Pacific Halibut
Pacific Halibut
Hippoglossus stenolepis
Quick Facts
Pacific halibut. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Pacific halibut. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
About the Species
Pacific halibut is the largest species of flatfish. It is native to the North Pacific Ocean and it is fished by commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishermen. Huge Pacific halibut, sometimes called "barn doors," can attain a length of more than 8 feet and a width of more than 5 feet. Halibut are born swimming like salmon, with eyes on both sides of their heads. As they grow (by the time they are 6 months old), one eye migrates to the right side and the young halibut begin swimming sideways, with both eyes on the top of their bodies. Their large size and delectable meat make them a popular and prized target for both sport and commercial fishermen.
Population
The stock is not overfished.
Fishing Rate
Not subject to overfishing.
Habitat Impact
Fishing gears used to harvest Pacific halibut have minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Population Status
According to the 2024 stock assessment, Pacific halibut is not overfished and is fished at the recommended level that is set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
Appearance
Pacific halibut have flat, diamond-shaped bodies. They swim sideways, and the upper side is typically mottled gray to dark brown, which helps them blend in with sandy or muddy bottoms. Their underside is typically white. Both of their eyes are on the upper side of their body. Their scales are small and buried in the skin, giving them a smooth appearance.
Biology
Male Pacific halibut tend to be smaller than females. Males reach sexual maturity when they are 8 years old, and females are able to reproduce by the age of 12. They spawn during the winter in deep water along the continental slope, mainly in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and south to British Columbia. While Pacific halibut are found as far south as waters off California, most known spawning areas are north of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Depending on their size, female halibut can produce between 500,000 and 4 million eggs. Scientists believe females release their eggs in batches over several days during the spawning season. Eggs hatch after 12 to 20 days, depending on water temperature.
The larvae slowly float close to the surface, where they remain for about 6 months until they reach their adult form and settle to the bottom in shallow water. Larval halibut feed on zooplankton (tiny floating organisms), while juveniles eat small crustaceans and other organisms that live on the seafloor.
Pacific halibut live to be relatively old—the oldest halibut on record was 55 years old, but halibut over age 30 are rare.
Adults aggressively prey on a variety of groundfish, sculpins, sand lance, herring, octopus, crabs, clams, and occasionally smaller halibut.
Marine mammals and sharks sometimes eat Pacific halibut but, due to their large size, adult halibut are rarely preyed upon by other fish.
Where They Live
Range
Pacific halibut are found in coastal waters from Santa Barbara, California to Nome, Alaska. They are most common in the central Gulf of Alaska, particularly near Kodiak Island.
Habitat
Juvenile halibut (1 inch and larger) live in shallow, near-shore waters off Alaska and British Columbia. They move to deeper water as they age. Adults migrate seasonally from shallow summer feeding grounds to deeper winter spawning grounds.
Fishery Management
Since 1923, the United States and Canada have coordinated Pacific halibut management through a bilateral commission known as the International Pacific Halibut Commission. NOAA Fisheries, together with the North Pacific and Pacific Fishery Management Councils, is responsible for allocating allowable catch among harvesters in the U.S. fisheries.
International Pacific Halibut Commission
Using the latest scientific information on the abundance and potential yield of the Pacific halibut stock, the IPHC establishes catch limits annually for fisheries in U.S. and Canadian waters. The IPHC also:
- Sets catch limits at levels that will ensure the long-term welfare of the Pacific halibut stock.
- Sets the dates for the commercial fishing season, which usually spans from March to November and is closed the rest of the year when Pacific halibut spawn.
- Establishes a minimum size requirement for the commercial fishery to protect juvenile Pacific halibut.
Alaska
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is responsible for allocating the catch limits among users and user groups fishing off Alaska and developing regulations for the fishery, in line with IPHC recommendations. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for implementing and enforcing these regulations:
- Individual fishing quota program, which allocates the total allowable catch among fishing vessels and individual fishermen. With their catch set, fishermen have the flexibility to harvest their quota anytime, creating a safer, more efficient, more valuable, and environmentally responsible fishery.
- Community development quota program, which allocates a percentage of the total allowable catch to eligible western Alaska villages to allow them to participate and invest in fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and to support sustainable economic and community development in western Alaska.
Learn more about Alaska sport fishing for Pacific halibut
Learn more about Alaska subsistence fishing for Pacific halibut >
West Coast
For waters off the U.S. West Coast, waters off Washington, Oregon, and California (known as IPHC Regulatory Area 2A):
- The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) allocates the Area 2A non-Tribal catch limit among non-Tribal user groups and recommends regulations that are in line with IPHC regulations. The Pacific Council describes the division of Pacific halibut catch in its Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2A for the following user groups: non-Tribal commercial (incidental salmon troll fishery, directed Pacific halibut fishery, and incidental longline sablefish fishery), sport, and treaty Indian commercial and ceremonial-and-subsistence.
