UNIT 14 

 PACIFIC COAST AND ALASKA PELAGIC FISHERIES 



Area and species 



Pacific Coast 

 Northern anchovy 



Pacific sardine 



Jack mackerel 



Chub mackerel 



Pacific herring" 



Alaska 



Pacific herring 



Gulf of Alaska 



Bering Sea 



Total 

 Total (U S ) 



Table 14 1 



Productivity in metric tons 

 and status of Pacific Coast 

 and Alaska pelagic fishery 

 resources. 



'US (California) only 

 ^Crude estimate 

 ^Uses 1995 data only 



Landings 

 (x 1,000 t) 



more in response to market conditions than to 

 stock abundance. Figure 14-2 shows the historical 

 catch trend tor the United States and Mexico. 

 Landings by the United States have varied from 

 less than 10,000 t to nearly 140,000 t. Since 1983, 

 U.S. Ltndings have been low (less than 10,000 t), 

 and they have been used mostly tor live bait and 

 other nonreduction uses. The biomass trend lor 

 the anchovy resource (Figure 14-2) hit a peak ot 

 1,400,000 t in l')as and declined steadily to 

 126,000 t by 1994. 



The well being ol ecologically related species 

 in the marine ecosystem is an important lactor in 

 management ol the anchovy resource. The 

 endangered brown pelican, tor example, depends 

 on anchovy as an important tood source. 1 hus, 

 the fishery management plan has specitied a 

 threshold tor its optimum-yield determination to 

 prevent anchovy depletion and provide adequate 

 forage tor marine fishes, mammals, and birds. 



The anchovy resource is presently at a 

 moderate level of abundance. Current potential 

 yield is 88,000 t or 72% of the long-term potential 

 yield (Table 14-1), but recent catches have been 

 much lower (less than 10,000 t) due to a lack of 

 commercial markets. 



Landings 



60 65 

 Year 



Jack Mackerel 



lack mackerel catches have tluctuated wide!)- 

 with changing market demands and the ability ot 

 the tleet to fish for other species which were more 

 profitable or available, especially sardines and chub 

 mackerel. In addition, the availability ot jack 



Figure 14-3 



Landings of jack mackerel 

 off California, 1926-97, in 

 metric tons (t). 



1 69 



