Collaborative Research to Minimize Effects of the Bering Sea Fishery for Pacific Ocean Perch on Structure-Forming Invertebrates

Bering Sea trawlers are exploring how to catch rockfish while demonstrably avoiding or minimizing effects on habitat. We instrumented trawl tows targeting Pacific Ocean perch (POP) in the Bering Sea to demonstrate technology to monitor clearance between trawl footropes and the seafloor and to assess the distribution of targeted POP schools, including their height above the seafloor and the specific substrates, including any structure forming invertebrates (SFI), where they aggregate. This collaboration between the fleet, represented by the Alaska Seafood Cooperative, and private and government scientists assesses the degree that POP trawling encounters SFI and what changes to fishing gear and methods would most effectively reduce effects on SFI, including effective routine monitoring of seafloor clearance, as necessary.