Estimated production figures for 1 January
through 31 December 2007.
Species
Specimens Aged
Giant grenadier
359
Greenland turbot
502
Flathead sole
1,373
Alaska plaice
449
Dover sole
447
Northern rock sole
1,241
Yellowfin sole
496
Arrowtooth flounder
738
Bering flounder
258
Walleye pollock
12,558
Pacific cod
4,999
Sablefish
2,366
Atka mackerel
1,629
Pacific ocean perch
2,316
Northern rockfish
929
Rougheye rockfish
1,502
Shortraker rockfish
1,052
Dusky rockfish
314
Blackspotted rockfish
390
Warty sculpin
185
Yellow Irish lord
513
Total production figures were 34,616 with
9,696 test ages and 347 examined and
determined to be unageable. This is the
second highest yearly production total since 1990.
Shark Ageing Research
The Age & Growth Program and Professor Vince Gallucci (University of Washington) began an informal collaboration on the ageing of salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) and Pacific sleeper sharks (Somniosus pacificus). The Age and Growth Program has not previously aged sharks.
Some shark species are especially difficult to age due to their minimal amounts of skeletal calcification. The salmon shark shares the same genus as the porbeagle shark (L. nasus) which has validated ages, so the salmon shark is believed to be ageable. The Pacific sleeper shark, which shares the same genus with the Greenland shark (S. microcephalus), presents a more difficult challenge.
Researchers of the Greenland shark think this species grows to be quite old, so the Pacific sleeper shark may be similar. The problem is that the Pacific sleeper shark and Greenland shark show very little calcification, so age determination is very difficult. If you have had success ageing these species or know of any successful ageing studies please let us know!
