The 2019 Westport recreational halibut fishing season has gained an additional day.

The Thursday, June 6 extra day was announced Monday by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is in addition to the last remaining regularly scheduled day of recreational halibut fishing in Marine Area 2, Friday, May 24.

Marine areas 5-10 will get an additional five days of recreational halibut fishing: Thursday, May 30; Saturday June 1; Thursday, June 13; Saturday, June 15; Thursday, June 27; and Saturday, June 29. Those areas include including Sekiu and Pillar Point; east Juan de Fuca Strait; the San Juan Islands; Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay; Port Susan and Port Gardner; Admiralty Inlet; and the Seattle-Bremerton area.

”The 2019 sport halibut quota approved by the International Pacific Halibut Commission in January 2019 is approximately 25 percent higher than 2018,” read a Fish and Wildlife release. “The higher quota, combined with lower catch in Marine Areas 5-10 during the early season, allows for more sport halibut fishing days than were anticipated when the season dates were set last fall.”

The all depth recreational halibut fishery in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will continue on May 24 and 26. The nearshore area will remain open Mondays through Wednesdays until further notice. No changes are proposed to the recreational season dates in Marine Areas 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay) at this time.

The sport halibut fishery is managed to a federal quota. Fish and Wildlife will continue to track the recreational catch as the season progresses and make adjustments as needed to provide opportunity while keeping catch within the quota, according to the release.