Pacific Halibut Fisheries of the West Coast: 2026 Catch Sharing Plan and Recreational Fishery Management Measures

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to approve amendments to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A, which covers the waters off Washington, Oregon, and California. The CSP governs how the total allowable catch of Pacific halibut is divided among commercial, tribal, and recreational fishing sectors in this area. In addition to endorsing the updated CSP, NMFS is proposing to implement specific management measures for the 2026 recreational halibut fisheries in Area 2A that fall outside the scope of IPHC regulations. These include setting recreational fishery seasons — defining when anglers may legally target Pacific halibut — and establishing subarea allocations that determine how much of the recreational quota each geographic subregion (Washington, Oregon, and California) receives. The overarching goal of these proposed measures is twofold: to conserve Pacific halibut populations by preventing overfishing, and to maximize recreational angling opportunity within sustainable limits. The rule reflects coordination between NMFS and the IPHC, whose annual stock assessments set the overall catch limits from which Area 2A's allocation is derived.

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