Each November, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) considers proposed changes to the Pacific halibut regulations for the following year. This year, the meeting will take place from November 1st - 6th in Costa Mesa, CA. Regulation changes have been proposed which will affect California's 2014 recreational fishery and they will be finalized at this meeting.

The options below have been proposed as changes to the existing Catch Sharing Plan to reduce catches to a level closer to the allocation for California's recreational fishery.

CDFW and the Council are interested in your comments regarding support or opposition on the options below, and how each may or may not impact your fishing opportunities or business. Please submit your comments to the Council by October 9, 2013 so they will be received in time for their full consideration. Public comments can be emailed to: pfmc.comments.@noaa.gov.

The Council recommended the following options for public review as changes to the Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for the South of Humbug Management area:

A new subarea management line at the Oregon/California border (42?? N. Latitude), and provide California a separate recreational allocation within the CSP equal to 1 percent of the non-tribal allocation. Further:

Due to the inability to monitor the catch in this area during the fishing season, a fixed season would be established in advance by NMFS based on projected 2014 seasonal catch. No adjustments would be made during the fishing season, and estimates of actual catch will be made post season.

The alternative season dates adopted for public review for the California subarea are:

- May 1 through July 15, and from September 1 through October 31 (OR)
- May 1 through July 31, and from September 1 through October 31

In addition to alternate season dates, further restrictions may include prohibiting retention of salmon on a trip where Pacific halibut are retained OR restricting the days of the week when the fishery is open. Under the days of the week option, the open days would be:

- Tuesday through Saturday or
- Wednesday through Saturday

The daily bag limit would continue to be one halibut per person, with no size limit.

For more information on this subject, see the Council website at www.pcouncil.org/2013/09/27065/pub-rvw-csp-sept2013/.