Pollock vs. Cod

[faelmore]

Much like northern cod, the supply of Alaskan cod was once thought to be at unimaginable population numbers. Both also started in a boom of catch surrounded in a picturesque, “cowboys of the sea” way. Another similarity is that both groups of fish are schooling fish that make capture very easy. They are heavily desired for their ease of catch, however it is this very ease that brought the downfall of the cod, and the risk of collapse to pollock. Pollock has yet to fully collapse, but the fishery exhibits the same boom and bust cycles seen in cod. In short, it seems like the lessons learned from the collapse of northern cod, can and should be applied quickly to the pollock fishery. Yet another similarity is that both fish have a broad area of coverage. They both move about many different areas and need combined management strategies in order to conserve the fishery. A significant difference in the two is that the northern cod fishery is much older than the pollock fishery.

[smoswald2]

Since both species have similar behaviors and large ranges, I agree with you that we should apply the lessons from the collapse of the cod fishery so that the same thing doesn’t happen again in the case of pollock. Since the pollock fishery is young, there’s a better chance for us to create a fishery that will be sustainable for years and years given proper management is established.

[Author]

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