Climate change and fishing could change Alaska pollock spawning time

UNITED STATES
Saturday, November 17, 2018, 03:00 (GMT + 9)

A team of researchers determined that spawning time of Alaska pollock varied by as much as three weeks over the past three decades in the Gulf of Alaska and attribute these changes to the effect of climate and fishing.  These scientists explain that if the resource arrives too early, there may not be enough food and that if they arrive too late, the young fish will have less time to grow and will be small compared to their predators and competitors. In addition, because most mortality happens during the first few weeks of life for pollock, changes in spawn timing that affect larval survival can strongly affect recruitment success--how many fish are available to the fishery two or three years later. “To effectively monitor and manage pollock populations, managers need to understand what causes changes in spawn timing. With ongoing warming of the world’s ... FULL STORY