Ocean Sun

When we were discussing options for the Puget Sound halibut fishery through the Stay Home-Stay Healthy quarantine and recognizing that we'd probably lose some of our days, I asked a number of questions relating to the monitoring needs and floated the idea of being able to overlap the final few days that we would have left with the start of our salmon season July 1.

Here is the answer I received from the Puget Sound Sampling Unit:

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The Puget Sound Sampling Unit anticipates our new hires for halibut sampling in the Strait to start May 5th. The HR paperwork is in the process. This will be their first day of work and will be completing hiring paperwork and training in the following days until the fishery opens. We typically hire people a week prior to the start date of any fishery. With the advent of COVID-19, we are having to implement many additional measures and the sampling unit is working extremely diligently to be prepared for whatever day halibut does open.

Regarding the CRC funding, it is a very small portion of the overall funding for the sampling unit, covering three positions for some or all of the halibut months. Since halibut didn’t open in April, we haven’t used those funds yet, but have substituted them with other sources so staff can still do hiring and preparation. Those funds will only be used for halibut and are allotted over a two year period.

If we have overlapping salmon and halibut seasons, we would very likely need to hire additional staff, since the sampling designs are significantly different for each of those fisheries, not just a case of asking some additional questions. I can provide you details at a later time on the methods if you would like that information. A difference from the past is that we now do in-season management for halibut on the Strait, which requires much more intensive monitoring. We typically do a 1:4 in Area 5 with boat exit counts and 100% in Area 6 with aerial counts, which could get complicated if other fisheries are open. We need to ensure that we meet our obligations and requirements for both species.

Another concern is that with physical distance requirements and public compliance are we going to able to adequately collect the data that is needed for these fisheries? We are and will continue to refine our protocols to do our work safely, which is our main priority, and will require everyone’s cooperation.

Thank you.
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