The 2002 Oregon Commercial Fishery for Albacore (Thunnus alalunga)

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: McLean-Cooper, Nancy

Publish Date: 2003

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Name: Cedric Cooney

Job Position: Natural Resources Data and Systems Manager

Telephone: 503-947-6094

E-Mail Address: cedric.x.cooney@odfw.oregon.gov

Description

Abstract: Albacore is a highly migratory species found in all the world's oceans. Albacore caught off Oregon belong to the North Pacific stock and are generally juvenile fish that have not spawned. During their trans-oceanic migrations, albacore are targeted by fisheries off several nations including the United States, Canada, and Japan at different tfmes of the year. The United States West Coast fishery harvests this stock during summer and fall months. Albacore has been fished commercially off of Oregon since the mid-1930s when the fishery expanded north from the traditional grounds off southern California. For many years, both baitboats and jigboats fished for albacore off Oregon, but in recent years predominantly jigcaught (troll-caught) fish have been landed. The current fleet consists primarily of small to medium (20 ft. to 60 ft.) "combination" boats which may fish crab, salmon, or bottomfish at other times of the year, and large freezer boats (most longer than 60 ft.) that travel the north and south Pacific, fishing principally albacore. Oregon albacore landings have been highly variable through the years, ranging from a low of 27,600 pounds in 1936 to a high of almost 38 million pounds in 1968. In the last decade, landings in Oregon have averaged almost 7 million pounds. Sampling of Oregon's albacore fishery is a cooperative effort between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). This report documents the progress of the 2002 fishery off Oregon and the associated sampling activities.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content: April, 2002 through March, 2003

Geographic Extent: Oregon

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

Data Quality Information

Lineage-Source: Contract No. 02-87

Data Information

No data information was supplied.

Entity and Attribute Information

Attributes Description: Field attribute information is available in the attached file(s).

Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown