fisheries Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

West Coast Scores Rare Conservation ‘Home Run’ As Fishery Rebounds From The Brink

By NWPB News December 28, 2019

Kevin Dunn, who fishes off the coasts of Oregon and Washington, holds a rockfish at a processing facility in Warrenton, Oregon. A rare environmental success story is unfolding in waters off the U.S. West Coast as regulators in January 2020 are scheduled to reopen a large area off the coasts of Oregon and California to groundfish bottom trawling fishing less than two decades after authorities closed huge stretches of the Pacific Ocean due to the species' depletion. CREDIT: Gillian Flaccus/AP

After years of fear and uncertainty, bottom trawler fishermen — those who use nets to scoop up rockfish, bocaccio, sole, Pacific Ocean perch and other deep-dwelling fish — are making a comeback here, reinventing themselves as a sustainable industry less than two decades after authorities closed huge stretches of the Pacific Ocean because of the species’ depletion.Read More

Alaska Cod Fishery Closes And Industry Braces For Ripple Effect

By NPR News December 9, 2019

Frank Miles, a cod fisherman, is trying to figure out what to do now that the federal cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska is closing for the 2020 season. CREDIT: Kavitha George/KMXT

In an unprecedented response to historically low numbers of Pacific cod, the federal cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska is closing for the 2020 season. The decision, announced Friday, Dec. 6, came as little surprise, but it's the first time the fishery has closed due to concerns over low stock.Read More

Study: We’re Pulling Tuna Out Of The Ocean At Unprecedented And Unsustainable Rates

By NPR News October 5, 2019

A new study finds that tuna harvests, including of some species considered "vulnerable," have increased by an astonishing 1,000% in the last 60 years — a rate some scientists warn is unsustainable.Read More

Return Of ‘The Blob’? Marine Heat Wave Similar To 2014 Disruption Shows Up On West Coast

By Cassandra Profita September 6, 2019

Sea surface temperature anomaly maps show temperatures above normal in orange and red. The warming could lead to dire conditions for sea life. CREDIT: NOAA

Scientists have detected a marine heat wave off the West Coast that they say is reminiscent of the massive stretch of warm water nicknamed “the Blob” in 2014-15.Read More

West Coast Rockfish Populations Rebound Faster Than Expected

By Cassandra Profita June 8, 2019

Widow rockfish pour onto the deck of the Winona J fishing trawler.

Too much fishing with trawl nets led to a devastating collapse in fish populations in the 1990s. Widow rockfish were one of 10 different groundfish species that were declared overfished, and trawl boats were restricted from catching them.Read More

Fisheries Managers Face Mixed Forecast For Northwest Salmon, Concerns Over Endangered Orca

By Jes Burns March 11, 2019

Fish trap operators can pick out the hatchery salmon for harvest and release the wild salmon so they can return to their spawning grounds. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA/OPB

About this time every year, the Pacific Northwest gets a report card from the natural world. It comes in the form of salmon run forecasts, and gives us an indication of how healthy the Pacific Ocean and our rivers and streams are. The grades are in, and here’s what you need to know about our scores.Read More

West Coast Fishery Rebounds After Years Of Conservation Efforts

By Cassandra Profita December 16, 2018

Groundfish trawlers will soon be allowed to catch more fish as depleted populations recover from overfishing. CREDIT: MICHAEL BENDIXEN/OPB

Federal fishery managers are increasing the catch limits for several West Coast species that were overfished and severely restricted for years. Surveys show depleted populations of yellow eye and bocaccio rockfish, cow cod and ocean perch — all classified as groundfish — are rebounding decades ahead of schedule.Read More

Forecasts Predict Low Salmon Returns In Washington This Year

By Emily Schwing February 28, 2018

File photo. Wildlife officials expect returns of salmon in Washington state will be low this year. CREDIT: U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

Every year, wildlife officials keep track of how many salmon return to their spawning grounds. This year, they expect low returns of salmon in Washington state—and that could change the fishing outlook.   Read More