KENAI, Alaska (AP) - Regulators are considering reducing the amount of halibut that fishermen are allowed to catch along the Pacific coast next year.
The Peninsula Clarion reports the International Pacific Halibut Commission may adopt a 24 percent reduction to the annual halibut quota for fisheries from Alaska to California.
In a report presented to the intergovernmental organization at its meeting last month, the reduction was recommended due to low recruitment rates among young halibut populations over the last decade and increasing pressure on the fish stocks.
The commission is considering dropping the total allowable catch from more than 42 million pounds this year to 31 million pounds next year.
The commission is scheduled to meet next month in Portland, Oregon, to make a final decision.
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Information from: (Kenai, Alaska) Peninsula Clarion