- NOAA Fisheries is responsible for implementing and enforcing IPHC and PFMC-recommended regulations, and for working with the states of Washington, Oregon, and California in season to monitor and manage non-Tribal fisheries for Pacific halibut.
Learn more about Pacific halibut fishing on the West Coast >
Harvest
Commercial Fishery
Pacific halibut is one of the most valuable commercial and recreational fishery resources in the North Pacific Ocean.
In 2023, commercial landings of Pacific halibut totaled approximately 22 million pounds and were valued at $90 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database. Approximately 95 percent of this harvest was landed in Alaska.
About 2 percent of the halibut population that can be fished is found off Washington, Oregon, and California, about 15 percent off British Columbia, and the remainder off Alaska.
Sport/Recreational Fishery
Pacific halibut is a popular target for recreational anglers from both charter/for-hire (guided) and private/rental (unguided) vessels.
Recreational charter vessels are required to have a permit from NOAA Fisheries off Alaska (limited entry) and the U.S. West Coast (open access).
- In Alaska, the recreational fishery is managed under daily bag and possession limits, with the charter fishery having more restrictive regulations than the unguided recreational fishery in some areas.
- Off the U.S. West Coast, the recreational fishery catch limit is divided among subareas within each state, and further managed under bag and possession limits.
Tribal and Native Alaskan Fisheries
Pacific halibut is an important source of spiritual and physical sustenance for Tribes with treaty fisheries off Washington and for Alaska natives, and is caught in commercial fisheries, as well as ceremonial and subsistence fisheries.
The U.S. West Coast treaty Tribal commercial fishery for Pacific halibut, which the Tribes manage through a cooperative program, uses similar gear types as non-Tribal commercial fisheries.
Gear Types, Habitat Impacts, and Bycatch
Historically, only hook-and-line gear was allowed to target Pacific halibut. In recent years, vessels fishing with pot gear in certain areas or fisheries may retain Pacific halibut although this has been at very low levels.
Commercial fishermen predominantly use bottom longlines (setlines), which minimally impact habitat. Setlines can incidentally catch seabirds, but widespread use of seabird avoidance devices (called streamers) in the fishery has reduced seabird bycatch by up to 90 percent per vessel.
In general, the commercial Pacific halibut fishery is fairly selective in the fish it catches because of the size of hook needed to harvest such a large fish. Using a large hook generally reduces bycatch of smaller fish. Fishermen use circle hooks to increase catch rates, and these hooks also improve the survival of any undersized Pacific halibut caught and released.
Pacific halibut are also caught in commercial fisheries targeting other species. Regulations, such as gear and fishery restrictions, are in place to reduce bycatch of Pacific halibut in those fisheries.
Scientific Classification
Pacific halibut are found in coastal waters from Santa Barbara, California to Nome, Alaska. They are most common in the central Gulf of Alaska, particularly near Kodiak Island.
Juvenile halibut (1 inch and larger) live in shallow, near-shore waters off Alaska and British Columbia. They move to deeper water as they age. Adults migrate seasonally from shallow summer feeding grounds to deeper winter spawning grounds.
Fishery Management
Since 1923, the United States and Canada have coordinated Pacific halibut management through a bilateral commission known as the International Pacific Halibut Commission. NOAA Fisheries, together with the North Pacific and Pacific Fishery Management Councils, is responsible for allocating allowable catch among harvesters in the U.S. fisheries.
International Pacific Halibut Commission
Using the latest scientific information on the abundance and potential yield of the Pacific halibut stock, the IPHC establishes catch limits annually for fisheries in U.S. and Canadian waters. The IPHC also:
- Sets catch limits at levels that will ensure the long-term welfare of the Pacific halibut stock.
- Sets the dates for the commercial fishing season, which usually spans from March to November and is closed the rest of the year when Pacific halibut spawn.
- Establishes a minimum size requirement for the commercial fishery to protect juvenile Pacific halibut.
Alaska
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is responsible for allocating the catch limits among users and user groups fishing off Alaska and developing regulations for the fishery, in line with IPHC recommendations. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for implementing and enforcing these regulations:
- Individual fishing quota program, which allocates the total allowable catch among fishing vessels and individual fishermen. With their catch set, fishermen have the flexibility to harvest their quota anytime, creating a safer, more efficient, more valuable, and environmentally responsible fishery.
