As another reduction in halibut catches looms a calendar page away, when the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) makes its final decision on the 2014 total allowable catch (TAC), there are those in the seafood industry that say there’s hope for the fishery yet.
Earlier this month the commission released its initial recommendation, a 21 percent reduction from 31 million pounds this year to 24.4 million pounds for the halibut harvest next year.
Stock recovery however is at least three years away, according to Robert Alverson, manager of the Fishing Vessel Owner’s Association, a 100-year-old group formed to represent the needs of halibut boat owners.
“We
