Halibut Happy Hour: 3 Days of Fish Frenzy on West Coast
Published Date: 8/28/2026
Rule
Summary
Good news for West Coast Pacific halibut fishers! From September 1 to 3, 2026, commercial fishers can catch up to 5,000 pounds of halibut per boat during a new fishing period. This extra chance helps fishers reach their 2026 catch limits without going over, keeping the fishery healthy and the boats busy.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Three-Day Extra Halibut Fishing Period
If you fish commercially in Area 2A, NMFS opened an extra fishing period from September 1, 2026 at 8 a.m. PDT through September 3, 2026 at 6 p.m. PDT. During that period each vessel may land up to 5,000 lb (2.27 mt) of Pacific halibut, dressed weight (head on, with ice and slime); the 2026 non‑Tribal allocation is 261,211 lb, of which about 209,796 lb (80 percent) had been taken through August 25, leaving 51,415 lb (20 percent) remaining.
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