Halibut catch limits for 2012 will be substantially lower than last year, the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) officially decided on Monday.
The catch limit is set at 33,540,000 pounds, 18.3 percent lower than the 2011 catch limit of 41,070,000 pounds.
The amount is slightly lower than the preliminary recommendation due to concerns about area 3b, which stretches from the west end of Kodiak Island to the end of the Alaska Peninsula. The area has seen stock levels decline more than other areas.
The
