Meateater- Trawl Bycatch

[kwackkillncrew]

Well this crawler business IS affecting the fish I catch/eat. In the short period of time I've been fishing Kodiak (most years since 2019, so not even talking 'the good old days') there is an observable and regulatory difference. King salmon this year is emergency order of 1 (down from 2). In addition to additional days added for zero halibut fishing. Halibut used to be 2 with one over either 31" or 32" which was doable, they lowered it to 28" and those were only occasionally caught (plenty of 28-32" though), this year it looks like that is reduced to 27".

Just so other people know, those halibut regs and no fish days are for charters only. Private boats aren't effected.....yet, but its only a matter of time.



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[Hatchet]

Coast Guard removes release, social media posts on $65K Alaska roe seizure

The U.S. Coast Guard has removed a press release and social media posts about a high-profile pollock roe seizure in Dutch Harbor

www.alaskasnewssource.com

 

[WalterH]

Meanwhile, king salmon fishing across most of southcentral and northwestern Alaska is and has been closed, minus a few hatchery fisheries, for the last handful of years due to runs not meeting minimum escapement goals.

Halibut and groundfish IFQ quotas, the share of these fish that go to commercial fisherman, are at an all-time low this year due to population declines.

Crabs live on the bottom of the ocean, in case anyone was wondering...

 

[william schmaltz]

Maybe some time but it would be Louisiana no one cooks better food than the cajuns. I guess as long as i can get crawfish shipped here i will be fine and some oysters. Do we still get crab since they are caught in traps?

Several of the Bering Sea crab seasons have been cancelled or quotas have been reduced so much that they’re hardly worth fishing - there’s one pretty obvious big flashing red light as to why…..

No one hates the trawling industry more than the Bering Sea crab guys.

 

[KurtR]

Several of the Bering Sea crab seasons have been cancelled or quotas have been reduced so much that they’re hardly worth fishing - there’s one pretty obvious big flashing red light as to why…..

No one hates the trawling industry more than the Bering Sea crab guys.

Well then f those trawling guys. I really like king and snow crab.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

Seems like i need to some how suspend my crab pot to catch them mid water crab schools.

 

[AKBC]

Don't forget that trawlers were dragging during the king salmon "good old days." Orcas and other marine mammals are the primary cause for king salmon declines - https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1910930116. "Killer whales are estimated to currently consume over 2.5 million adult Chinook salmon each year."

We will not cull orcas or other marine mammals so we must reduce human mortality. Commercial and sport salmon fisheries have been closed and its way past time for trawl bycatch of salmon to be reduced or ideally eliminated. Trawl bycatch of halibut, crab and other bottom fish is entirely unacceptable.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

well the trawlers scooped up a few orcas so they saved a few kings i suppose, but then netted them kings a day later.

Cause of Death Determined for 11 Killer Whales Incidentally Caught in Fishing Gear in Alaska in 2023

Majority of whales belong to Eastern North Pacific Alaska Resident stock.

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

 

[IronNoggin]

This has been going on for a very long time.
Via DNA analysis, it was proven that a huge amount of this bycatch of Chinook (Kings for some, Springs for others) were West Coast Canadian fish, and a decent amount of lower 48 fish.

In fact two years ago, that bycatch exceeded the annual quota given to our Canadian Troller fleets.

Disgusting.

 

[WalterH]

Don't forget that trawlers were dragging during the king salmon "good old days." Orcas and other marine mammals are the primary cause for king salmon declines - https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1910930116. "Killer whales are estimated to currently consume over 2.5 million adult Chinook salmon each year."

That study covered the entire west coast of N. America. The impact on kings from predation vs. fisheries harvest really varies from place to place.

The study did not cover the Bering Sea, which is the primary area of concern being the hub of much of the trawling activity and also where the vast majority of Alaska's kings grow up.