SEATTLE – The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has completed the 101st Session of the IPHC Annual Meeting (AM101) held in Vancouver, BC, Canada (27-31 January 2025), with decisions on total mortality limits, fishing period dates, and other fishery regulation changes. The adopted report of the meeting may be found at the following link: IPHC-2025-AM101-R.
The Commission adopted the TCEY mortality limits for each IPHC Regulatory Area as shown in Table 1. The FCEY values resulting from the adopted TCEY mortality limits, are detailed in Table 2.
The adopted mortality limits for each Contracting Party represent a 15.8% decrease from 2024.
Table 1. Adopted TCEY mortality limits for 2025.
Table 2. Detailed 2025 projections, by sector, based on the adopted TCEY mortality limits from table 1 (IPHC Regulatory Area).
1st row: Commercial discards include all discard mortality estimated due to the 32″ minimum size limit, lost gear, and legal-sized discards associated with quota attainment. Estimates not included in the FCEY due to the IPHC Regulatory Area Catch Sharing Plans/Agreements.
2nd row: Non-directed commercial discards (‘bycatch’) not included in any IPHC Regulatory Area Catch Sharing Plans/Agreements.
3rd row: Recreational mortality not included in IPHC Regulatory Area Catch Sharing Plans/Agreements, 2B: discards only, 2C and 3A: unguided landings and discard mortality, 3B-4CDE: Recreational landings and discard mortality.
4th row: 2B-4CDE: Includes personal use and subsistence.
5th row: total of rows 1-4.
6th row: 2C and 3A: Commercial discard mortality is included in the Catch Sharing Plans for these areas.
7th row: 2A: All recreational landings and discard mortality, 2B: Recreational landings, 2C and 3A: Guided recreational landings and discard mortality.
8th row: 2A only: Ceremonial and subsistence mortality
10th row: All mortality included in IPHC Regulatory Area Catch Sharing Plans/Agreements.
The IPHC recommended an overall fishing period beginning at 06:00 local time on 20 March 2025 to 23:59 local time and end on 7 December 2025 for all directed commercial Pacific halibut fisheries in Canada and the USA.
In accordance with the IPHC Convention, the Fishery Regulations approved by the IPHC, including mortality limits, and fishing periods, will be recommended to the Contracting Parties for implementation according to their domestic laws and regulations.
The final report, and all meeting materials are available on the IPHC website: https://www.iphc.int/uploads/2025/01/IPHC-2025-AM101-R-Report-of-the-AM101-1.pdf
For further information please contact the IPHC Secretariat at secretariat@iphc.int or 206.634.1838.
IPHC Secretariat
International Pacific Halibut Commission
2320 W. Commodore Way, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98199-1287
206-634-1838 | www.iphc.int
