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Alaska's halibut recreational fishing quota is rescinded
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The Anchorage based North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) voted in favor of a motion to rescind the 2001 implementation of an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program for Alaska's recreational halibut charter fleet.

Previous to the NPFMC Dec. 7 meetings and the Dec. 9 decision, the IGFA had issued a statement of support to NPFMC council member Ed Rasmuson's motion, to rescind the IFQ, stating that it didn't consider IFQs to be an appropriate tool for managing recreational fisheries.

"The IGFA prefers more traditional measures such as area/seasonal closures, bag limits and or size limits to regulate recreational angling activities," said Jason Schratwieser, IGFA Conservation Director. "Current biological data provided indicated that halibut were not experiencing overfishing nor are they over fished on a stock-wide basis."

Gregory McIntosh, an IGFA International Representative from Alaska's Halibut Cove said of the NPFMC decision, "This was a huge win, not only for recreational halibut fishermen but more importantly for fishery management in general. Andy Mezirow (IGFA rep - Seward) did an excellent job. The NPFMC continues a tradition of excellent management."

Wesley Loy, a staff writer for the Anchorage Daily News reported the Dec. 9 action taken on the controversial IFQ " thrilled charter operators who feared the plan would drive up their costs and peel dozens of them out of the business."

(For more details please see the IGFA web site www.igfa.org - home page: "Latest News"-- Alaska's fishing quota on recreational halibut catches is rescinded)

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