US: Federal judge dismisses Bering Sea trawl fleet’s challenge to stricter halibut bycatch limits

A federal judge in Alaska has dismissed a legal challenge filed by the Bering Sea bottom-trawl fleet against stricter halibut bycatch limits. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, or NMFS, approved a new halibut bycatch quota system in December 2021 based on annual surveys of the valuable flatfish. Instead of fixed limits, the new abundance-based system means that when halibut stocks are low, bycatch caps can be cut by up to 35%. The lawsuit challenging those caps was filed by Groundfish Forum, Inc., a Seattle-based trade association representing five companies and 19 bottom-trawl vessels. The association argued that it was unfairly targeted, and that the new bycatch limits could result in significant economic losses. Bycatch is a lightning-rod issue in Alaska. Halibut stocks have declined, and the amount of halibut discarded by the Bering Sea bottom-trawl fleet has often exceeded the number of fish caught by hook-and-line fishermen. In their complaint, the bottom-trawl ...