The Catch Of The Day - Pacific Halibut
Knute Hogan, The Culinarian, April 2007

Halibut is a flatfish much like the Soles, Flukes and Flounders. Both eyes are located on the top dark side of the fish which is so colored to complement the sea floor while the underside is white to better suit the color of the surrounding water when viewed from below. Halibut can grow to several hundred pounds and are most often sold eviscerated with the head removed. Halibut is marketed in size increments of 10 to 20 pounds, 20 to 40 pounds, 40 to 60 pounds and 60 pounds and up.

Halibut will yield four fillets or fletches that are colored white and have a mild sweet flavor. Attributes include a small amount of bones and flesh that is a very good source of protein and low in sodium, calories and fat. Halibut lends itself very well to several cooking applications; sautéing, grilling, baking, deep frying and poaching.

The largest concentrations of Pacific Halibut are located in the Gulf of Alaska and off the coast of British Columbia. Russia and Japan also support a halibut fishery but the fish are smaller and considered to be of a lesser quality. There are several thousand halibut boats in Alaskan waters. The primary Alaskan ports are Petersburg, Kodiak, Sand Point, Wrangell, Pelican, and Sitka. Halibut boats usually require a crew of four to eight hands making the commercial fishery a significant regional employer.

Halibut spawn in deep water, up to 300 fathoms, during the winter months of December through February. It takes about fifteen days for the fertilized eggs to hatch and the larvae can be carried hundreds of miles by the currents for nearly six months before the fish have found shallower water. As young fish, halibut migrate extensively throughout the Gulf of Alaska in a clockwise direction. As the fish mature during the following eight to twelve years, their migratory nature lessens. The fish's growth rate is determined less by age but rather by the population size and density competing for the fisheries resources. Halibut have been known to grow quite old, up to thirty years for males and forty years for females.

The commercial Pacific Halibut industry is over 100 years old and has seen dramatic changes since its inception. As recently as the 1980's there were but a few yearly openers that lasted one or two days each, often referred to as "derby style" fishing. There were many drawbacks associated with this race-to-the-finish type of fishing; flooding the market with product, questionable quality and high risks to the fishermen out to earn a living. The fishery now operates under an Individual Fishing Quota system meaning the license is issued as a share of the estimated total catch based on the individual fisherman's past production. This system allows the fisherman to go out any time during the open season to fill out the assigned quota amount.

The traditional long lining method of fishing involves setting out ground lines from which 100 or more baited hooks are attached at regular intervals and can cover several miles. When a suitable sandy-bottomed area is located in water 500 to 600 feet deep one end of the ground line is let out, anchored, and marked with a buoy and flag; the remainder of the line is slowly let out, the second end of the ground line is then anchored and marked. The lines are left in the water for up to 20 hours before being pulled in and removing the catch. The process then repeats.

The halibut season opens on March 10th and runs to mid November and is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The IPHC has recommended that the United States and Canada set catch limits in 2007 to just over 65 million pounds, down from the nearly 70 million pounds in 2006. The IPHC makes estimate of the Pacific Halibut stock using commercial fishery data and scientific surveys. A biological target level for total removals is then calculated by applying a fixed harvest rate, 15 to 20%, to the estimate for exploitable population.

The Pacific Halibut fishery is divided into several areas: 2A encompasses California, Oregon and Washington; 2B is defined as British Columbia. Alaska is divided into 8 different zones 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E; these areas begin at the southern tip of the Alaskan Panhandle and move along the coast to the Bering Sea. In establishing these areas the IPHC is better equipped to manage the fishery in a sustainable manner.

There is a very successful sport fishing industry for Pacific Halibut throughout Alaska and Canada. Just imagine the rush of excitement when pulling a one hundred pound strong swimming fish from several hundred feet below the oceans surface!

Fishermen have a preference for larger fish as they command a higher price at the docks. The prices paid during the 2006 season were very high and the forecast is for much of the same for 2007. The concern however is with what may turn out to be a soft market due to increasing prices.

Along with the high name recognition that comes with Pacific Halibut is a strong year round demand which is filled during the off season by fish that were frozen during the eight month fishing season. Pacific Halibut is a menu item people react to very positively making it an excellent choice to feature daily.