"Longline Fishing Survey"

A Student's Perspective.

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-OPR-41 Published Date: 2008

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) are a commercially important fish species in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Found along the upper continental slope, in Alaska they are caught primarily by longlines. Catches in the Alaskan EEZ have averaged 15,000 mt in recent years with an annual value of about $100 million. The fishery has been managed by an Individual Fisheries Quota system since 1995. Fishery-independent longline surveys have been conducted annually since 1978 to assess the relative abundance of this valuable resource. The survey abundance indices are combined with age, length, and fishery data to estimate absolute abundance and recommend catch quotas with age-structured models. Since 1978, the U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) has conducted annual longline surveys with Japan (Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey, 1978-94) and alone (1987-present, domestic longline survey). The survey has covered the upper continental slope (1978-present) and selected gullies (1987present) of the Gulf of Alaska and the upper continental slope of the eastern Bering Sea (198294, biennially since 1997) and Aleutian Islands region (1980-94, biennially since 1996). A unique aspect of this survey is that the charter vessel retains most of the catch after the scientific data are recorded. The survey lasts three months. The survey is conducted jointly by two components of the AFSC: the Auke Bay Laboratory and the Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division.

Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) are a commercially important fish species in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Found along the upper continental slope, in Alaska they are caught primarily by longlines. Catches in the Alaskan EEZ have averaged 15,000 mt in recent years with an annual value of about $100 million.

On August 28, 2014, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) completed the thirty-sixth annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) and other groundfish resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). This survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey that was discontinued after 1994. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Aleutian Islands were sampled in 2014.

On August 28, 2013, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) completed the 35th annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) and other groundfish resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). This survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey that was discontinued after 1994. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea were sampled in 2011.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Sablefish Tag Program has released over 360,000 tagged sablefish in Alaska waters since 1972 and over 33,500 of those fish have been recovered by members of the fishing industry. Data from the releases and recoveries are maintained in the Sablefish Tag Database. These data have been used to examine movement patterns, evaluate areal apportionment strategies of annual catch quota, validate ageing methods, and examine growth. The following article summarizes release and recovery data within the tag database and describes the results of studies utilizing these tag data by NMFS and others on sablefish age, growth, and migration.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center Quarterly Report.

On August 28, 2012, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) completed the thirty-fourth annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) and other groundfish resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). This survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey that was discontinued after 1994. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Aleutian Islands were sampled in 2012.

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-34 Workshop Date: November 15−16, 2011