Variability of stock status walleye pollock fishery

Abstract

The analysis of the variability of walleye pollock stocks assessment and fisheries showed that in most areas the degree of exploitation is at a low level (4,7–13,5%), with the exception of the Navarinsky region of the Bering Sea, the coast of eastern Kamchatka, the northern Kuril Islands and western Sakhalin (16,7–18,9%). Climate change has a significant impact on the of walleye pollock stocks assessment. Positive anomalies of the PDO climate index (Pacific Decadal Oscillation) create favorable conditions for northern populations, whereas for southern populations living on the southern border of the area, on the contrary, those periods when negative anomalies are noted are more comfortable. Subject to the implementation of the cooling scenario in the North Pacific Ocean, walleye pollock biomass centers may shift to the southern regions (the economic zone of the DPRK), which will lead to a significant reduction in catches in the economic zones of the Russian Federation and the United States, which are currently the main players in the walleye pollock market.