UNIT 19 

 ALASKA GROUNDFISH FISHERIES 



Bering Sea and Aleutian 

 Islands Groundfish 



The average Eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian 

 Islands groundfish catch during 199S-97 was 

 about 1 ,780,000 t (TMe 19-2, Figure 19-2). The 

 total catch in 1997 was 1,740,000 t, valued at 

 $405,000,000 (ex-vessel). The dominant species 

 harvested were walleye pollock (1,090,000 t val- 

 ued at $231 ,000,000), Pacific cod (240,000 t val- 

 ued at $1 16,000.000), and yellowfin sole ( 1 50,000 

 t valued at $26,000,000). 



Groundfish populations have been maintained 

 at high levels since implementation of the 

 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 

 Management Act. Their long-term potential yield 

 totals about 3,500,000 t. The current potential 

 yield of 2,500,000 t for 1998 is slightly below the 

 long-term potential yield. This potential, however, 

 has not been fully utilized because catch quotas 

 cannot exceed the 2,000,000 t optimum yield limit 

 set in the groundfish fishery management plan. 



Walleye Pollock: Pollock produce the largest 

 catch of ari)' single species inhabiting the U.S. Ex- 

 clusive Economic Zone. The three main stocks, 

 in decreasing order of abundance, are: eastern 

 Bering Sea stock, Aleutian Basin stock, and the 

 Aleutian Islands stock. The eastern Bering Sea 

 stock, sustained by the strong 1 989 and 1 992 year 

 classes, is near the target biomass (i.e. the level that 

 produces the long-term potential yield) and fully 

 utilized. The Aleutian Islands stock is believed to 



Landings 

 1,000.000 t) 



1 8 - 



I 6 - 



1 4 - 



1 2 - 



1 - 

 08 - 

 06 - 

 04 - 



02 - 

 - 



Total landings 



Biomass 



X 1,000,000 t) 



77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 

 Year 



90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 



be slightly below the target level and increasing. 



Until 1992, another large fishery targeted the 

 portion of the Aleutian Basin stock residing out- 

 side of the U.S. and Russian exclusive economic 

 zones in the "Doniit Hole" of the central Bering 

 Sea. Historical catches from this stock were ap- 

 parently too high (well over 1 ,000,000 t through- 

 out the late 1 9(S0's) and not sustainable. The abun- 

 dance of the Aleutian Basin stock was consequently 

 greatlv diminished, and all fishing ceased in 1 993. 



Pacific Cod: Pacific cod abundance remained 

 high and stable throughout the 1980's. Although 

 a string of below-average year classes (those 

 spawned in 1986-88) led to a downturn in abun- 

 dance during the early 1990's, this trend has been 



Figure 19-2 



Landings and abundance 

 trends in metric tons (t) for 

 Bering Sea and Aletutian Is- 

 land groundfish. 



Table 19-2 



Productivity in metric tons 

 and status of Bering Sea and 

 Aleutian Islands groundfish 

 resources. 



203 



