EASTERN BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS 

 GROUNDFISH TRAWL FISHERY 



The first trawling for groundfish off Alaska by an 

 Asian nation occurred in 1929 when Japanese vessels 

 explored the eastern Bering Sea. This exploration led to 

 the development of a fuUscale commercial fishery in the 

 eastern Bering Sea in 1933 (Bourgois, 1951). This 

 fishery has developed into the most intensive and 

 productive of the Japanese fisheries off Alaska. It has 

 two general categories: (1) reduction for fish meal and 

 oil, and (2) freezing, primarily for food products. 

 Yellowfin sole and walleye pollock are the principal 

 species for reduction, and Pacific ocean perch and 

 walleye pollock are the major species for freezing. 



Fish Meal and Oil 



Japanese trawling in the Bering Sea for groundfish to 

 be used for meal and oil (fig. 3) is the second oldest 

 Asian-based fishery off Alaska (the Japanese fishery for 

 Alaska king crabs began in 1930). The reduction fishery 

 began in 1933 and was continued each year through 

 1937 by one fish meal and oil factory ship and her 

 attendant trawlers, which fished the Continental Shelf in 

 the eastern Bering Sea. The catch rose annually, 

 increasing from 3,600 short tons in 1933 to 44,000 tons 

 in 1937 (Kibesaki, 1965). World War 11 forced the 

 Japanese to stop fishing in distant waters and ended the 

 fish meal and oil fishery in the eastern Bering Sea. 



Japanese pair or bull trawlers fishing for groundfish in the 

 eastern Bering Sea. The two vessels tow one trawl by means of a 

 cable from the stern of each ship. These two vessels belong to a 

 fleet of trawlers accompanying a factory ship which processes 

 their catches. 



In 1958 Japan resumed her fish meal and oil fishery 

 in the eastern Bering Sea (Kibesaki, 1965) and in 1960 

 extended the fishery into the central Bering Sea. From 

 one to five factory ship fleets were active in this fishery 



J—l ' ' "* 45 



ire- 175- 



lis' 150' US* 1*0* 



Figure 3.— Japanese Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish trawl fishing areas-fish meal and oil. 



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