- Community development quota program, which allocates a percentage of the total allowable catch to eligible western Alaska villages to allow them to participate and invest in fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and to support sustainable economic and community development in western Alaska.
Learn more about Alaska sport fishing for Pacific halibut
Learn more about Alaska subsistence fishing for Pacific halibut >
West Coast
For waters off the U.S. West Coast, waters off Washington, Oregon, and California (known as IPHC Regulatory Area 2A):
- The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) allocates the Area 2A non-Tribal catch limit among non-Tribal user groups and recommends regulations that are in line with IPHC regulations. The Pacific Council describes the division of Pacific halibut catch in its Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for Area 2A for the following user groups: non-Tribal commercial (incidental salmon troll fishery, directed Pacific halibut fishery, and incidental longline sablefish fishery), sport, and treaty Indian commercial and ceremonial-and-subsistence.
- NOAA Fisheries is responsible for implementing and enforcing IPHC and PFMC-recommended regulations, and for working with the states of Washington, Oregon, and California in season to monitor and manage non-Tribal fisheries for Pacific halibut.
Learn more about Pacific halibut fishing on the West Coast >
Harvest
Commercial Fishery
Pacific halibut is one of the most valuable commercial and recreational fishery resources in the North Pacific Ocean.
In 2023, commercial landings of Pacific halibut totaled approximately 22 million pounds and were valued at $90 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database. Approximately 95 percent of this harvest was landed in Alaska.
About 2 percent of the halibut population that can be fished is found off Washington, Oregon, and California, about 15 percent off British Columbia, and the remainder off Alaska.
Sport/Recreational Fishery
Pacific halibut is a popular target for recreational anglers from both charter/for-hire (guided) and private/rental (unguided) vessels.
Recreational charter vessels are required to have a permit from NOAA Fisheries off Alaska (limited entry) and the U.S. West Coast (open access).
- In Alaska, the recreational fishery is managed under daily bag and possession limits, with the charter fishery having more restrictive regulations than the unguided recreational fishery in some areas.
- Off the U.S. West Coast, the recreational fishery catch limit is divided among subareas within each state, and further managed under bag and possession limits.
Tribal and Native Alaskan Fisheries
Pacific halibut is an important source of spiritual and physical sustenance for Tribes with treaty fisheries off Washington and for Alaska natives, and is caught in commercial fisheries, as well as ceremonial and subsistence fisheries.
The U.S. West Coast treaty Tribal commercial fishery for Pacific halibut, which the Tribes manage through a cooperative program, uses similar gear types as non-Tribal commercial fisheries.
Gear Types, Habitat Impacts, and Bycatch
Historically, only hook-and-line gear was allowed to target Pacific halibut. In recent years, vessels fishing with pot gear in certain areas or fisheries may retain Pacific halibut although this has been at very low levels.
Commercial fishermen predominantly use bottom longlines (setlines), which minimally impact habitat. Setlines can incidentally catch seabirds, but widespread use of seabird avoidance devices (called streamers) in the fishery has reduced seabird bycatch by up to 90 percent per vessel.
In general, the commercial Pacific halibut fishery is fairly selective in the fish it catches because of the size of hook needed to harvest such a large fish. Using a large hook generally reduces bycatch of smaller fish. Fishermen use circle hooks to increase catch rates, and these hooks also improve the survival of any undersized Pacific halibut caught and released.
Pacific halibut are also caught in commercial fisheries targeting other species. Regulations, such as gear and fishery restrictions, are in place to reduce bycatch of Pacific halibut in those fisheries.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Actinopterygii | Order | Pleuronectiformes | Family | Pleuronectidae | Genus | Hippoglossus | Species | stenolepis |
|---|
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Seafood Facts
Is Pacific Halibut Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught Pacific halibut is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Available fresh from March to November and frozen year-round.
Source
U.S. wild-caught from Alaska to California.
Taste
Very mild and sweet.
Texture
When cooked, it is flaky, tender, and firm.
Color
Almost translucent when raw, but the meat is snow white once cooked.
Health Benefits
Pacific halibut is low in saturated fat and sodium and is a very good source of protein, niacin, phosphorus, and selenium.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 110; Protein: 20.81 g; Total Fat: 2.29 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.325 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 54 mgHalibut Recipes
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West Coast Fisheries
U.S. West Coast Pacific halibut harvest limits and overall management measures are set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission under the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. NOAA Fisheries works with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and with West Coast States and Tribes, to sustainably manage commercial, recreational, and ceremonial and subsistence fisheries for Pacific halibut taken in waters off Washington, Oregon, and California.
Learn more about West Coast Pacific halibut fisheries
