An ecosystem-based approach for Alaska groundfish fisheries

An ecosystem-based approach is being developed for the management of ground fish fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean off Alaska, USA. The approach inv olves public participation, reliance on scientific research and advice, con servative catch quotas, comprehensive monitoring and enforcement, by-catch controls, gear restrictions, temporal and spatial distribution of fisheries , habitat conservation areas, and other biological and socioeconomic consid erations. The basic ecosystem consideration employed is a precautionary app roach to extraction of fish resources. Off Alaska, all groundfish stocks ar e considered healthy, while providing sustained yields of about 2 million t onnes annually. Management measures are also taken to minimize potential im pacts of fishing on seafloor habitat and other ecosystem components such as marine mammals and seabirds. (C) 2000 International Council for the Explor ation of the Sea.