Alaska Commercial Fishing Permits to Fish for Halibut and Sablefish

Have you been searching for an easier way to take care of your Alaska commercial fishing permits? Do you fish for halibut and/or sablefish in Alaskan waters and would like a way to simplify the permit process? These reasons and more are why we created the Commercial Fishing Permits Center in the process. Here, you can find all of the permits, licenses, and more that you need to fish for what you want in Alaska and beyond. In this blog, we’ll focus on the permits for halibut and sablefish.

Pacific Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Program Explained

In October of 1992, the Northern Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted the Pacific Halibut and Sablefish IFQ (Individual Fishing Quota). The ideas behind this were simple: they wanted to improve the quality of the product, to make the entire process that much safer, and to get rid of gear conflicts that arose. Today, you can find all of the forms that you need to be in compliance with this at our site.

All of the Alaska Commercial Fishing Permits for Halibut and Sablefish We Offer

As of this writing, there are more than fifteen different applications, licenses, and permit fees available at our site that can assist with fishing for halibut and sablefish in Alaskan waters. They include such commonly-used forms as the “Application for Replacement of Certificates or Permits” as well as those that some folks will absolutely need, such as the “Application for Temporary Military Transfer of IFQ.” 

Sablefish and Halibut

As of this writing, the fishing season is open for sablefish in Alaska. That runs (usually) from March 1st to November 15th. If you’ve never fished for sablefish before, they’re sometimes referred to as “black cod” due to their appearance. Halibut themselves can be somewhat enormous – the largest of the flatfish, they tend to grow more than eight feet long and weigh up to 500 pounds.  In regards to Halibut, the IFQ sets how many catch fishing vessels as well as individual fishermen can catch during a given season. What this does allow for, however, is being able to fish at any time of the year. The goal behind this is to create a fishery that’s more environmentally responsible as well as safer and even more efficient. 

A Better Way to Fill Out These Forms and More

While we offer plenty of permits that can help you to fish for halibut and sablefish in Alaskan waters, that’s far from all that we offer. In fact, at our site, you can find forms that can help you to fish for practically anything else in American waters, from coast to coast. Additionally, we want to make the entire process that much easier for commercial fishing professionals like you. So, we have document processors on hand who can through your forms, find if there are any mistakes, and fix them accordingly. We’re happy to answer any questions that you might have if you call (866) 292-4204.