Alaska Fishing Industry

1
Alaska Fishing Industry

• Roughly 2,200,000 metric tons harvested yearly.
• Walleye Pollock accounts for 1,475,000 mt.
• Largest Wild Capture Fishery on Earth.
• Remaining 81 species account for 725,000 mt
  annually. What are they?

2
Groundfish

• Walleye Pollock - Theragra chalcogramma
• Pacific Cod - Gadus macrocephalus
• Arrowtooth Flounder - Atheresthes stomias
• Blackcod (Sablefish) - Anoplopoma fimbria
• Rockfish - Sebastes spp. Sebastolobus spp.
• Lingcod - Ophiodon elongatus
• Atka Mackerel - Pleurogrammus monopterygius

3
Walleye Pollock I

• 1.Range - Carmel California to Chukchi Sea
• 2. Size - to 91 cm
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 1,475,000 mt
• 4. Depth - Demersal 30-300 m
• 5. Behavior Schooling, Cannibalistic
• Younger Age Classes Segregated
• 6. Gear - Pelagic Otter Trawl

4
Walleye Pollock II
5
Walleye Pollock III
6
Pacific Cod I

• 1.Range - Santa Monica CA to Bering Straight
• 2. Size - Average Trawl Caught 70-75 cm 4.5 kg
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 191,047 mt
• 4. Depth - Benthic to 875 m
• 5. Behavior - Younger Age Classes Segregate
• 6. Gear - Trawl, Pot, Jig

7
Pacific Cod II
8
Pacific Cod III
9
Blackcod I

• 1.Range - Baja to Bering Sea Aleutian Islands
• 2. Size - to 114 cm and 25 kg.
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 13,697 mt
• 4. Depth - Near Soft Bottom to 700 m.
• 5. Various Gear - Trawl, Longline, Pots
• 6. Very Valuable Fish, 95 to Japan, IFQ

10
Blackcod II
11
Blackcod III
12
Rockfish I

• 12 Commercial Species - Most Important are
• 1. Pacific Ocean Perch - Sebastes alutus
• 2. Black Rockfish - Sebastes melanops
• 3. Thornyhead - Sebastolobus alascanus
• Other Species Important for Charter Fleet.
• Very Long Lived, Low Fecundity.
• Generally Give Live Birth.

13
Rockfish Pacific Ocean Perch

• 1.Range - Baja - Bering Sea Aleutian Islands
• 2. Size - to 55 cm.
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 31,385 mt
• 4. Depth - Rocky to Gravel Bottom 100-450 m
• 5. Behavior - Schooling

14
Pacific Ocean Perch
15
Pacific Ocean Perch
16
Atka Mackerel I

• 1.Range - Redondo Beach CA to Bering Sea
• 2. Size - to 60 cm
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 56,614 mt
• 4. Depth - Pelagic usually less than 300 m
• 5. GOA Stocks Recovering

17
Atka Mackerel II
18
Atka Mackerel III
19
Flatfish

• Rex Sole
• Flathead Sole
• Arrowtooth Flounder
• Shallow Water Flatfish Complex
• Yellowfin Sole, English Sole et al.
• Deep Water Complex
• Greenland Turbot, Dover Sole et al.

20
Rex Sole

• 1.Range - Central Baja to Bering Sea
• 2. Size - Average Catch 25 cm, 0.23 kg
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 2,852 mt.
• 4. Depth - Sandy to Muddy Bottom 50 - 450 m
• 5. Gear - Benthic Otter Trawl

21
Rex Sole II
22
Rex Sole III
23
Flathead Sole I

• 1.Range - Monterey CA to Bering Sea
• 2. Size - Average Catch 56 cm
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 21,933 mt.
• 4. Depth - Benthic Soft Bottom less than 365 m
• 5. Gear - Benthic Otter Trawl

24
Flathead Sole
25
Arrowtooth Flounder I

• 1.Range - San Simeon CA to Bering Sea
• 2. Size - to 86 cm and 7.7 kg
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 37,034 mt
• 4. Depth - Benthic on Soft Bottom 50-300 m
• 5. Behavior - Often Co-Mingle with Halibut
  Huge and Growing Biomass

26
Arrowtooth Flounder II
27
Arrowtooth Flounder III
28
Shallow Water Flatfish Complex

• Yellowfin Sole
• English Sole

29
Yellowfin Sole I

• 1.Range Vancouver Island to Beaufort Sea
• 2. Size - 49 cm to 1.8 kg.
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 121,077 mt.
• 4. Depth Benthic Soft Bottom to 150 m
• 5. Gear Benthic Otter Trawl

30
Yellowfin Sole II
31
English Sole I

• 1.Range - Central Baja to Nunivak Island
• 2. Size - Average Catch 36 cm
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 95 mt.
• 4. Depth - Benthic Soft Bottom less than 250 m
• 5. Behavior - Benthic Otter Trawl

32
English Sole II
33
English Sole III
34
Deep Water Flatfish Complex

• Greenland Turbot
• Dover Sole

35
Greenland Turbot I

• 1.Range - Baja California to Chukchi Sea
• 2. Size - Average Catch 64 cm, 2.3-4.1 kg
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 2,068 mt
• 4. Depth - Benthic Sand Bottom 50-650 m
• 5. Gear - Benthic Otter Trawl, Longline

36
Greenland Turbot II
37
Dover Sole I

• 1.Range - Baja to Bering Sea Aleutian Islands
• 2. Size - Average Trawl Caught 0.45 kg.
• 3. 2007 Harvest - 278 mt
• 4. Depth - Benthic, Muddy Bottom 50 - 450 m
• 5. Gear - Benthic Otter Trawl

38
Dover Sole II
39
Dover Sole III
40
(No Transcript)