tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5248187375964492769.post5393491304793043770..comments2023-05-12T05:00:37.055-07:00Comments on Tholepin: Destroying The Halibut Resource One Drag At A TimeWiglafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14357031507262299517noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5248187375964492769.post-58058785261317108952016-06-12T21:37:17.581-07:002016-06-12T21:37:17.581-07:00You can tell a lot of those are Giant arrow tooth ...You can tell a lot of those are Giant arrow tooth because the boys are letting them into the tank. Look at the big'ins at the end of the belt. I can tell most are arrow tooth. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5248187375964492769.post-24779881150513476602016-05-27T12:57:00.348-07:002016-05-27T12:57:00.348-07:00Most of the fish on that deck are large arrowtooth...Most of the fish on that deck are large arrowtooth. They are easily mistaken for halibut when seen from far away. There are some halibut there, but some by catch is to be expected when harvesting every other type of fish in the habitat. How come this article isn't citing the longline bycatch numbers? That fishery was shut down due to large bycatch numbers as well. The halibut resource is thriving, and it's starting to become a nuisance to other fisheries more than ever before. The halbut fleet has had no trouble securing their quotas this year. Halibut numbers are increasing. Three years ago, trawlers didn't have much trouble avoiding them. This year, they simply can't be avoided. There are large halibut populations ranging from 20 fathoms to 300 fathoms, especially in heavily trawled areas where the arrowtooth, flathead, Rex and other competing species are caught. This mortality rate is also false, it's more like 60%. And those that do die are cycled right back into the food chain. Nets never come up full of dead rotten fish, something eats it and nothing goes to "waste" in the ocean. Just because it's not going into a halibut quota owner's pocket, doesn't mean it's a waste. Heavily traveled areas have the highest concentration of halibut. If the competing species for halibut, crab and salmon aren't caught, you'll see a decrease in those species. Pollock, cod and arrowtooth are hurting the halbut, crab and salmon fisheries. If these species aren't controlled with the help of trawlers, these species populations will decline.Cody Hockemanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5248187375964492769.post-8046721441252338262016-05-21T21:02:14.856-07:002016-05-21T21:02:14.856-07:00Thanks Wiglaf for posting this. Been awhile. Thanks Wiglaf for posting this. Been awhile. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com