Figure 5. Time series (1987-2011) of estimated bottom trawl survey biomass for six eastern Bering Sea shelf groundfish species. Bars on data points are the standard errors for point estimates.
Data collections for groundfish from the EBS shelf trawl survey included 178,238 individual length measurements representing 46 fish taxa; 8,637 age structures representing 10 fish taxa; 5,150 stomach samples representing 4 fish taxa; and 1,622 pathobiology samples from 35 different fish and invertebrate taxa.
Trends in the annual estimates of bottom trawl survey biomass for selected groundfish species on the eastern Bering Sea shelf from 1987 to 2011 are shown in Figure 5. Compared to 2010, there were slight decreases in the survey biomass of walleye pollock and rock sole, and slight increases in the survey biomass for the other four species (Fig. 5).
Walleye pollock: 3.11 million t
Rock sole: 1.98 million t
Alaska plaice: 520,000 t
Greenland turbot: 26,200 t
Pacific cod: 911,000 t
Yellowfin sole: 2.40 million t
Visit http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/RACE/groundfish/survey_data/default.htm for current maps showing the spatial distribution and abundance of other fishes and marine fauna captured during the 2011 Bering Sea shelf bottom trawl survey and for shelf surveys dating back to 1982.
The NPFMC Groundfish Plan Team will begin their review and incorporation of the survey data in the scientific stock assessments at their 14-18 November 2011 meeting and will provide reports to the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The SSC will recommend acceptable biological catch for the different species at the December Council meeting in Anchorage. The Council's Advisory Panel will then recommend a total allowable catch for each of the species. Following the committee reports, the Council will consider committee recommendations and public testimony before recommending a total allowable catch for the various groundfish species in 2012.
