Charter operators may have to lease halibut quota shares
Thu, April 10, 2008
Posted in Alaska News
Charter operators who take clients out to fish for halibut may have to start leasing quota share from the commercial fleet - at least in Southeast Alaska and possibly in Southcentral. That’s the latest response by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to ongoing pressure to curtail the growth of the charter catch - which is costing the commercial fleet fish, under the current system.
Steve Heimel, APRN - Anchorage
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3 Comments to “Charter operators may have to lease halibut quota shares”
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It is unfortunate that your headline is incorrect. The provision before the Council is to allow leasing of quota share, not purchase. This would allow the charter operators who would like to grow their businesses a way to do so while linking it to costs associated with resource harvest. Halibut management is a complicated issue and it is important that the press present facts clearly.
What a piece of crap article! The headline and intro talk about “buying” QS from commercial fishermen, but nowhere in the proposed plan (or interviews in the article itself) is there any mention of “buying” anything… the plan is to make charter operators LEASE quota share, then give it back for free if it’s not used.
Charter boats DO NOT FISH. Paying to go aboard someone else’s boat is how I access my public resource. Let’s also remember that nobody “owns” the fish, so comments like “charter operators are taking an increasing number of my fish” just don’t sit well logically. The Alaska State Constitution requires that no person or group shall have an unfair or excessive interest or share of the fishing privilege. How fair is it when commercial boats/processors/companies (many from out of State) are given regulations allowing them to “take” 80-90% of the resource, and the common guy with a boat (or who rents one) has to stop fishing in the middle of a summer because a commercial boat wants to keep on fishing?
Your points are well taken. I understand that quota share remains with the holder and would only be leased to the charter operator. Calling it “buy” or “purchase” is hence technically incorrect. The story itself was accurate, but the headline did not contain this technical detail. Those who heard the actual story would have heard Ms. DeCosimo explain it as a one-time leasing arrangement. To a listener unfamiliar with this matter it nignt be confusing to think about leasing something when you actually get to keep the fish that is caught, but that’s not a reason to use a term that is technically incorrect.