The North Pacific Fishery Management Council officially set the pollock quota at 813,000 metric tons for 2010, a bit less than last year. It’s the lowest quota in 32 years. The quota is based on recommendations from the groundfish plan team, which used survey data to set the level. Last year biologists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center predicted that the population would increase and quotas would go up again. Jon Warrenchuck, an ocean scientist with Oceana, thinks the quota should be cut in half. He says the pollock population cannot increase because most of the large, spawning age fish are being harvested.
Anne Hillman, KUCB – Unalaska
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