Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Resolution Opposes Creation of New Subsistence Fishery for Halibut

Speaker To Testify Wednesday in Anchorage

For Immediate Release: April 15, 1997 Contact: Rep. Alan Austerman (907) 465-2487

JUNEAU - The Alaska State House Wednesday will consider a resolution requesting the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to modify proposed federal halibut fishery regulations. The resolution provides a reasonable opportunity to meet personal consumption needs without unnecessarily dividing and polarizing Alaskans.

Representative Alan Austerman, Chairman of the House Fisheries Committee which has sponsored House Joint Resolution (HJR) 34, said the resolution opposes the adoption of proposed options now under consideration by the NPFMC for creating a new halibut fishery in Alaska.

"This resolution does not favor the creation of a new fishery," said Austerman. "We urge the examination of other options such as bag limits, methods and means, seasons and specific area adjustments to accommodate specific problem areas."

House Speaker Gail Phillips will be presenting testimony on behalf of the legislative majority before the NPFMC meeting in Anchorage on Wednesday.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council was recently requested to create a new subsistence fishery for halibut in state and federal water off Alaska. This request was partly initiated in response to recent enforcement problems associated with retention of undersized halibut and use of illegal gear.

"We are convinced that the adoption of these proposed regulations is going to further complicate the present jurisdictional crisis brewing between the federal and state governments and establish a mechanism which will eventually disrupt our well established halibut fisheries," said Austerman.

In December 1996, the Council initiated the regulatory process which included several management options. A Council newsletter indicated a revised regulation likely would be implemented in 1998.

"The Council can accommodate special area needs for regulatory exceptions without dismantling the existing allocation framework and without creating a new fishery," said Austerman.

Throughout coastal areas, the taking of halibut for personal consumption has been managed under the recreational fishery regulations or as halibut retained during a commercial fishery.

"The recent establishment of halibut Individual Fisheries Quotas (IFQ) has resulted in less opportunity for those who do not have an IFQ to utilize commercial gear for harvesting for personal consumption," said Austerman. "Neither the Halibut Commission nor the Council has ever identified a specific subsistence halibut fishery."

Particular concern is expressed over the possible creation of a new commercial fishery under the guise of subsistence harvesting -- one of the options being considered by the Council.

"We must apply effective management strategies consistent with sound conservation principles and maximize the benefits to all the users of these marine resources," said Austerman.

Halibut are regulated in the North Pacific through the International Pacific Halibut Treaty, which created the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, which clarified the responsibilities of the Halibut Commission and Council. The NPFMC was authorized to establish regulations within the guidelines of the Halibut Commission for the harvesting of halibut.

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