Alaska Groundfish Fisheries 



Unit 



19 



LOH-LEE LOW 

 JAMES N lANELLI 

 SANDRA A LOWE 



NMFS Alaska Fisheries 

 Science Center 



Seattle 

 Washington 



INTRODUCTION 



SPECIES AND STATUS 



The groundfish complex is the most abundant 

 ot all fisheries resources off Alaska, totaling more 

 than 2 1,000, 000 metric tons (t) of exploitable bio- 

 mass and contributing more than 2,000,000 t of 

 catch each year. Another 1,000,000 t ot under- 

 utilized sustainable potential yield is available. 



Prior to the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation 

 and Management Act ot 1976, the only ground- 

 fish species oi significant domestic catch and value 

 was Pacific halibut. All other groundfishes were at 

 or near full utilization by foreign fisheries. The 

 Magnuson Act extended Federal fisheries manage- 

 ment jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles and stimu- 

 lated the growth ol a domestic Alaska groundfish 

 fishery that rapidly replaced the foreign fisheries. 

 Much of the groundfish catches are exported, par- 

 ticularly to Asia, and such trade contributes promi- 

 nently as a major source of revenue tor U.S. fish- 

 ermen. 



Pacific Halibut 



The Pacific halibut is found from the Bering 

 Sea to California, with the center of abundance in 

 the Gulf of Alaska. The resource is managed by a 

 bilateral treaty between the United States and 

 Canada and through research and quota recom- 

 mendations from the International Pacific Hali- 

 but Commission (IPHC). Pacific halibut, consid- 

 ered as one large interrelated biological stock, is 

 regulated by subareas through catch quotas, time- 

 area restrictions, and (lately) by individual vessel 

 quotas. The commercial fishery has a long tradi- 

 tion dating back to the 1880's. There is a growing 

 recreational fishery as well. 



Most components of the halibut fishery had a 

 very successful year in 1997. 1 he resource was 

 healthy, and the total catch was near record levels, 

 totaling 53,720 t. The breakdown by fishery was: 



Trawl codend emptying 

 walleye pollock, eastern 

 Bering Sea. 



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