Alaska pollock

The stock in this assessment has decreased but still remains in a healthy state and therefore there is no concern for the biomass. However, no data for fishing mortality are available and there could be concern for fishing pressure.There are two pollock stocks in the Western Bering Sea (WBS):East of 174 degrees E, known as Navarinsky stock, which includes the Chukotka subzone. This is the larger of the two fisheries, accounting for 98% of catches in recent years.West of 174 degrees E, known as the WBS stock, which includes the Karaginsky subzone.No additional updates have been released about this stock. However, MSC surveillance audit report indicates that spawning stock biomass continues to be above biomass targets.This rating relates to the Navarinsky stock. This is the second most important pollock fishery in Russian waters. Catches from this area grew to almost 1 million tonnes in 1981. They averaged around 500,000t from 1985-1992, and after that have been slightly lower at around 400,000t.Fisheries research and stock assessments are coordinated by the Russian Federal Fishery Agency (FFA) through VNIRO (Russian Federal Research Institute for Fisheries and Oceanography). The most recent stock assessment was carried out in 2021 using data up to 2020. Two different models (Synthesis and SAM) are used, giving very similar results.Spawning stock biomass (SSB) in 2020 is estimated to be between 1.3 and 1.8 million tonnes. This is well above the target level (Btr, approx. 1 million tonnes). Therefore the stock is not in an overfished state.Fishing pressure (F) in 2021 is estimated by both models to be equal to the target level. They also indicate that fishing pressure has been below the target levels for the past decade. Therefore, the stock is not subject to overfishing.The stock was projected to grow in 2020 if fishing remained at 2019 levels.

A number of appropriate management measures are in place. However, there are some concerns about the bycatch of juveniles. The Navarinksy fishery has been Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified since 2021. Certification is conditional on improving monitoring and mitigation of bycatch.The MSC-certified component of the fishery is responsible for around 70% of pollock catches in this area.Pollock in the Bering Sea lives in the economic zone of two states: Russia and the United States. During years of very high abundance, it spreads to the central part of the Bering Sea, outside the zones of Russia and the United States, where its commercial use is regulated by the six-party (Russia, USA, Japan, China, Republic of Korea, Poland) Convention (1993) on the preservation and management of pollock resources in the central part of the Bering Sea.Pollock in Russian waters is managed by the Russian Federal Fishery Agency (FFA) using a range of measures under the Fishing Rules for the Far Eastern Fishing Basin. These include: Total allowance Catch (TACs), gear and area restrictions, bycatch and juvenile limits, and move-on rules. The FFA sets TACs for each management sub-area based on the recommendations given by the TINRO (Pacific Fisheries and Oceanography Institute, Vladivostok).There are a number of different pollock stocks in Russian waters, including two stocks in the Western Bering Sea:East of 174 degrees E, known as Navarinsky stock, which includes the Chukotka subzone.West of 174 degrees E, known as the WBS stock, which includes the Karaginsky subzone.This rating is for the Navarinsky stock. The TAC is determined by the Harvest Control Rule (HCR) and is based on the status of fishing mortality and spawning biomass in relation to limit and target reference points. Since 20023, the TAC for this stock has only been exceeded once, in 2004, by 1.5%.In 2016, the allowable catch of juvenile pollock in this area was increased from 20% to 40% of the total catch (by number), owing to the large number of juveniles here. If this limit is surpassed, the vessel must notify the management agency and move on from the area. Pelagic trawls are designed to allow juvenile pollock (less than 35cm) to escape through selectivity panels. While the use of this insert has proved to be effective, a high catch of juveniles would be concerning.All vessels have Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) installed and there is a daily catch reporting log. In the certified Navarinsky pollock trawl fishery, scientific observer coverage is relatively low at around 9% of the fishery, although this covers 84% of the catch by volume.Vessels, trawling operations, and catches are observed by scientific observers from fishery research institutes, Coast Guard inspectors and FFA inspectors. The cross-referencing system in place between data systems and inspections suggests that there is little scope for misreporting of retained catches or discarding.

Most pollock is caught by mid-water trawling. There are no known habitat impacts, and bycatch is low.The industrial fishery for Navarinksy pollock is carried out by vessels of mainly large or medium tonnage, operating mid water trawls off the seabed.Mid-water trawl does not contact with the bottom and therefore, has minimal negative impact on the benthic ecosystem. Spatial restrictions have been set and trawling may not be conducted less than 30 miles offshore and 5-12 miles from islands.The fishery targets pollock aggregations with midwater trawls using 100 mm mesh nets. According to the most recent bycatch data, pollock makes up 98% of the catch in the Navarinsky fishery. Other species found in the catch include: herring, Pacific cod and Greenland halibut.All bycatch must be recorded and reported. There are regulations in place to reduce bycatch, including temporal and spatial closures. For example, if bycatch exceeds 2% of the pollock catch, the excess catch must be discarded and the vessel must relocate at least 5 miles from the area. Due to a low volume of bycatch species, there is not thought to be a biological threat to other pelagic species from this fishery.Three endangered, threatened or protected (ETP) species have been reported to interact with the fishery: the Steller sea lion, the short-tailed albatross in relatively low numbers and the grey whale. Observers on commercial pollock vessels in the western Bering Sea did not record any capture or mortalities of marine mammals in 2019 or 2020. There are closed areas to protect marine mammals and their primary forage habitats.Alaska pollock are important prey for Steller sea lions, making up 23% of their diet. Steller sea lions are protected in reserves, where there are both rookeries and haul-outs. In some areas such as the Commander Islands, trawling is prohibited within 30 miles of the islands (Japp et al., 2021). Steller sea lions is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN red list (Gelatt & Sweeney 2016).No measures seem to be in place to minimise the impact on seabirds. There are no direct measures in place such as seal excluder devices and bird scaring lines.The Navarinksy fishery has been Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified since 2021. The MSC-certified component of the fishery is responsible for around 70% of pollock catches in this area. The certification is conditional on improving monitoring and mitigation of bycatch.

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