a bird’s eye view of fisheries discharge in alaskan waters

A Bird’s Eye View of Fisheries A Bird’s Eye View of Fisheries Discharge in Alaskan WatersDischarge in Alaskan Waters

Ann Edwards, PhD Shannon Fitzgerald

Alaska Fisheries Science Center – NOAA Seattle, WA

Questions of Interest:

All questions refer to characteristics of the biomass made available to birds by the Alaskan Groundfish Fishery (BSAI + GOA).

۞ -- Quantity?

From which fisheries, and which processing methods?

۞ -- Characteristics?

Whole, Macerated, Fishmeal

-- Spatial Distribution?

-- Energetic Content?

-- Consumption Rates by Birds?

METHODS

NOAA Regional Databases:

Catch Accounting System Database Products Database 2003-3004: All data are presented Annually

Data for each Gear Type and Species:

Round Wt Landed Wt Primary Product Wt Ancillary Product Wt

Product Recovery Rates

Midwater Pollock Trawl

Bottom Trawl

Longline

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

WholeH &G

FilletSurimi

MinceMeal

Whole Discards

YSOL

RSOL

POPA

PLCK

PCOD

FSOL

ROCKOTHR

ARTH

AMCK

Round W

eig

ht

(mt)

Primary Products Produced At-Sea

2004

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

WholeH&G

FilletSurimi

MinceMeal

Whole Discards

Rou

nd W

t. (

mt)

Midwater Pollock Trawl

Bottom Trawl

Longline

Primary Products Produced At-Sea

2004

Total Catch

Discarded Catch

OffalRetained

Catch

Market

Final Products

AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR

AT-SEA SHORESIDE

Total Catch

Discarded Catch

Macerated Whole Fish

Whole Fish

Fishmeal Plant

Lost Fish

AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR

AT-SEA SHORESIDE

OffalRetained

Catch

Unmacerated Offal

Macerated Offal

Fishmeal Plant

Final Product

AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR

AT-SEA SHORESIDE

Total Catch

Discarded Catch

OffalRetained

Catch

Final Products

AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR

AT-SEA SHORESIDE

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

WholeParts

met

ric

ton

s -

wet

wt.

Longline

Bottom Trawl

Midwater Pollock Trawl – Fishmeal Plant

Midwater Pollock Trawl – NO Fishmeal Plant

Made into Fishmeal

WholeParts

Returned to Sea

Discharge from At-Sea Processors

Initial Processing - Catcher Vessel Deliveries to

Shoreside Processors 2004

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

Whole Bled H & G Discard - Fishmeal

Discard - Sea

Discard -Shore

Midwater Pollock Trawl

Pot

Bottom Trawl

Longline

Round

Weig

ht

(mt)

96%

97%

99%

Total Catch

Discarded Catch

OffalRetained

Catch

Landed Catch

SHORESIDEAT-SEA

Fishmeal Plant

Landed Catch

DiscardsOffal

Final Products

SHORESIDE PROSSESSOR Catcher Vessels

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

Returned to Sea Made into Fishmeal

met

ric

ton

s -

wet

wt.

At-Sea Processors

Shoreside Processors

Disposal of Fish Parts

At-Sea vs Shoreside

Shoreside Processors:

With Fishmeal Plant: 8 No Fishmeal Plant: 58

Bird’s Eye View:

Summary of Shoreside Processing

Small proportion of discharge is returned to sea, and that is usually

discarded within a few nautical miles of the coast.

Catcher Vessels

Black Cod heads are a bird delicacy.

No. of Process. Vessels

% of Total AGF At-Sea Discharge

12 -FM 53%

8 24%

23 16%

41 7%

Bird’ At-Sea Processing

Acknowledgements

Funding: National Research Council Research Associate Program

Alaska Fisheries Science Center - NOAA

Doug DeMaster, Julia Parrish

Mary Furuness, Dave Ackley, John Payne

Observer Program