USA: Struggling Alaska seafood industry dealt another blow by early closure of pollock season

Published 2024년 10월 1일

Tridge summary

The Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) pollock fishery has been permanently closed due to a Chinook salmon bycatch incident that resulted in the capture of over 2,000 Chinook salmon, surpassing the allowed limit. The closure, effective immediately and extending through 2024, was necessary to protect the Chinook salmon population. This incident, which occurred despite both vessels following best fishing practices, marks the first time such a closure has been implemented in the region. The closure leaves a significant amount of pollock unfished in the waters between regions 620 and 630.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Alaska's seafood industry – already dealing with an uncertain future caused by crab season closures and a down year for the salmon fishery – has been dealt yet another blow with the early closure of Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) pollock fishery. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced on 25 September all directed fishing for pollock by vessels using trawl gear in in the CGOA region was halted through the end of 2024 due to a Chinook salmon bycatch incident.According to the Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, the Chinook bycatch incident occurred on 22 September. “When this event occurred, both vessels were adhering to best fishing practices, including monitoring for salmon and communicating to each other on the grounds,” AGDB said in a release. “When the first vessel determined there was an unprecedented amount of salmon, the other vessel fishing nearby was immediately notified and that vessel hauled its gear and ceased fishing, likely resulting in ...

Source: Seafoodsource