Alaska pollock fishery near collapse
October 13th, 2008 by Jim JustStocks of Alaska pollock have shrunk 50% from last year to record low levels and put the world’s largest food fishery on the brink of collapse. Pollock stocks have been unable to reproduce quickly enough to recover from yearly catch of 1 million tons. Pollock biomass in U.S. waters is now down to 940,000 tons from 1.8 million tons the previous year.
Pollock is a staple of fur seals, whales and the endangered Steller sea lions – and the U.S. fast food industry. It is used in McDonald’s fish sandwiches, frozen fish sticks, fish and chips and imitation crabmeat.
The 2008 catch limit was set at 1 million tons last December, a 28% cut from the 2007 limit.
Greenpeace warns we are on the cusp of one of the largest fishery collapses in history and advises that the catch limit be halved, that fishing on spawning populations be suspended, and that marine reserves be created to protect pollock habitats.