr?
Honestly I suck at hali fishing, 4 yrs ago off Bamfield I brought in a estimated 110lb hali, and released it, didn't get another all yr, haven't caught a legal hali on my boat for many yrs actually, so in my case to keep that it would have be like 4 smalls for the yr, which by the way I have never done lol
just a thought while drinking coffee this morning

How could that be enforced?

 

[SpringFever552]

How could that be enforced?

Column on license for 1 over?
How can anything be enforced?

Im sure my boat gets counted as catching hali in the flyovers even when i haven't

 

[Newf]

I would also like to thank those who put their time and effort into a process that allows me to fish and retain a halibut. I'm sure that at times it must seem like a thankless endeavour.

I'm sure that there are many factors, well beyond the understanding of most of us who are not directly involved, that go into the decision making. With that being said, can someone directly involved, explain the logic for reducing the size of the halibut to 85cm from 90cm if you keep two as your possession limit? Wouldn't this increase the number of fish being released if the fishers on a multi-day trip wants to keep two fish?

Example: I am on a two day trip and on day 1, I catch a 86cm plus fish so not big enough to keep for my 1 over limit so I toss it and keep on fishing. 90cm as in the past is not much bigger but the smaller the size for your Possession limit of 2 the more fish that will get released IMO. Maybe the majority of released hali live to breed or be caught another day so releasing more fish would be a non issue.

Just wondering.
Thanks again for the efforts of those involved.

 

[SpringVelocity]

The time put these suggestions up is at your local SFAC meetings. Not on a fishing forum when regulation goes out after the fact.

Each area has the opportunity to put these needs and wants ahead of time usually when meet in spring.

As was posted, the SFAB proposes the regulations to DFO based on your input by each of chairs in each area. That comes from local meetings!

Personally the local SFAC meetings are very poorly attended in each area, so unfortunately if you don't show up your voice isn't heard. Doesn't work for you then show up next time.

The thing we hear is we want long season. That's the theme of each area. Bigger fish etc end up with early closure.

If people want bigger fish and shorter season than result unfortunately it will close early. The rec TAC we are allowed is fixed, and we have to work with it. TAC is down from last year. Also more in smaller size due to recruitment etc.

 

[DieselBeast]

So the answer to Newfs question is:
The decreased upper slot size limit (1 fish total possession) from 90-126cm down to 85-126cm is to ensure a longer Rec season...or at least not a shortened Rec season based on the TAC Rec fishermen are allowed.

Sounds like a good deal for guys that get out on a regular basis (me), maybe less so for the once a season guy. That's life.

Thanks to all involved for keeping it open.