ADF&G concludes some P-cod, Pollock openers

Fishing vessels docked in Cordova Harbor. (March 2, 2020) Photo by Zachary Snowdon Smith/The Cordova Times

A state waters fishery for Pacific cod in Prince William Sound closed to longline gear on March 4 based on projected harvest levels indicating that the guideline harvest level of 437,425 pounds would be achieved by that date.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game groundfish area management biologists in Homer said that the fishery, which opened to jig, pot and longline gear on Feb. 1, had reached 85 percent, or 371,811 pounds allocated to longline gear by March 1.

The Pacific cod state-waters seasons for jig and pot gear remained open with a combined allocation of 15 percent of the guideline harvest level, or 65,614 pounds, with no harvest to date. If any GHL remains after Sept. 1, it may become available to all legal gear during another Pacific cod state-waters season, the agency said.

ADF&G also opened the Prince William Sound commissioner’s permit fishery season for Tanner crab on Monday, March 2, after determining that a National Weather service 48-hour marine weather forecast for the area issued on Sunday, March 1, did not contain a gale warming.

A directed Prince William Sound fishery for walleye Pollock using pelagic trawl gear closed at noon on Feb. 29, based on projected harvest levels indicating that the guideline harvest level of 2,304 metric tons would be achieved by that date. The fishery opened on Jan. 20.

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