"Alaska Pollock"

An innovative scientific approach to survey Alaska pollock this year.

Scientists have developed a novel analytical method to learn more about critical relationships in the ocean. In particular, they are seeking to refine their understanding of how regional environmental and climate conditions affect juvenile fish survival.

Walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus)) is a semi-pelagic schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean.

This is a three species stock assessment for walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) and arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias), from the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS), Alaska updated from Holsman et al.(2016).

The base model projection of female spawning biomass in 2019 is 345,352 t, which is 62.4% of unfished spawning biomass (based on average post-1977 recruitment) and above B40% (221,000 t), thereby placing GOA pollock in sub-tier “a” of Tier 3. New survey data in 2018 are highly contrasting, with the 2018 Shelikof Strait acoustic survey indicating high biomass, and the ADFG trawl survey indicating relatively low biomass (though increased from the previous two years). The risk matrix table recommended by the SSC was used to determine whether to recommend an ABC lower than the maximum permissible. The table is applied by evaluating the severity of three types of considerations that could be used to support a scientific recommendation to reduce the ABC from the maximum permissible. We identified substantially increased concerns for the stock assessment, the population dynamics of pollock, and environmental/ecosystem factors that are likely to affect pollock.

A new study shows how climate and fishing are changing pollock spawning time, and how changes in spawning time could affect fisheries in the future.

Young pollock survival during most recent Bering Sea warm phase could be good news for Alaska pollock fishery.

Visualizing distributions of 22 fish species by size over 34 years of climate variability in the Bering Sea.

The Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report summarizes the best available scientific information concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks, marine ecosystems, and fisheries that are managed under Federal regulation. It provides information to the Councils for determining annual harvest levels from each stock, documenting significant trends or changes in the resource, marine ecosystems, and fishery over time, and assessing the relative success of existing state and Federal fishery management programs. For the FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Area, the SAFE report is published in three sections: a “Stock Assessment” section, which comprises the bulk of this document, and “Economic Status of Groundfish Fisheries off Alaska” (i.e., the “Economic SAFE report”) and “Ecosystem Considerations” sections, which are bound separately.

The Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report summarizes the best available scientific information concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks, marine ecosystems, and fisheries that are managed under Federal regulation. It provides information to the Councils for determining annual harvest levels from each stock, documenting significant trends or changes in the resource, marine ecosystems, and fishery over time, and assessing the relative success of existing state and Federal fishery management programs. For the FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Area, the SAFE report is published in three sections: a “Stock Assessment” section, which comprises the bulk of this document, and “Economic Status of Groundfish Fisheries off Alaska” (i.e., the “Economic SAFE report”) and “Ecosystem Considerations” sections, which are bound separately.