Anglers will get fewer days this year to fish for halibut in waters around Whidbey Island.

The recreational halibut season in Puget Sound waters bordering the island will be reduced to eight days from 11 days last year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported in a news release this week.

May 7 is the first day anglers may fish for halibut in Puget Sound in Marine Areas 5-10, which includes the waters around Whidbey and San Juan islands.

Days in which those waters will be open for recreational halibut fishing are May 7, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28 and 29.

The limit in all marina areas open to halibut fishing is one fish per day with no minimum-size restriction.

The sport’s growing popularity resulted in the season being reduced. The catch in Puget Sound has exceeded the area harvest quota for the past four years, said Heather Reed, the state’s coastal policy coordinator.

The state Fish and Wildlife Department establishes halibut seasons using catch quotas adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission for coastal fisheries from California to Alaska.

This year’s quota for recreational halibut fisheries in Washington state is 214,110 pounds.

The coastal halibut fishery opens May 1 near the Columbia River and Westport and won’t start until May 7 near La Push and Neah Bay.