"The halibut bycatch was extremely high by trawl gear in September -- as high if not higher than anything we've seen before. There is no specific explanation for this except possibly the trawlers were at the wrong place at the wrong time," Pearson said.
The halibut bycatch limit for trawlers is 2000 metric tons of halibut mortality annually, which is apportioned by season and target species, which breaks it up into five different quotas for the year.
Pearson noted that the trawl closure leaves about 700 tons of Pacific cod on the table, and anticipates a cleanup fishery with pots, long-line and jig gear. The closure does not affect IFQ fishermen or long-liners and jiggers fishing for other species such as skates and rockfish.
Researchers with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have released the results of their seal and sea lion count in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, showing that fur seals are continuing to decline in the Pribilofs, but Stellar sea lion numbers are increasing in Western Alaska, welcome news for commercial fishermen who have experienced some closures as a result of population declines. "Two counts in four years doesn't scientifically establish a clear population trend for endangered Stellar sea lions in western Alaska, but the numbers point towards stabilization or increase of that population," said Doug DeMaster, director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, in a press release. "Northern fur seals are another story. We have seen a serious decline starting about 1998, and we don't understand the factors responsible," DeMaster added.
Northern fur seals are considered depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scientists have just finished their analysis of the 2004 count for northern fur seals in the Pribilof Islands and recorded that, once again, fewer pups have been born this year than during the previous biennial estimate, with a population decline rate of about 6 percent annually since 1998. NOAA Fisheries scientists estimate that the western Stellar sea lion population increased approximately 6 to 7 percent from 2002 to 2004. That is similar to the rate of increase observed between 2000 and 2002. Between 1991 and 2002, the western Stellar sea lion population declined at about 4 percent per year on average. The eastern stock of Steller sea lions (Southeast Alaska to California) has increased at 2 to 3 percent per year overall from the early 1980s to 2002. Causes for the recent population changes for northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) are not known.
The ebb and flow of available prey, perhaps influenced by large-scale fishing and natural ecosystem fluctuations is one possible factor. The complexity of ecosystem interactions and limitations of data and models make it difficult to determine how fishery removals may have influenced the populations. Other factors which may have contributed to past and present declines of northern fur seals and Stellar sea lions include parasites and disease, injuries, pollutants, general nutrition, and predation by killer whales.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence, has completed a 2003 subsistence harvest technical report for NMFS. The study presents data from the fishery, which came under a new federal regulation implemented by NMFS in May 2003. NMFS contracted with the Division of Subsistence to produce the study because of the division's experience and expertise in performing subsistence research.
The report is an important aspect of the new federal regulations that were created to allow monitoring and management of the fishery. The regulatory program affects residents of 117 rural communities or members of 123 Alaska Native tribes with traditional uses of halibut. According to the study findings, an estimated 4,935 individuals subsistence fished for halibut in Alaska in 2003. The estimated subsistence halibut harvest totaled 43,841 fish for 1,039,808 pounds net weight (75 percent of live weight). Of this total, 751,659 pounds were harvested using longlines, 288,153 pounds were harvested with rod and reel or hand-line gear.
Subsistence fishermen also harvested an estimated 14,855 rockfish and 3,299 lingcod in 2003 while fishing for halibut. The largest subsistence halibut harvest occurred in Southeast Alaska with a harvest of 627,476 pounds net weight for 60.3 percent of the statewide total. Southcentral Alaska harvested 278,745 pounds, or 26.8 percent. State-wide, a total of 82.5 million pounds (net weight) of halibut was taken through commercial, sport and subsistence fisheries in Alaska in 2003. The subsistence harvest accounted for 1.3 percent of this total.
More information about the study and copies of the report may be obtained by visiting the Division of Subsistence Web site at www.subsistence. adfg.state.ak.us or by calling the Division of Subsistence of ADF&G in Anchorage (907) 267-2353 or Juneau (907) 465-4147.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978, and has also designed and built gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and sablefish and gillnets salmon in Upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.
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