A Bird’s Eye View of Fisheries Discharge in Alaskan Waters Ann Edwards, PhD Shannon Fitzgerald Alaska Fisheries Science Center – NOAA Seattle, WA

Questions of Interest : All questions refer to characteristics of the biomass made available to birds by the Alaskan Groundfish Fishery (BSAI + GOA). ۞ -- Quantity? From which fisheries, and which processing methods? ۞ -- Characteristics? Whole, Macerated, Fishmeal -- Spatial Distribution? -- Energetic Content? -- Consumption Rates by Birds?

METHODS NOAA Regional Databases: Catch Accounting System Database Products Database : All data are presented Annually Data for each Gear Type and Species: Round Wt Landed Wt Primary Product Wt Ancillary Product Wt Product Recovery Rates

Midwater Pollock Trawl

Bottom Trawl

Longline

0 100, , , , , ,000 Whole H &G Fillet Surimi Mince Meal Whole Discards YSOL RSOL POPA PLCK PCOD FSOL ROCK OTHR ARTH AMCK Round Weight (mt) Primary Products Produced At-Sea 2004

0 100, , , , , ,000 Whole H&G Fillet Surimi Mince Meal Whole Discards Round Wt. (mt) Midwater Pollock Trawl Bottom Trawl Longline Primary Products Produced At-Sea 2004

Total Catch Discarded Catch Offal Retained Catch Market Final Products AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR AT-SEASHORESIDE

Total Catch Discarded Catch Macerated Whole Fish Whole Fish Fishmeal Plant Lost Fish AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR AT-SEASHORESIDE

Offal Retained Catch Unmacerated Offal Macerated Offal Fishmeal Plant Final Product AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR AT-SEASHORESIDE

Total Catch Discarded Catch Offal Retained Catch Final Products AT-SEA CATCHER / PROCESSOR AT-SEASHORESIDE

0 100, , , , , ,000 WholeParts metric tons - wet wt. Longline Bottom Trawl Midwater Pollock Trawl – Fishmeal Plant Midwater Pollock Trawl – NO Fishmeal Plant Made into Fishmeal WholeParts Returned to Sea Discharge from At-Sea Processors

Initial Processing - Catcher Vessel Deliveries to Shoreside Processors , , , , , , , ,000 WholeBledH & G Discard - Fishmeal Discard - Sea Discard - Shore Midwater Pollock Trawl Pot Bottom Trawl Longline Round Weight (mt) 96% 97% 99%

Total Catch Discarded Catch Offal Retained Catch Landed Catch SHORESIDEAT-SEA Fishmeal Plant Landed Catch Discards Offal Final Products SHORESIDE PROSSESSOR Catcher Vessels

0 100, , , , , ,000 Returned to SeaMade into Fishmeal metric tons - wet wt. At-Sea Processors Shoreside Processors Disposal of Fish Parts At-Sea vs Shoreside Shoreside Processors: With Fishmeal Plant: 8 No Fishmeal Plant: 58

Bird’s Eye View: Summary of Shoreside Processing Small proportion of discharge is returned to sea, and that is usually discarded within a few nautical miles of the coast. Catcher Vessels Black Cod heads are a bird delicacy.

No. of Process. Vessels % of Total AGF At-Sea Discharge 12 -FM53% 824% 2316% 417% Bird’ At-Sea Processing

Acknowledgements Funding: National Research Council Research Associate Program Alaska Fisheries Science Center - NOAA Doug DeMaster, Julia Parrish Mary Furuness, Dave Ackley, John Payne Observer Program