The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting two public meetings to discuss season structure and proposed dates for the 2020 sport halibut season.

The meetings will be held Aug. 29 and Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to noon at the Montesano City Hall, 112 North Main Street.

At the Aug. 29 meeting, state halibut managers will review the 2019 season and work with stakeholders to develop a range of preliminary options focused on general concepts such as ways to extend the season length and maximize fishing opportunity.

At the second meeting Oct. 28, in addition to refining the options developed at the first meeting, Fish and Wildlife staff will collect further public input, review tide calendars for next spring, and select specific season dates that attempt to balance needs across various fishing communities and charter and private fishing interests.

“The sport halibut fishery is very popular, and these meetings are a good opportunity to provide input,” said Heather Hall, coastal policy coordinator for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

These meetings will be used to gather stakeholder input prior to meetings of the Pacific Fishery Management Council in September and November.

For more information on the halibut season-setting process visit pcouncil.org/pacific-halibut/background-information/.