NSEDC is planning to harvest Greenland turbot CDQ in the Bering Sea (about 25 metric tons) using freezer longliners owned and operated by Clipper Seafoods Company of Seattle, Washington. Our participation in the CDQ fishery for turbot has been limited these last couple of years due to the open access fishery extending through the end of the fishing year. The open access quota or TAC was not harvested in 2001 and 2002. Problems with product quality from jellied fish and associated marketing difficulties have limited interest in turbot products and the fishery.

Fishing vessels participating in our fishery will employ legal hook and line gear and pot gear as permitted by NMFS and ADF&G and as is appropriate for commercial turbot fishing. We anticipate that Greenland turbot CDQ will be targeted and harvested after the close of the open access fishery in a May-June timeframe each year. Bycatch of other CDQ species in the fishery runs about 10-20% in the longline operation and consists of sablefish, arrowtooth flounder, rockfish, and a variety of other species. The Greenland turbot will be processed on-board the vessels and marketed through Clipper Seafoods or their marketing affiliate, Bering Select Seafoods Company. Products from Greenland turbot are primarily headed and gutted (H&G) fish

As a backup plan to the longline fishing operation, NSEDC may work with U.S. Seafood LLC and the catcher-processor trawl vessel F/V Seafreeze Alaska in the pursuit and harvest of CDQ Greenland turbot.