Pacific cod

Pacific cod in the Aleutian Islands is data limited. There is concern that the stock size may be too small, but it is not being overfished.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 Aleutian Islands.A small fishery for AI Pacific cod began in the 1960s. It grew to over 40,000 tonnes in 1992 but has since declined. In 2024, 4,700 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.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating due to the AI stock being Tier 5, indicating there are data limitations. Additionally, there is no reference point to indicate a sustainable biomass. Pacific cod is considered to have a low resilience to fishing pressure.There has been a long term decline in the biomass of the AI stock, from over 180,000 tonnes in 1991 to 50,382 t in 2024. The 2024 estimate is the lowest in the time series, and is based on new data from the first trawl survey since 2022. There have also been recent declines in Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE), but the cause is unclear. It could relate to the timing of the fishery in relation to spawning season, or it could indicate a decline in stock size.Under Tier 5, there is no reference point for biomass. However, the stock assessment provided other models (Tier 3), which include a target for spawning biomass to be 35% of unfished levels (B35%). These were not used for the final management advice, but some conclusions appear to have been drawn from them. Under these models, if fishing continues at its average rate for the past 5 years, female spawning biomass is predicted to be above B35% by 2035. Therefore, the assessment concludes that stock is not in an overfished state. However, one of those models also indicated that biomass was below B35% in 2022 and below B20% (equivalent to Blim) in 2020 and 2021.The 2024 survey biomass estimate was 50,382 t, 2% lower than the 2022 (51,543t) estimate which was the previous lowest level on record. Additionally, the other models are not considered reliable enough for management advice, there is concern for the stock.Under Tier 5, the overfishing limit (OFL) for this stock is set at the same level as the natural mortality rate, which is 0.34. The Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), which is used to decide catch limits, is 75% of OFL, or 0.255. For 2024, this equates to a catch limit of 12,431 tonnes. For 2025 and 2026, it equates to a catch limit of 13,133 t. For 2025 and 2026, this is projected to increase to 13,376t and 12,973t, respectively. Catch of Pacific cod as of September 22 2024 was 3,570t. Over the past 5 years (2019 - 2023), 76.3% of the catch has taken place by this date. Therefore, the full year’s estimate of catch in 2024 was extrapolated to be 4,676 t. This is lower than the average catch over the past five years of 13,435t. It is also well below the ABC. Therefore, the stock is not subject to overfishing.

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 2021, 45% of the total AI catch 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 at 75% of the OFL. This keeps catch limits below the level at which the stock would be put at risk. In 2024, the stock was estimated to be 2% smaller than in 2023. The OFL and ABC were therefore reduced accordingly. 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). Since 2014, catches by the federal fishery have ranged from 37-96% of the TAC. In 2024, federal catch was 44% of the TAC. In 2023 and 2024, the GHL was set at 35% of the ABC or 6,804t, whichever is less. Estimated catch was below this, at around 4,511t in 2023 and 3,570t in 2024. The ABC has not been exceeded since 2014. Therefore, compliance with catch limits appears to be good.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 AI stock is Tier 5, although there have been attempts at applying Tier 3 models. Therefore, there is no judgement on whether the stock biomass is at sustainable levels. The stock has been declining, and is thought to be at its smallest size on record. This could indicate some concern for the biomass.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 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, all vessels in the groundfish fisheries must also have a Federal groundfish license and carry scientifically trained observers (100% observer coverage) who monitor bycatch. Onboard observers, 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.

Most Aleutian Islands cod is caught by otter trawls, which are likely to cause some damage to the seabed. However, the footprint of this fishery is small, and bycatch is low.Pacific cod in the Aleutian Islands are caught by trawl, longline, pot and jig. Trawling accounts for most of the catch, at around 92% in 2024.Demersal trawls have contact with the seabed, resulting in penetration and abrasion of habitat features. The impact of trawling on the seabed depends on the where trawling happens, and on what scale. For example, habitats that are used to natural disturbance through tides and waves are less sensitive to impacts. Areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive. The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific cod trawl fishery generally occurs over sand, mud, or cobble, which are lower risk.The Aleutian Islands fishery has a small footprint and is restricted on where it can operate. The area disturbed by commercial fishing (pelagic and non-pelagic trawl, longline, and pot) across the Aleutian Islands has varied between 1–3% since 2003, with a slightly increasing trajectory across the AI regions since 2015. To protect essential fish habitat, bottom trawling is banned from over 95% of the management area.Demersal otter trawls have the potential to take relatively high quantities of bycatch. Around 26 species are caught in the Aleutian Islands trawl fishery for Pacific cod. Many are managed under the BSAI Groundfish management plan. According to MSC reports, Pacific cod accounted for 96% of the average catch from 2014-2018. Bycatch species include arrowtooth flounder, atka mackerel, flathead sole, northern rockfish, Pacific Ocean perch, pollock, and rock sole. Catches are at low levels compared to the catch limits for these species.Bycatch of Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species can include Pacific halibut, chinook salmon and some crab species. Catches by this fishery appear to be very low, and MSC reports indicate that it is unlikely to be having a population-level impact. Steps to decrease bycatch of these species include gear changes, closed areas and closed seasons.Catches of ringed seal and Steller sea lion are of concern. However, NOAA lists the Aleutian Islands cod trawl fishery as Category III for bearded seal (AK), ribbon seal, and Steller sea lion (Western U.S). This means that there is remote likelihood of, or no known, incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.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.Seabird bycatch is thought to be low. Northern fulmar is the only main species occasionally taken in this fishery, with an average of only 11 birds per year in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

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