12 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 28, No. 11 



BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES PROGRAMS 



Alaska Fisheries Explorations 

 and Gear Development 



COMMANDO SURVEYS BOTTOMFISH 



The charter vessel M/V Commando re- 

 turned to Juneau, Alaska, on September 1, 

 1966, after a 7 -week exploratory bottomfish 

 survey off southeastern Alaska between Cape 

 Spencer and Coronation Island. (Cruise 66-2. 



..v,^„S=^ 



Fig. 1 - General area of operation, Cruise 66-2. 



Primary objectives: (1) to locate trawl- 

 able fishing grounds and (2) obtain data on 

 commercial concentrations of bottomfish. 

 Secondary objectives: (1) to obtain informa- 

 tion on suitability of fishing rough bottom 

 with conventional otter trawls equipped with 

 modified roller gear and (2) gain more in- 

 formation on bathymetric and geographic 

 distribution of demersal fish stocks common 

 to waters of southeastern Alaska. 



Sampling gear was conventional 400 -mesh 

 eastern otter trawls equipped with roller 

 gear. Echo-sounding transects were made 

 to locate trawlable fishing grounds. Areas 

 that appeared reasonably level were sampled, 

 regardless of the bottom's consistency. 

 Soundings ranged between 60 and 250-fathom 

 isobaths, but were generally concentrated in 

 waters lying over the edge of the Continental 

 Shelf. 



Forty-one of the 53 drags attempted were 

 successful in avoiding solid hang-ups or trawl 

 damage. While areas of soft bottom were 

 noted, predominately hard bottom existed for 

 much of the area surveyed. This was shown 



by echo-recorder and attested by deeply 

 scoured and dented steel otter boards and 

 bobbins. 



Legend: 



= - Area surveyed, 

 o - Bottom drags. 

 --- - 100-fathom curve. 



Fig, 2 - Northern area of operation. 



Rockfish were the dominant group col- 

 lect jd. The largest catch for a single spe- 

 cies (Haul No. 48--10,500 pounds) occurred 

 due west of Coronation Island in 120 fathoms 

 of water, where 9,000 pounds of sharpchin 

 rockfish were taken. 



Listed in order of decreasing abundance, 

 and collected in quantities of 100 or more 

 pounds for any single tow, were: Pacific 

 ocean perch ( Sebastodes alutus ), sharpchin 

 rockfish (S^. zacentrus ), Alaska pollock ( Ther - 

 agra chalcogrammus ), turbot ( Atheresthes 

 stomias ), black cod ( Anoplopoma fimbria ). 

 silvergray rockfish {S_. brevispinis ), yellow - 

 tail rockfish (S^. flavidus ), stripetail rockfish 

 (^. saxicola ), rex sole (G lyptocephalus zachi - 



