The IPHC this morning Jan 29th announced the 2010 catch limits. They are:
Area 2AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .810 Mlbs
Area 2BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .7.50 Mlbs
Area 2CÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .4.40 Mlbs
Area 3AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19.99 Mlbs
Area 3BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9.90 Mlbs
Area 4AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.33 Mlbs
Area 4BÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.16 Mlbs
Area 4CDEÂ Â Â Â Â Â 3.25 Mlbs
Total              Â
Areas 2A and 2B include recreational catch limits
The charter sectors GHL were used for the charter removals before determining the commercial catch limit in Areas 2C and 3A. The 2C GHL is 788,000 lbs and the 3A GHL is 3.65Mlbs.
The season dates will be March 6 to November 15, 2010
Areas 3A-4E are all at staff catch limit recommendations. Additional poundage was provided to Area 2 with 5 Commissioners supporting the motion and 1 opposed. The opposition was that the overall total catch limits exceed the staff recommendations overall coastwide total. The reason for the support for additional poundage in Area 2 was the acknowledgement that bycatch issues for other areas were having more of an effect in this area than previously thought.
More information provided later.