International Pacific Halibut Commission Fishery Regulations (2024) (05 February 2024)
The IPHC Fishery Regulations published here are for information purposes only. Official regulations adopted by the Contracting Parties are available:
- Canada, in Canada Gazette and the ‘Condition of License’;
- United States of America, in the Federal Register.
The following describes the process of submitting a regulatory proposal or a comment on an existing or proposed fishery regulation.
IPHC Annual Regulatory Process
Regulatory proposal deadline is 30 days before the date fixed for the opening of the Session at which the proposal is to be considered (Interim Meeting and/or Annual Meeting).
Step 1: Submit your regulatory proposal using the form below no later than 30 days before the date fixed for the opening of the IPHC Session. Regulatory proposals received after this deadline will be presented for information only.
Step 2: The regulatory proposal will be numbered and published to the website of the next IPHC Session (Interim Meeting and/or Annual Meeting) no later than one (1) business day after receipt, by the IPHC Secretariat.
Step 3: The IPHC Secretariat will review the regulatory proposal and develop an implementation discussion, as needed. This could detail how the regulatory proposal could be implemented, as well as any foreseen complications. This may or may not include specific regulatory text additions or amendments.
Step 4: The Commission will review the regulatory proposal at the next IPHC Session. The Commission may request additional information from the regulatory proposal author and/or the IPHC Secretariat for further consideration. Decision on a regulatory proposal submitted to the IPHC Interim Meeting will be typically postponed to the upcoming Annual Meeting, but early submission is highly encouraged as it will provide the Commissioners and IPHC Secretariat staff additional time to seek clarification if necessary.
Step 5: The IPHC Secretariat will contact the regulatory proposal author if the Commission has requested additional information.
Step 6: Regulations adopted annually by the Commission are then submitted to the two Contracting Parties for internal approval and implementation.
Fishery Regulation Comment
Informal statements or comments on IPHC Fishery Regulations or published regulatory proposals can be submitted using the form below up until the day before the IPHC Session. Submitted comments will be collated into a single document and provided to the Commissioners at the IPHC Session.
Request an IPHC Permit
An IPHC Permit is required to capture or use Pacific halibut for any purpose not included in the International Pacific Halibut Commission Fishery Regulations. This includes research or tagging activities by entities other than the IPHC. For a list of current and expired IPHC Permits visit our Permitting page.
