A coalition of Alaskan fishing companies and government bodies has asked a judge to dismiss a case brought last year by flatfish producers attempting to reinstate a bycatch limit for the so-called Amendment 80 fleet.
The group, which calls itself the Halibut Defense Alliance, submitted its request on Feb. 6, arguing that the “only option” to conserve the halibut stock in Alaska is “to reduce fishery harvest levels”.
The alliance, which claims to represent “every sector of the halibut economy” from Washington state to the Bering Sea, is opposed to a case brought in December by the Groundfish Forum, a trade association comprising five member companies.
