The Council recommended the release of a document for Public Review that considers implementing a charter halibut permit (CHP) annual renewal process. The Council established a preliminary preferred alternative that would require annual submission of CHP holder name, CHP number, registered address, phone number and/ or email address, and CHP ownership structure. Under the Council’s preliminary preferred alternative, if a CHP is not registered with NMFS, the CHP would not be valid for use during the applicable fishing year.
The Council also included an option to consider adding questions into the renewal application that would gather information on CHP leasing practices. This option was not added into the preliminary preferred alternative, but will undergo further analysis and be considered in the Public Review draft that returns to the Council. Council staff is Sarah Marrinan.