National Fisherman

Halibut

Halibut schooner Scandia in 1927, Captain Olav Hvatum. Photo by International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)

Anchored in history: Seattle’s FVOA

Arni Thomson

Steamer Flamingo, with a 320,000 lb. deckload of halibut. Photo courtesy of International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)

From steam to schooner: The Pacific halibut fishery

Arni Thomson

The Alaska Pacific halibut fishery is way off pace from last year, reports Laine Welch. Photo by Earl D. Walker

Pacific halibut fishery gets off to a slow start with high prices

Laine Welch

Indigenous halibut hooks. Photo courtesy of Fishing Vessel Owners Association (FVOA) & International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)

110 years of halibut and heritage: The legacy of the FVOA

Arni Thomson

The Pacific halibut fishery kicks off today, March 20, 2025, in regions spanning from the West Coast and British Columbia to the far reaches of Alaska's Bering Sea. Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

Pacific halibut fishery opens to reduced catches

Laine Welch

Maritime Fabrication modified the Starship from a strictly Bristol Bay gillnetter for fishing Southeast Alaska salmon and halibut. with a new deck drum and stern roller making hauling and setting longline gear easier. Maritime Fabrication photo.

Michael_Crowley

Conversion broadens horizons for an Alaska gillnetter

Michael Crowley

DOGE Alaska is a group of citizens who are researching waste, fraud, and abuse. It’s a project and not a formal organization. Photo by Mary Capriole

$2.4M grant found supporting tribal households

NF Staff

Halibut longline survey southeast Alaska 2004 NOAA — Bleak news was summarized from the 101st Session of the IPHC Annual Meeting. Photo by NOAA Fisheries

Pacific stocks hit 40-year low, cuts loom for 2025 season

Laine Welch

More than 2,000 pounds of halibut was seized in the investigation. Photo by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)

San Francisco fisherman hid illegally caught species

NF Staff

Alaska’s commercial harvest of ~14 million pounds is 81% of its catch limit for 2024. Photo by Israel Patterson

Over 74 percent of Pacific halibut quota caught before Dec. 7 closure

Laine Welch

Leonard Leach of Alaska is one of the 2024 National Fisherman Highliners of the Year. Photo by the Leach family

2024 Highliner of the year: Leonard Leach

Charlie Ess