Reminders Ahead of State Halibut Season

Hello Halibut Stakeholders, 

Ahead of the start of the state halibut season on May 18, DMR is providing important reminders to harvesters. 

Halibut Fishing License

A DMR Halibut Fishing License is required to commercially fish for halibut. In 2023, this license replaced the halibut endorsement on the Commercial Fishing License. Those who previously purchased a Commercial Fishing License for the sole purpose of obtaining a halibut endorsement should now purchase the new Halibut Fishing License instead. The Halibut Fishing License is open access, meaning there are no restrictions to obtain the license based on past participation or landings history. Applications can be downloaded HERE or by contacting licensing at (207) 624-6550, Option 2. 

Management Measures 

Maine's 2024 Halibut Compliance Guide outlines Maine's measures for the recreational and commercial fishery. There are no changes to the state's halibut management measures in 2024. 

Reporting

All harvesters authorized to commercially fish for halibut are required to submit trip level catch reports on a weekly basis during the halibut season (May 18 – June 13) for landings from Maine’s territorial waters. Reporting must be submitted through an approved electronic method, such as VESL or LEEDs. The reporting week starts Sunday at 12:01AM and ends Saturday at 12:00 midnight; reports must be submitted by the following Monday at midnight. 

The 2024 Halibut Compliance Guide provides a calendar of when harvester reports are due during this fishing season. For questions, the Landings Program can be reached at 207-633-9500 (Option 2 for Landings then Option 4 for electronic reporting options/help). 

Research Tags and Rewards

There are several types of research tags that may be encountered during the upcoming halibut season, many of which have rewards for their return. For any tags captured, please record the date, location (lat/lon or TDs), and tagged halibut length and sex (if known). Tag information can be reported for tagged fish no matter if kept or released. Information on the types of research tags used and their reward can be found HERE. For questions regarding halibut research tags, please contact Bill DeVoe at william.devoe@maine.gov. 

 

 

For additional questions on halibut management, please contact Megan Ware at megan.ware@maine.gov or 207.446.0932.