NSEDC will harvest its allocation of sablefish CDQ in the Bering Sea (about 88,000 pounds) and Aleutian Islands (roughly 220,000 pounds) using vessels that employ pot fishing gear. NSEDC has harvested sablefish CDQ on several vessels using pot gear for the past three years. In our experiences, bycatch of non-target species is minimal with pot gear compared to the use of longline gear.

For the future, NSEDC is planning on working with Norton Sound Ventures LLC and their pot vessels, the F/V Alaskan Beauty, and possibly the F/V Ocean Olympic and the F/V North Pacific to fish for and harvest sablefish CDQ in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. These vessels are partially owned by NSEDC and are currently participating in the Aleutian Islands golden king crab fishery, Bristol Bay red king crab fishery and opilio crab fishery in the Bering Sea.

This CDQ sablefish fishery will be conducted each year during allowable seasons from approximately March 15 until the close of the CDQ/IFQ fisheries on November 15. Bycatch of other CDQ species, mostly arrowtooth flounder, Greenland turbot and rockfish, generally runs less than 10% of the total harvest. The fishery will be conducted in allowable regulatory areas in both the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. Catch is delivered and sold to shoreside processing facilities in Dutch Harbor for processing and sales.