Allowable Harvest of Pollock Up in Alaska Groundfish Fisheries

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has boosted the
harvests of pollock in 2014 for both the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and the
Gulf of Alaska.

At its December meeting in Anchorage, the federal fisheries
council raised the total allowable catch of pollock for the Eastern Bering Sea
from 1,247,000 metric tons to 1,267,000 metric tons, plus 19,000 tons for the
Aleutians.

For the Gulf of Alaska, the allowable harvest of pollock
rose from 121,046 metric tons to 174,976 metric tons.

For harvesters of Pacific cod, the TAC for the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands was approved for nearly 247,000 metric tons, down from
260,000 metric tons a year ago. That includes 246,897 metric tons for the
Bering Sea, plus nearly 7,000 metric tons for the Aleutian Islands. The council
also increased the TAC in the BSAI for flathead sole from 22,699 metric tons to
24,500 metric tons, the TAC for Alaska plaice from 20,000 metric tons to 24,500
metric tons, and lowered the TAC for other flatfish from 3,500 metric tons to
2,650 metric tons.

The TAC for yellowfin sole was reduced from 198,000 metric
tons to 184,000 metric tons and the TAC for northern rock sole dropped to
85,000 metric tons, down from 92,380 metric tons.

For the Gulf of Alaska, the Pacific cod fishery TAC was set
at 64,738 metric tons, up from 60,600 metric tons. That includes 32,745 metric
tons for the Western Gulf, up from 21,210 metric tons; 39,825 metric tons for
the Central Gulf, up from 36,966 metric tons; and 1,991 metric tons for the Eastern
Gulf, down from 2,424 metric tons this past year.

The TAC for sablefish in the Gulf of Alaska dropped from
12,510 metric tons to 10,572 metric tons. The TAC for flathead sole went from
30,496 metric tons to 27,746 metric tons and the TAC for arrowtooth flounder
remained at 103,300 metric tons.