Alaska pollock

The West Bering Sea (WBS) stock has been accepted recently as a separate biological stock covering a portion of area 61.01 (the western Bering Sea) to the west of 174ºE and the adjacent Karagin Bay (Karaginsky) area.

A statistical age-structured assessment model is used (“Synthesis”), using commercial catch and sampling data and data from at least two direct surveys from previous years, whose regularity is limited by climatic conditions (PCA, 2010a). An ichthyoplankton survey has not been conducted since 2002 due to ice cover and lack of funding. A bottom trawl survey conducted since 1960 is used to tune the model despite it being focused on demersal species (KamchatNIRO, 2015). Uncertainty in the assessments is considered to be moderate, indicating “sufficient credibility” (PCA, 2010a). The 2014 survey in the Karaginsky zone did not follow the same procedure as in previous years and the unusually high survey results were not considered by assessors. Overall, the quality of data from the Karaginsky subzone used in the 2015 assessment was considered to be satisfactory, but from the WBS to be of low quality (KamchatNIRO, 2015). Full stock assessment reports are not regularly made public, only assessment summaries.

Advice is provided annually by scientists at Russia’s Pacific TINRO fisheries research center, followed by input from the central VNIRO scientific council, as catch recommendations based on latest survey data. Forecasts are updated throughout the fishing season as environmental factors and fishing developments are further mapped (PCA, 2010a). TINRO also coordinates research on environmental impacts.

Projections conducted as part of the 2015 assessment projected the 2016 SSB as 190.5 thousand tons, a further reduction on the 2014 estimate of 208.1 thousand tons (KamchatNIRO, 2015). Given the decline in the stock and the risk that future recruitment may be affected, recommended TACs, following the harvest control rule, have been successively reduced, with 11.5 thousand tons recommended for 2015, and just 7.4 thousand tons in 2016 – as in previous years, the entire TAC is recommended to be taken in the Karaginsky sub-zone and a zero TAC is recommended for WBS zone to the west of 174ºE. However, even in the absence of fishing, the assessment notes that a small risk is present of the stock becoming depleted (KamchatNIRO, 2015).

Last updated on 28 Jan 2016

Reference points appeared to be re-estimated annually, but in the 2013 to 2015 assessments, reference points have remained as (KamchatNIRO, 2013; 2014; 2015):

F_trp=F_med=0.126
F_lim=0.343

B_trp=SSB_Ftrp=362,900 tons
B_lim=accounting for uncertainty in B_min=145,900 tons.

The 2015 stock assessment summary estimated the 2014 spawning stock at 208.1 thousand tons (KamchatNIRO, 2015), a decrease on recent years, but still between the target (362,900 tons) and limit (145,600 tons) reference points (KamchatNIRO, 2015), and close to levels which preceded the closure of the main target fishery in 2002 (KamchatNIRO, 2014). The predominant age groups recorded in 2014 catches were ages 5 to 7, with some age 2 fish also present. The lack of strong year classes since 2006 suggests the stock will continue to decline in the next few years (KamchatNIRO, 2015).

The results of the 2008 assessment indicated the spawning stock was in a healthy state at 958,000 tons, well above its then target reference point of 486,700 tons. This status was revised in 2012: according to the 2012 evaluation, which recalculated the reference points, the stock was apparently overfished in recent years, although it was predicted that the spawning biomass would reach 468.2 thousand tons in 2013, between its limit and target reference points (KamchatNIRO, 2012b).

A target fishing mortality is determined but current fishing mortality series are not reported in the summary assessment document published; however, systematic overfishing is reported in the West Bering Sea area (KamchatNIRO, 2015).

Last updated on 28 Jan 2016

During the 1970s and 80s, catches including those in the Karaginsky subzone, averaged 273,000 tons, peaking at 549,000 tons in 1976. The late 1990s saw a decrease due to depletion of the stock caused by natural factors and by overharvesting, including poaching, and the target fishery was closed from 2002 to 2006 (PCA, 2010a). The stock showed signs of increase during the closure but recent assessments indicate that it then decreased again (KamchatNIRO, 2013; 2014; 2015) and the stock has remained overfished in recent years. Catches have averaged 70,000 tons in the last 20 years and saw a maximum of 180,000 tons (KamchatNIRO, 2015).

Previous descriptions of the management process state that scientific advice is successively considered by several bodies in the TAC-setting process, including stakeholders. Harvest monitoring and control and gear types in use are also reportedly collaboratively discussed with research institutions (PCA, 2010a) and proposals may also be submitted by fishers (PCA, 2010c). A harvest control rule is apparently in place which reduces the fishing mortality to 10% of the target fishing mortality (F) in depleted states of the stock.

From a scientific perspective, the stock is assessed separately from the Navarinsky stock and although a dividing line separating the TAC area of the WBS population from the Navarinsky population was previously defined, it ceased to be explicitly considered from 2001 to 2015, and a combined TAC was formally set for both western Bering Sea stocks combined, resulting in the current overfished state of the WBS “proper” stock (PCA, 2010a). In a break from that pattern, the TAC for 2016 was officially set in line with scientific advice, with the entirety of the West Bering Sea area TAC to be taken from the Navarinsky stock. However, as of January 2016, catch statistics (up to September 2015) remained jointly reported for the two areas.

