. . . Alaska Salmon Fisheries 



60 



Figure 13-1. — Alaska salmon 

 landings, 1970-90. 



Table 13-2— Recent average, 

 current potential, and long-term 

 potential yields in metric tons (t), 

 and status of utilization of Alaska 

 salmon. The LTPY, CPY, and RAY 

 for the unit equals the sum of the 

 species' LTPrs, CPY's, and RAY's. 



ISSUES 



Three important problems facing Alaska 

 salmon are: 1) Interceptions by high-seas 

 foreign driftnet fisheries; 2) accidental 



chinook catches by the U.S. groundflsh 

 fishery; and 3) destruction of spawning and 

 rearing habitats. 



Driftnet Fisheries 



High seas (pelagic) driftnet fishing has 

 long been a contentious issue in the North 

 Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Japan 

 still runs mothership salmon driftnet and 

 land-based salmon driftnet fisheries. About 

 174,000 North American salmon were 

 caught by the Japanese mothership fish- 

 ery in 1990. 

 The high-seas squid driftnet fisheries of 



Japan, Korea, and Taiwan are suspected 

 of taking large numbers of North American 

 salmon. Over 1 ,000 vessels fish an area of 

 the North Pacific Ocean larger than our 

 contiguous 48 states. Some of the vessels 

 set 40 miles of gill net a night. Protecting 

 salmon from these fisheries is hampered 

 by a lack of information. 



