The 2020 fishing season will forever be remembered. With coronavirus shutting down our state, to having tourists being quarantined for 14 days, no cruise ships coming to the ports, and changing the halibut regulations. At the beginning of the year many people thought that the halibut regulations would be stricter than pervious years. With coronavirus hitting and making it very hard for people to come into the state those regulations became the least strict that they have been in years in hopes of making it so more locals would go charter fishing.
What does this mean for next year though? Are more regulations going to be put in place or will these regulations still be in place next year? Halibut fishing is an important way of life in Alaska, it is concerning to see that some many new regulations were going to be put in place before COVID-19 hit. Also, that more regulations are being put on the charter companies and not on the commercial fishing industry.
As an avid fisherwoman I would hate to see that when I want to go out charter fishing I won’t be able to go out and catch a 50-pound halibut anymore because of all the new regulations that could be put in place. It will be interesting to see how the 2021 season plays out for the fishing season. Since for 2020 the regulations were trying to be stricter I can only image how strict the 2021 season will be after the amount of slack that was given this year.
Akilena Veach
Seward
