Ever wonder why NOAA Fisheries offered only a paper option since requiring annual renewals for Charter Halibut Permits beginning in 2020? SEAGO did, and followed up numerous times with the agency encouraging the development of an electronic application.
CHP online renewal has now finally gone live! “It’s as little as three clicks from start to finish if your auto-populated information looks in order” said SEAGO’s executive director Forrest Braden. “We’re 21st century now!”
What may require a little more effort is the initial setup of a NOAA eFish account which is necessary to access online renewal. If you’ve ever used GAF, you’re golden. It’s the same system, same account as you use to report GAF. The link to online registration shows up under your CHP tab.
If you don’t have an account, you should consider creating one. Go here to get started:
. You’ll need your username, which is the NMFS ID (it’s on your past CHP issues) if you’re a first timer, and the email that NFMS has on file for you, which should be the business email you’ve been entering manually into paper renewal forms the past three years.
If the CHP(s) are owned by a business or corporation instead of an individual, you’ll have to call NOAA Restricted Access Management (RAM) at (907) 586-7474 (option #2) and specify the person from the business who will act as the administrator along with that person’s email before you can follow the steps above.
If you need to do it the old-fashioned way this year, here’s the form for your “convenience” 😉
SEAGO recently advised NOAA that there is no option with online registration to have your CHP(s) mailed to a temporary address. For now, if you need your new CHP(s) mailed elsewhere, RAM suggests you email their office at ram.alaska@noaa.gov directly after you’ve completed online registration to request a reroute.
To refresh, here are some quick references for 2023:
2023 GAF Conversion: 2C 1 fish = 65 IFQ pounds 3A 1 fish = 23 IFQ pounds
2C Guided Halibut Limits: 1 halibut per day 40” and under, or 80” and over. Mondays closed to charter halibut retention beginning July 24 through the end of the calendar year. GAF fish may be retained on closed Mondays.
3A Guided Halibut Limits: 2 halibut per day, only one may be any size, the other must be 28” or less. One trip per CHP per day. Wednesdays closed to halibut retention along with Tuesdays on June 20, June 27, July 4, July 11, July 18, July 25, August 1, August 8, and August 15.
New! Halibut may be eaten on board. See full regulation page below for details.
NOAA Fisheries complete sport halibut regulation are here:
Stay in touch! We’re here to talk about policy issues, field your questions, and hear your input. Call (907) 723-1970 or email us at director@seagoalaska.org.