Happy New Year to all! Last year was a pretty good year overall for the fishing world with expanded crabbing and great runs of salmon. Halibut seemed a little slow compared to years past in the straits. Since we, PSA, wrote the proposal to bring the straits halibut fishery forward, it had been very good. The eastern straits were lacking overall. WDFW numbers showed us under on our catch. Overall we should see a small increase in our halibut quota for 2012, if WDFW goes for the International Pacific Halibut Commission staff’s recommendations. Our area 2A (Washington/Oregon/California) and Area 2C (SE Alaska) should see a small bump in their quota too. The rest are going to take a pretty big cut in theirs for 2012. Last year the Pacific Coast Halibut quota was set at 41 Million pounds. This year IPHC staff is recommending an overall cut to 33 Million pounds . In 2003, this was almost 75 Million pounds! We have some major problems going on with this fishery. There has been a rule in place in Alaska that U32s or under 32” halibut thrown back are not reported in the commercial fishery. Maybe its time to change that as those are tomorrows fish. There are still huge commercial by-catch wastage problems that exist.

In our halibut meetings I have been hoping for the last couple of years that our overall halibut decline is at the bottom, but it appears that it is not. The experts say that there are as many halibut in the ocean today as ever before, its just hey are small. They are not sure if they are getting out competed for food by the arrowtooth flounder or not. There is no commercial value for Arrowtooth so they are not taken and are at record numbers. These take away quality food from the halibut. This is one theory. There needs to be some sort of fishery put on arrowtooth, but the meat is not quality.

The ocean Chinook fishery was really good last year, but hindered by the ESA listing of the Lower Columbia River Chinook or Tule. This is probably going to be a problem again for us this year. While last year the Chinook were in abundance, the Tule listing made us cap our quota and keep restrictions on our fishery. Alaska and BC got to hit the Chinook hard while we paid for it out of what was left. Most people do not know, but Alaska does not have to sit at the table with us and BC at the NOAA level. Alaska takes the salmon it wants and lower US and BC have to fight over whats left. It forces BC to take our fish when Alaska targets theirs. Its time that Alaska sits at the table with all of us. But I doubt it will ever happen. We need to all share in conservation of our ESA listed salmon.

Our newly expanded crab policy looks to have been successful for 2011. Our compliance overall looks like we did better than in previous years before, which is what we were working on with WDFW. I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy them with your family and friends. Don’t forget to turn in your winter catch cards as they are due. We need those in as soon as possible. Please do it online if possible at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wa/crabreport This will expedite the crab counts so WDFW can do the final tallies. Those catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb. 1, 2012. For more information on catch record cards, visit WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/crc.html.

Please take time and go to the Seattle Boat Show and Washington Sportsman Show in Puyallup and enjoy them. Stop by the PSA booths and say hi. Learn where a chapter is close to your home and join it. Meet new friends at your local chapter and enjoy Washington’s bounty.

Join your local PSA chapter and get involved.

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