SEAFOODNEWS.COM By Peggy Parker — December 3, 2014 — The 2014 stock assessment of Pacific halibut shows continued low recruitment but a slower drop in the long-term problem of size-at-age.
Rumors that the stock “may have hit bottom” were supported by biomass estimates: 181 million pounds in 2014, compared to 170 million pounds in 2013. Female spawning biomass is estimated at 209 million pounds now compared to 197 million pounds a year ago.
Harvest advice for 2015, presented from the scientists to the industry every year in December, is then adjusted and finalized by the International Pacific Halibut Commission at their January annual meeting. In 2014 it was 25 million pounds, slightly higher than last year’s "Blue Line" of 24.5 million pounds.
The Blue Line is the result of an ensemble modeling approach. It is a median amount that represents the closest catch limit to satisfy the IPHC’s harvest policy. It is usually adjusted upward during the January meeting. Last year it was adjusted from 24.5 to 27.515 million pounds.
The Pacific halibut stock has declined continuously from the late 1990s to around 2010. That trend is likely a result of decreasing size-at-age, as well as recent recruitment strengths that are much smaller than those observed through the 1980s and 1990s.
The good news is that the 2014 setline survey coastwide legal (over 32 inches) weight per unit of effort (WPUE) was 2% higher, and the total WPUE is 6% higher than values observed in 2013. For most regulatory areas these estimates are consistent with a relatively flat trend over the last 3-5 years, with the exception of Southeast Alaska[PP1] , which has increased steadily for the last four years.
Age distributions in 2014 from both the survey and fishery remained similar to those observed in 2011-2013, indicating a relatively stable stock, but not showing any evidence of strong recent recruitments.
The IPHC’s interim meeting continues through today in Seattle.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.