Your Voice Matters: SFAB Seeks Angler Input on 2026 Halibut Regulations

The 2025 fishing season is winding down, but for the Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB), the planning for 2026 is getting started. As we look toward the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) annual meeting this January and the resulting catch limit announcements, BC’s recreational halibut fishing sector faces another critical decision-making window, and the SFAB needs your input to guide the way.

The Situation

It is no secret that halibut quotas have been tightening. Following reductions for each of the last few years including a 16% reduction in Canada’s Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2025, the outlook for 2026 remains conservative. The biomass indices from recent surveys suggests the Pacific Halibut biomass is not out of the woods yet, meaning Canada and therefore the recreational sector, will likely be working with a similar, “small slice of a piece of the pie” next season.

This biological reality presents a challenge: How do we best utilize our allocation?

The Trade-Offs

There is no “free lunch” in fisheries management. To stay within our recreational TAC – and we are required to do that or face a closure and to be charged a carry over to the following season if we go over, we must balance three main levers:

• Season Length:

Do we want an early opening (Feb/March) and a late close, or are we willing to trade shoulder-season days for other benefits?

• Size:

Do we prioritize a larger maximum size (keeping that 126cm+ dream alive for some), or do we accept a smaller maximum size (e.g., closer to the 90cm-100cm range) to allow for a longer season or higher daily limits?

• Daily and Possession Limits:

Is the ability to retain a specific number of fish on a multi-day trip more important than the size of those fish?

Why Your Input is Critical

Halibut is managed on a coastwide basis, and the SFAB is preparing to make recommendations for 2026 following the IPHC meetings in January. Rather than making assumptions, the SFAB is distributing this survey to understand priorities for and reflect the views of the angling community.

For example, if most anglers prefer a guaranteed February 1st opener with a full season, size limits may need to tighten to avoid exceeding the quota by July or August. Conversely, if the priority is retaining larger fish, the season may need to be shortened.

Without your feedback, the board must make recommendations to DFO based on difficult trade-off decisions and limited historical data.

Take the Survey Today

We all want a robust halibut fishery. By taking five minutes to provide your input, you will help that the SFAB understands what priorities anglers have for recreational halibut regulations in 2026 and beyond.

The survey will close January 9^th, 2026.

For more updates on the IPHC decision and final 2026 regulations, stay tuned to Island Fisherman magazine.

For a detailed look at halibut, where they live, what they eat, and how they grow and reproduce, check out our Creature Feature: Pacific Halibut.