UNIT 21 

 NEARSHORE FISHERIES 



Species/group 



Recent 

 average yield 



(RAY)' 



Fishery 

 utilization 



evel 



Stock level 



relative to 



LTPY 



Dungeness crab 

 Tanner crab 

 Red King crab 

 Scallops 

 Shrimps 

 Geoduck clam 

 Other clams 

 Sea urchins 

 Sea cucumbers 

 Abalones 

 Sablefish 

 Lingcod 

 Rockfish 

 Other species 



Total 



2,370 

 900 

 160 

 360 



2,000 



70 



200 



660 



655 



5 



2,500 

 100 

 120 

 100 



10,200 



Full 

 Full 

 Full 

 Full 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Full 



Full 



Full 



Full 



Unknown 



Near 



Unknown 



Below 



Near 



Below 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Unknown 



Near 



Near 



Near 



Near 



Unknown 



Table 21-6 



Alaska nearshore resources 

 productivity in metric tons 

 and status. 



'1994-96 



ery has intcn,sifiL-d to the point that virniall)- all 

 hahitat is nmv "potted down" with crab pots. This 

 trend is Hkeiy to grow now that a limited entry 

 system is in place and fishing permits can be sold: 

 new buyers will need to intensively fish their full 

 limit of pots to pay for their permits and equip- 

 ment. The traditional Tanner crab fishery has also 

 intensified to the point that the 900 t (2,000,000- 

 pound) harvest cap is reached in 1 week, where in 

 the early 1970s the fishery was year round. Man- 

 agement ot these crab fisheries suffers in the ab- 

 sence of stock assessment research. The traditional 

 fisherv tor red king crab in Southeast Alaska is a 

 bright spot: the fishery reopened in 1993 lollow- 

 ing 8 years ot closure and is now managed under a 

 conservative harvest regime supported by an an- 

 nual stock assessment survey. 



Pot shrimp fisheries have grown dramatically 

 in the past decade in nearshore Alaska waters, and 

 along with the trawl shrimp fisheries are now lim- 

 ited to entry. These are the only rwo significant 

 commercial shrimp fisheries remaining in Alaska, 

 and concern is high to develop stock assessment 

 and conservative management programs to pro- 

 vide for sustained harvests. The species taken is 

 mainly Alaskan pink shrimp. Other species taken 

 are spot, sidestripe, coonstripe, and humpy. 



The primary scallop species harvested in Alaska 

 is the wcathcrvane scallop. The fishery was pio- 



neered in 1967 and peaked in 1969 when <S4() t of 

 shucked scallop meat was landed. The principal 

 harvest areas are Kodiak and Yakutat in the Gulf 

 of Alaska, with Dutch Harbor (Bering Sea) as a 

 new fishing ground. Harvesting is by similar dredg- 

 ing gear and fishing technique used in the New 

 England scallop fisheries. While the status ol the 

 stocks is not well known, they are not believed to 

 be abundant and are vulnerable to overfishing. The 

 fishery is regulated by the State ot Alaska which 

 limits the number of vessels and sets catch quotas. 



Sea cucumbers and sea urchins are recent fish- 

 eries. They are harvested by divers and exported 

 to Asia. Sea urchins are shipped live to Japan tor 

 the fresh roe market. While the status ot the stocks 

 is largely unknown, the fisheries are managed con- 

 servatively according to their recent historical per- 

 tormance. The ADFG surveys the resource peri- 

 odically at selected sites to monitor major changes 

 in relative abundance ot the stocks. 



Alaska natives have a long history ot harvest- 

 ing abalone for food, trade, and shell ornaments. 

 The only species of abalone harvested in Alaska is 

 the pinto abalone, taken almost exclusively trom 

 Southeast Alaska. The commercial fishery, involv- 

 ing handpicking by divers, started in the early 

 1 970"s. Abalones are considered gourmet seafood 

 and are normally exported to Japan. The status of 

 the stocks is unknown, and the fishery is regti- 



Tentacles of a giant Pacific 

 octopus. 



225 



