December 9, 2014 — Why is more of the halibut resource wasted in the Bering Sea than landed and sold? Thirteen out of 14 fish in the Central Bering Sea will be wasted next season. Overall, the entire Bering Sea will only have 2.4 million pounds of halibut that can be sold in 2015, while more than 6 million pounds will be killed and thrown overboard as bycatch.
Halibut connects people throughout the state of Alaska. From Ketchikan to St Lawrence Island to Adak, halibut feed our families. We subsist on, find enjoyment with, traditionally revere and honor these fish. Sport, subsistence, charter and commercial fishermen all depend on halibut. Our muscles strain to land them, and — in turn — their muscles make us stronger and sustain us. Why do we allow this resource to be wasted and ruined? These conscious acts are going to ruin us. This is not how we should manage fish so important to us as Alaskans.
Coastal communities throughout the state depend on halibut. We build boats and trailers, hire welders and diesel mechanics, shop at grocery stores and tackle shops, fill our freezers, invest in Bed and Breakfasts and hotels, construct cranes and docks and ramps, collect taxes, travel and invite guests — all for the halibut.
Halibut is an iconic Alaska fish. Its management used to be held up as something good and admirable. Now, it is mealy and obfuscated; no one is taking responsibility. Alaskans need to lead before it’s too late. Is this the gold standard of fishery management at work?
The International Pacific Halibut Commission is supposed to do the biological research and set sustainable limits. All fish stocks fluctuate naturally, and halibut stocks have been in decline for more than a decade. Halibut grow slowly and potentially live for a long time. Unfortunately, the best science shows there are no exceptional or even average cohorts of small fish coming in the near future to save us.
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