NPRB 1319 Assessment of the benthic impacts of raised groundgear for the Eastern Bering Sea pollock fishery.

The Alaska pollock fishing industry, in collaboration with scientists at Alaska Pacific University, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and members of the fishing gear design and fabrication industry are actively pursuing new trawl designs to address bycatch and seabed contact issues while maintaining a viable pollock capture efficiency. Adult Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) aggregate on or near the seafloor, particularly during the day (e.g. Mecklenburg, et al. 2002, Tsuji, S. 1989). Our research aimed to develop and test several trawl groundgear configurations to capture pollock aggregated near the seafloor while reducing bycatch and impacts to the benthic habitat.