SnapperPacific Red Snapper, Lockfish

Details

  • Latin name: 
    Sebastes spp.
  • Seafood type: Snapper
  • Harvest method: Bottom longline, Bottom trawl, Handline, Various
  • Region: Northeast Pacific Ocean
  • Wild/Farmed: 
    Wild
Status: 
Not Recommended

Rockfish

Credit: FAO
Sustainable alternatives: 
Handline caught Northern lingcod is a sustainable seafood option.
Sustainability concerns: 
Rockfish have been overfished and recovery for this species is very slow. Trawling causes serious damage to the rocky reef habitats and sensitive coral communities where rockfish are caught.
Notes/other details: 
Some species of rockfish live for over 100 years.
There are over 60 species of Rockfish that live along the west coast of North America. Sometimes improperly labelled as ‘Red Snapper’, pacific rockfish have been severely overfished throughout their range. Even with management measures in place, this species may take many generations to recover.
Life History and Population Status: 
Rockfish are slow-growing, late maturing and long-lived, making them inherently vulnerable to fishing pressure. Intensive fishing over many decades has caused serious declines in many populations. Some fisheries have closed because of plummeting stocks. The status of some rockfish populations is unknown.
Management: 
US West Coast, Alaska and Canada all have management plans in place for rockfish. Management measures include gear restrictions, trip and vessel quota limits and the establishment of closure areas such as Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCA’s) in Canada and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) in the US. Additionally, Alaska rockfish management implements seasonal closures and bycatch retention requirements. Despite management measures, depleted rockfish stocks require decades to rebuild. Illegal fishing within closure areas is also a serious concern.
Impact on Other Species: 
Rockfish are generally caught using bottom trawls, which are associated with high levels of bycatch. Discard rates range from 12% to 33% for groundfish bottom trawl fisheries. Rockfish bycatch is a particular problem with Pacific coast trawlers because of frequent captures and a high mortality of captured fish due to air embolism. Marine mammals and sea turtles are also inadvertently caught. Other gear types include mid-water trawling, longlines and hook and line. These result in lower bycatch, although there is concern about the unintentional capture of North Pacific seabirds with longlining.
Habitat and Ecosystem Impacts: 
Bottom trawling for Rockfish causes detrimental damage to seafloor habitats and ecosystems, disturbing spawning and feeding grounds of many Pacific marine species. There is concern over destruction of gorgonian corals, Primnoa spp., by bottom trawls. Juvenile rockfish often use these corals for shelter.

Notes:

  • No or little concern in this area.
  • Significant concern in this area.
  • Area under study.