TACs are generally defined by management area, but the 2016 TAC of 455,800 tons is explicitly to be taken to the east of 174ºE. Thus the total catch limit for the stock is the TAC set for the Karaginsky subzone, of 7,400 tons (Ministry of Agriculture, 2015), formally in line with scientific advice for the first time in several years.
The pattern in the period from 2013 to 2015 (from which advice started to be published online) was a TAC for Karaginsky set in line with the advice for that subzone, but a single TAC formally set for the entire western Bering Sea fishing zone at between 393,000 and 430,000 tons, allowing for the 13,000 to 0 tons advised to be taken west of 174ºE to be exceeded (Ministry of Agriculture, 2012; 2013; 2014).

A second seasonal closure from 1 September to 31 December was advised by scientists to protect the declining WBS stock, but the proposal is still awaiting adoption.

Last updated on 28 Jan 2016

The closure of the target fishery from 2002 to 2006, with only a 10,000 ton bycatch quota attributed, had a positive effect on stock status. Simultaneously the minimum commercial landing size was increased from 32 to 37 cm. While the stock recovered, fishing was “mainly limited to inshore Danish seine operations” (PCA, 2010a). Similar measures are now again in place given the stock’s new decline, with the harvest control rule in the rebuilding phase limiting 2016 recommended catches to 7.4 thousand tons (KamchatNIRO, 2015). It was anticipated that an additional closed season in the WBS fishing zone, to the west of 174° E, would be introduced by the end of 2013, thus providing additional protection against overfishing of the WBS stock in the zone but it is unclear if this has occurred.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) enforces laws in Russia’s EEZ and territorial seas and Government Marine Inspectors monitor and control fishing activities. Vessels must complete Daily Vessel Reports and larger vessels must carry a monitoring system (VMS) (PCA, 2012c). From January 2009, it is mandatory that all catches of marine bioresources, including pollock, from the Russian EEZ and adjacent shelf areas be taken to national marine ports for processing for domestic markets and export. The measure reportedly works as an effective addition to other measures aimed at the eradication of IUU fishing, but uncertainty remains as to the degree of compliance in the fishery.

Within the combined Navarinsky/WBS TACs for the Western Bering Sea, the WBS stock is systematically overfished (KamchatNIRO, 2013). Surveillance and inspections are conducted and report strong compliance with fishing regulations in general. Of 769 inspections in 2009, 18 resulted in penalties for breach of regulations (PCA, 2010c). A national plan to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated IUU) fishing was to be implemented in 2010 (PCA, 2010c).

Impacts on endangered, protected and threatened (ETP) species are thought to be low (PCA, 2010b). Steller sea lion and Northern fur seal populations have reportedly been stable (PCA, 2010a), although the number of fur seal pups was down in 2014 (KamchatNIRO, 2015) and the global panmictic population is classified as Vulnerable and decreasing on the IUCN Red List (Gelatt et al, 2015). The Red List classifies Steller Sea lion as Endangered, and notes it is persistently decreasing in the Commander Islands (Gelatt & Lowry, 2012). Harvesting of rare and endangered species listed in the Russian Red Book is prohibited (PCA, 2010a) and closed areas are declared around rookeries of otters, Steller sea-lions and seals (PCA, 2010c); however harvesting of fur seals is permitted, under a TAC set based on population trends (KamchatNIRO, 2015).

Bycatch limits for allowed species are set by regulation (PCA, 2010a). Pelagic trawl must have a mesh insert for improving selectivity of the catch. Bycatch species include cod, herring, Pacific and Greenland halibut, chinook and coho salmon and Komandor squid. Bycatch rates are low and none of these is noted to be depleted, with the exception of herring, which is not being affected by bycatch rates in the pollock fishery (PCA, 2010b). The 2015 assessment summary (KamchatNIRO, 2015) indicates a similar state for these bycatch species in the region, although the quality of the assessments varies.

Environmental impacts of the fishery are reported to be low, as it is historically conducted mainly with pelagic trawl, with Danish seine used in coastal areas, and regulations are in place to ensure impacts on benthic habitats are minimized (PCA, 2010b). Bottom trawling and other non-selective gear are prohibited in the fishery (PCA, 2010c).

Last updated on 28 Jan 2016

An internationally agreed closed area is in place in central Bering Sea since 1993 (PCA, 2010a). The target fishery in the Karaginsky sub-area was closed from 2002 to 2006 due to low abundance. Since re-opening, a closure has been enforced during spawning season, from March 1^st to April 30^th. A spawning closure is also in place from March 1^st to May 15^th in the northern part of the sea. Shallow water (<300 m) areas are closed to limit capture of juveniles, many coastal zones being closed to all types of fishing (PCA, 2010a), and several marine reserves are declared, and fishing banned, around marine mammal rookeries (PCA, 2010c).