Urge the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to protect critical pollock habitats

When Canadian policy makers ignored the warning signs about declining cod populations, the resulting collapse put 40,000 fishermen out of work and caused far-reaching changes to the ecology of the northwest Atlantic. Today, the same thing appears to be happening in Alaska, where millions of pounds of pollock are being taken from the sea by factory trawlers each year. Because of pollock's importance as food for everything from endangered Steller sea lions to humpback whales, the recent declines in pollock populations are causing many animals to go hungry.

It's not too late to prevent the collapse of pollock stocks, and to avert disaster for fishing communities as well as the Bering Sea ecosystem - and YOU can help.

Tell the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to regulate factory trawlers and mandate that amount of pollock caught in 2009 must be cut in half and marine reserves must be established to protect critical habitats.

Step 2: Read the letter we've provided. Feel free to edit it.

Dear North Pacific Fisheries Management Council,

It has come to my attention that the eastern Bering Sea pollock stock has declined 64% (a drop of more than 5 million tons) since 2003.  This is particularly alarming due to the vital role that pollock plays in the Bering Sea ecosystem, as a food source for depleted fur seals and endangered Steller sea lions.

When you meet this month, I urge you to reduce the catch limit to 458,000 tons, in order to reverse the decline of pollock stocks and provide for the needs for all species that depend on pollock as their prey. Rebuilding pollock stocks will serve the long term interests of Alaska's fishing industry and coastal communities.

I also urge you to suspend the roe fishery.  With pollock stocks in trouble, it makes no sense to deliberately take tons of pregnant females before they release their eggs.

In general, a more precautionary, ecosystem-based approach is needed to prevent declines of this nature.  Marine reserves are a valuable tool to enable degraded habitats to recover, and to rebuild fish populations.  They can also serve as experimental controls which help increase understanding of the impacts of climate change.

Decisive action is needed now to prevent one of the largest fisheries collapses in history, with far reaching ecological and economic implications.

"Sincerely," and your name and contact information will be added to the end of the letter.

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Urge the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to protect critical pollock habitats

Step 2: Read the letter we've provided. Feel free to edit it.

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