"Rockfish"

This report presents the summary views of Drs. Patrick Cordue, Cynthia Jones, and Robert Mohn on each of three terms of reference, as the reviewers were required to generate under the review statement of work. As such, the report only collates the summary views to generate a concise set of summaries, and it does not otherwise alter the reviewers’ text. For a more detailed discussion on each term, the reader should refer to the reviewers’ full reports.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center conducts a variety of research on Pacific ocean perch, which seem to be most abundant in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands.

The National Standard Guidelines for Fishery Management Plans published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) require that a stock assessment and fishery evaluation (SAFE) report be prepared and reviewed annually for each fishery management plan (FMP). The SAFE reports are intended to summarize the best available scientific information concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks and fisheries under federal management. The FMPs for the groundfish fisheries managed by the Council require that drafts of the SAFE reports be produced each year in time for the December North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meetings.

The rockfishes (family Scorpaenidae) of the northeast Pacific Ocean north of Mexico comprise five genera, three of which are included in this guide: Sebastes, Sebastolobus, and Adelosebastes. Sebastes includes some 100 species worldwide; 33, including one to be described, are presently recognized from Alaskan waters. Sebastolobus (commonly known as the thornyheads) includes only three species worldwide; all three are found in Alaskan waters. The single species of Adelosebastes (the Aleutian scorpionfish, A. latens) is known only from the Aleutian Islands and Emperor Seamounts. Of the three genera treated here, Sebastes poses the most difficulties in identification, both because of the numbers of species and because of their morphological similarity and variability. This guide includes color images of 37 species photographed under natural and electronic flash conditions in the field. Most specimens were photographed immediately after collection.

The Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Other rockfish complex includes all species of Sebastes and Sebastolobus, except for Pacific ocean perch (POP, Sebastes alutus), northern rockfish (Sebastes polyspinis), dark rockfish (Sebastes ciliatus), rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus), blackspotted rockfish (Sebastes melanostictus) and shortraker rockfish (Sebastes borealis). The seven most abundant species in this complex are shortspine thornyhead; Sebastolobus alascanus, dusky rockfish; Sebastes variabilis, redbanded rockfish; Sebastes babcocki, redstripe rockfish; Sebastes proriger, yelloweye rockfish; Sebastes ruberrimus, harlequin rockfish; Sebastes variegatus, and sharpchin rockfish; Sebastes zacentrus. Many of the species in the genus Sebastes are relatively uncommon; and different species may be represented in different years. The two most abundant species in the Other Rockfish complex are dusky rockfish and shortspine thornyheads (SST).

In Section 802 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004, the U.S. Congress included a directive to the Secretary of Commerce to establish a pilot program for management of three rockfish fisheries in the Central Gulf of Alaska.