Pacific cod

Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska is depleted, but is not subject to overfishing.There are four Pacific cod stocks in the north Pacific. In the east, they are: Aleutian Islands (AI), Bering Sea (BS), and Gulf of Alaska (GOA). In the west is the Bering Sea (West) and Chukotskaya, Karaginskaya & Petropavlovsko-Komandorskaya subzones stock. This rating covers the Gulf of Alaska.A small fishery for GOA Pacific cod began in the 1950s. It fluctuated between 50,000t and 80,000t in the 1990s and 2000s, declining to just 7,000t in 2020. In 2024, 23,000 tonnes were caught.The most recent stock assessment was published by NOAA in 2024 using data up to 2024. The approach to setting targets and reference points for the stock varies depending on which tier the stock is listed as. They also vary from one year to the next, depending on the most recent stock assessment data.The GOA stock is Tier 3b, indicating there are some data limitations, but there are reference points for biomass and fishing pressure.In the Gulf of Alaska, very warm waters are having a large negative effect on recruitment and may be reducing adult survival as well. The threshold for closing the fishery is set at 20% of the biomass that would exist in the absence of fishing (B20%). This is to protect Steller sea lions, for which cod is important prey. In 2020, the stock was below this point and the federal fishery was closed, although a small state fishery continued. In 2021, the stock had recovered to above B20% and the fishery was reopened. However, long-term warming in the Gulf of Alaska and a predicted increase in the frequency of heatwave events means that conditions will likely become increasingly unfavourable for Pacific cod.In 2024, the female spawning biomass was estimated to be 51,959t, which equates to B30%. This is above the point of reproductive impairment, B17.5%. However it is below the proxy for Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), B35% (61,315t). The stock is therefore still in an overfished state. As it is above the halfway point between Blim and BMSY (B27%), there is slightly reduced concern for the stock.The proxy for Maximum Sustainable Yield with regard to fishing mortality is the overfishing limit (OFL). For 2024, it is set at 0.52, increasing to 0.57 in 2025 and 0.51 in 2026. The Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), which is used to decide catch limits, is calculated as a proportion of the OFL, and was 0.42 in 2024. This equates to a catch of 32,272 tonnes. The total catch of Pacific cod has been less than the OFL and ABC in every year since 1997. Estimated catch in 2024 was 23,171t - below ABC and therefore below OFL. Therefore, the stock is not subject to overfishing.In 2025 the stock is projected to decline to 46,920t. As a result, the ABC for 2025 (32,141t) has only slightly decreased (<1%) from 2024.

A number of management measures are in place and compliance is good. Catches are below scientifically recommended limits. The majority of the fishery is Marine Stewardship Council certified, although certification is conditional on making some improvements.There are three Pacific cod stocks in the eastern north Pacific: Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, and Gulf of Alaska. They are managed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. There are two separate but complementary fishery management plans (FMPs) for them: the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Groundfish FMP and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Groundfish FMP. The FMPs cover a number of species, which are managed using various measures to protect stocks and ecosystem. These include catch limits and spatial and temporal closures.The BSAI and GOA fishery is Marine Stewardship Council certified. In 2024, approximately 37% of the total GOA was by certified fisheries. The certification is conditional on developing clear, fishery-specific objectives.The BSAI cod fisheries mainly happen in US waters and are managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Stock assessments are carried out regularly. The overfishing limit (OFL), equivalent to the Maximum Sustainable Yield, is based on the estimated stock biomass. Catch limits are based on the Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), which is set below the OFL. This keeps catch limits below the level at which the stock would be put at risk by the fishery.However, very warm waters in the Gulf of Alaska have caused significant stock declines. Following the first heat wave, biomass fell by more than half from 113,830 tonnes in 2014 to 46,080 tonnes in 2017. This resulted in the MSC certification for GOA being suspended in April 2020, although it has since been reinstated.The threshold for closing the fishery is set at 20% of the biomass that would exist in the absence of fishing (B20%). This is to protect Steller sea lions, for which cod is important prey. In 2020, the stock was below this point and the federal fishery was closed, although a small state and bycatch fishery continued. However, there is evidence to suggest that the fishery should have been closed a year earlier following the 2018 stock assessments.In 2021, the stock recovered to above B20% and the fishery was reopened. Biomass has increased, but remains below the level associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield. The recommended catch limit for 2025 (32,141t) is a slight decrease from 2024 levels.Management therefore appears to be following scientific advice and is responsive to stock status.There is a federal and a state fishery. The ABC is divided between the two: the federal fishery is limited by a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and the state fishery is limited by a Guideline Harvest Level (GHL). In 2024 the ABC was 32,272t, with the federal TAC set at 23,766 t and state GHL set at 8,506 t. As of 17 October 2024, a total of 23,171t (72% of the ABC) had been harvested. The total catch of Pacific cod has been less than the OFL and ABC in every year since 1997.Therefore, the fishery appears to be complying well with catch limits.Stock assessments and management advice are based on a tiered system, where Tier 1 indicates the most data rich, and Tier 6 is the least. The BS stock is Tier 3b, indicating that there are reference points. There are some uncertainties in the assessment. Environmental conditions are improving for Pacific cod as temperatures cool, which indicate stock improvements in future.Other management measures include spatial and temporal closures. There are bycatch limits to protect juveniles and species of concern, such as Steller sea lions, chinook salmon and herring.In the Gulf of Alaska, all vessels in the groundfish fisheries must have a permit. Vessel monitoring systems track locations. Scientifically trained observers monitor catch and bycatch. Dockside monitoring, and electronic monitoring systems ensure compliance. Fishermen must retain their entire catch of Pacific cod - it cannot be discarded at sea. This improves accuracy of catch data.

Some Gulf of Alaska cod is caught by potting. There are some interactions with seabirds, but this is not thought to be a threat to populations.Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska are caught by longline, trawl, pot and jig. Potting accounted for around 32% in 2024.Information about the effect of the pot fishery on seabed habitats is scarce, but impacts are considered to be minor.Management measures include seasons, gear restrictions, and multiple area closures. Certain locations only permit the use of trawling gear while fishing for Pacific cod, and vessels employing hook-and-line gear must comply with restrictions regarding seabird avoidance. Gear standards include biodegradable panels in pot gears.According to MSC reports, Pacific cod accounted for 91% of the average pot catch from 2014-2018. Bycatch is small, and includes yellowfin sole, yellow Irish lord, great sculpin, other large sculpins, and octopus.GOA pot fisheries take very few seabirds. Northern fulmars are the most commonly taken, with an average of 45 birds per year. At these levels, removals are not expected to affect populations.The GOA Pacific cod pot fishery is listed as a Category III, which means that there is remote likelihood of, or no known, incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals. There have been no documented interactions in the past 5 years.Management measures have been implemented to protect the direct and indirect impact on Steller sea lion, for which cod is a prey species. These include establishing fishery exclusion zones around rookery or haul out sites, phased-in reductions in the proportions of the catch that can be taken from critical habitat, and additional seasonal TAC releases to disperse the fishery in time.

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