Alaska Pacific Cod - Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
MSC status
Certified as sustainable on 22nd January 2010.
Summary
Species: Cod (Gadus macrocephalus)
Location: Pacific Ocean - eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Fishing methods: Trawl, Longline, Pot & Jig
Vessels: 39
Number of fisheries: 1
More about Cod
Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska are fast growing fish and reach an average length of 19 cm in 1 year. By 12 years they may exceed 89 cm. The stocks are generally exploited from age 3 onwards.
Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a transoceanic species, occurring at depths from shoreline to 500m. The southern limit of the species’ distribution is about 34˚N latitude, with a northern limit of about 63˚ N latitude. Pacific cod is distributed widely over the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) as well as in the Aleutian Islands (AI) area. The resource in these two areas (BSAI) is managed as a single unit. Tagging studies have demonstrated significant migration both within and between the EBS, AI, and Gulf of Alaska (GOA).
More about the fishing methods
Trawl: Typical vessel length for catcher vessels is from 60 to 180 feet length overall (LOA) and about 107 to 295 feet LOA for catcher-processors. The gear used includes many different types of bottom trawls, most typically having a headrope to footrope vertical distance rise of 1 to 5 fathoms (6 to 30 feet). Net mesh gets smaller towards the intermediate and codend, with the codend typically having 5½ to 8-inch stretched diamond mesh.
Longline: Vessels participating in this fishery include small to medium (less than 75-foot) catcher vessels and catcher-processors (a.k.a. freezer-longliners) that range from 90 to 200 feet in length. This fishery is prosecuted with stationary lines onto which baited hooks are attached by gangions. Gear components that contact the bottom include the anchors, groundline, gangions, and hooks.
Pot: Pots used in a directed cod fishery are modified crab pots, which are constructed with a steel bar frame (1 ¼ inch diameter) and covered with tarred nylon mesh netting (3 ½ inch stretched mesh). Pot sizes range from 6 to 8 feet square, with the average vessel using 7 by 7 foot pots. Each pot has two tunnel openings on opposite sides, with plastic “finger” funnels to retain the fish. The tunnel eye cannot be greater than 9 inches in any one dimension. An escape panel of untreated cotton must be sewn into the mesh. The pot is attached with a 6 - 8 foot bridle, generally constructed of 1 inch diameter poly line. A 30 to 60 foot surge, constructed of heavy duty line, is attached to the bridle.
Jig: Vessels participating in this fishery are small (less than 60-foot) catcher vessels which generally mean they fish within state waters. This fishery is prosecuted with actively fished vertical lines onto which baited hooks are attached. Gear components include a 8-pound jig weight, a 400-pound test monofilament mainline, and long shank 10/0 J-hooks that are looped directly onto the mainline. Vessels employ two to four jig machines per vessel. Hooks are dressed with colorful segments of rubber surgical tubing and are generally baited with strips of Atka mackerel.
Fishery tonnage
The total allowable catch for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific cod over all gear types in 2010 is 168,780 mt.
Commercial market
Domestic, Asian and European consumers.
Actual eligibility date
The actual eligibility date for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific cod fishery is the 14th February 2009
