Adult rougheye caught on AFSC longline survey.

There is no directed fishing allowed for rougheye rockfish; therefore, catch is taken incidentally in other fisheries. From 1991-2004, this species was managed jointly with shortraker rockfish. Since 2005, Gulf of Alaska rougheye and shortraker rockfish have been managed separately. Gulf-wide catches of the shortraker/rougheye subgroup were consistently around 1,500-2,000 t in the years since 1992. Annual Total Allowable Catch (TACs) have been the major determining factor of these catch amounts, as TACs have also ranged between approximately 1,500-2,000 t over these years. Since 2005, catches for rougheye have ranged from 300 to 400 t, with TACs for rougheye around 1,000 t. Rougheye are caught in either bottom trawls or with longline gear, with about half taken from each gear type in 2007. Nearly all the longline catch of rougheye is taken incidentally in the sablefish or halibut longline fisheries.

Adult rougheye rockfish caught on AFSC longline survey.

Contact:
Kalei Shotwell
Auke Bay Laboratories
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
17109 Pt Lena Loop Rd
Juneau AK 99801
Kalei.Shotwell@noaa.gov