Halibut Limits Threatened

Those hoping to come to Alaska and tangle with a Pacific halibut, a giant flatfish that can weight more than 400 pounds, dodged a bullet recently.

Commercial fishermen, who currently are authorized more than 95 percent of the halibut catch, were pushing to reduce the daily bag limit for sport fishers from two to a single fish, and the change was given serious consideration by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. The public outcry was so large, though, that the proposal was shelved for the time being. Expect it to show up again in future years as commercial fishermen keep trying to limit the sport-caught catch of one of Alaska's tastiest delicacies.

The cost of halibut charters is rapidly increasing, though, due in large part to the rising cost of fuel. Expect to pay $200 and up per person for a one-day charter out of Seward, Valdez and Homer, Alaska's most popular halibut port.