Total pollock catch nearly 3 billion pounds

FRANK KELTY

November 26, 2007 at 8:25AM AKST

For The Dutch Harbor Fisherman

Pollock B season wrapped up two weeks ago, and the final catch figures are in for the 2007 season that closed on Nov. 1.

Total harvest was 1.321 million metric tons from an allocation of 1.358 million metric tons by all four harvesting sectors. Therefore, 97 percent of the 2007 pollock total allowable catch was harvested.

The total catch would come out as 2.9 billion pounds of pollock for an ex-vessel value of the fishery at $377 million, based on an average price of 13 cents per pound and the state revenue figure from 2006.

The fleet left 38,000 metric tons of pollock in the water at the close of the season. Of that amount, 37,000 metric tons – or 81 million pounds – was from the catcher-vessel sector that delivers to the shoreside processing plants in the region.

At the same 13 cents per pound ex-vessel value, that is an estimated amount of $10.6 million to the catcher-vessel sector in lost revenues.

The season harvest came in at 777,914 metric tons from an allocation of 815,322 metric tons leaving 37,381 metric tons unharvested. About 95 percent of the season allocation was harvested.

The A/B season total catch by fishing sector is as follows:

• Shoreside CV reported 572,778 metric tons from an allocation of 609,736 metric tons, leaving 36,957 metric tons unharvested. A total of 94 percent of the seasonal allocation has been harvested.

• The At Sea Processor CP fleet had landings of 488,526 metric tons from an A/B season allocation of 487,788 metric tons that leaves an allocation of negative 738 metric tons, in other words, an overharvested catch. A total of 100 percent of the seasonal allocation has been caught.

• The Mothership sector has harvested 121,514 metric tons from an allocation of 121,947 metric tons with an A/B season allocation of 433 metric tons left unharvested. Thus 100 percent of allocation has been harvested.

• The Community Development Quota sector has had 138,855 metric tons in landings from an allocation of 139,400 metric tons that leaves 545 metric tons left harvested, 100 percent of the seasonal allocation has been taken.

Total pollock harvest for both A/B season stands at 1,322,000 million metric tons from an allocation of 1,358,871 million metric tons leaving 37,381 metric tons to unharvested. A total of 97 percent of total pollock harvest has been caught.

Meanwhile, the Bristol Bay red king crab season close to wrapping up; the IFQ fishery has reached the 80 percent range in catch.

As of Nov. 16, there were 179 deliveries of crab throughout the region for a total of 14.6 million pounds, which is 80 percent of the IFQ harvest, leaving 3.6 million pounds left to harvest.

The CDQ amount, which was an allocation of 2 million pounds, is down to about 300,000 pounds. State Fish and Game Department officials said the crabs are averaging from 6.3 to 6.4 pounds live weight with a catch per unit effort of 28-30 legal-size male crab, which continues to be good fishing.

Traditionally, as a fishery progresses the catch of crab per pot goes down. However, for the past two to three years, the catch per pot in the red king crab fishery has increased or at least stayed level. That shows a strong resource.

The crab fishery should be wrapped up by the end of the month with only 3.6 million pounds left to harvest.

Meanwhile, the bairdi tanner fishery still hasn't seen much activity – only 19 landings for 150,000 pounds from the Eastern Bering Sea district. That leaves 2.9 million pounds still to harvest, putting the fishery at 5 percent completed.

The Western district has an additional 2.1 million pounds to harvest.

Some harvesters said that they will becoming back to fish bairdi in January and may do combination trips with opilio snow crab.

The bairdi shell color is, once again, a problem for the processors with the majority of the crab from the eastern district being dark shelled. That was the same situation last year and impacts the sale price of that product.

The golden king crab fishery in the Aleutians Islands is progressing well. The Eastern district is about 86 percent completed with 29 landings for 2.3 million pounds. That leaves 387,000 pounds still to harvest.

The Western district is at 1.0 million pounds harvested from 16 deliveries and has 1.35 million pounds still to harvest. About 44 percent of the allocation has been harvested from the Western district.

The Individual Fishing Quota halibut/sablefish fisheries closed at noon on Nov. 15.

In Unalaska, we had a few wrap deliveries on halibut, which finished up at 3.22 million pounds from 249 deliveries. That was 6.5 percent of the statewide landings, for fourth place on sablefish landings locally.

About 4.4 million pounds come in from 169 landings for 14.7 percent of the statewide landing – second place behind Seward.

Frank Kelty is the research analyst for the city of Unalaska.