The U.S. North Pacific Region

Abstract

This chapter describes the North Pacific region and the major issues facing this marine fisheries ecosystem, and presents some summary statistics related to the 90 indicators of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) criteria. The North Pacific contains the fifth-highest number of managed taxa, including commercially and recreationally important groundfish (e.g., walleye pollock, Pacific cod, sablefish, lingcod, halibut, rockfishes, yellowfin sole), cephalopods, king-and Tanner crabs, salmon, and steelhead. The North Pacific ecosystem has biota and marine communities that are responding to the consequences of fishing pressure, climate oscillations, and other ocean uses. More recent stressors, including substantial regional warming, associated species shifts, increasing human population density, and proliferation of invasive species are affecting this system and altering its composition, dynamics, and LMR production. Overall, a moderate to high degree of EBFM progress has been made in the eastern Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska in terms of implementation, advancing knowledge of ecosystem principles, examining trade-offs, assessing risks and vulnerabilities, and in beginning to establish and use ecosystem-level reference points for management. While much information has been obtained and applied toward ecosystem-level calculations, syntheses, and models, continued progress in applying these system-wide emergent properties into regional management frameworks remains necessary.