Commercial halibut fisheries get under way March 24, from Southeast Alaska to the Bering Sea, with catch limits lowered and charter vessel management measures tightened compared to a year ago because of stock concerns.
The fishery runs through Nov. 7.
The catch limit for area 3A, the Central Gulf of Alaska, is set at 7,350,000 pounds for the commercial longliners and 1,790,000 pounds for charter boats, down overall by 5.5 percent over 2017.
In Southeast Alaska, the limit is 3,570,000 pounds for commercial harvesters and 810,000 pounds for the charter fleet, down 15.2 percent. Area 3B, in southwest Alaska, got a limit of 2,620,000 pounds, down 16.6 percent from 3,140,000 pounds a year ago.
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