January 6, 2021 — Some fishermen in the North Pacific Ocean are on edge ahead of a traditionally fruitful winter fishing season, following a rough 2020 that saw catch rates fall below long-term averages.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of some research surveys, making it more difficult to determine how many fish are in the Bering Sea off Alaska, the Seattle Times reported Monday.
The Seattle-based Alaska Fisheries Science Center canceled five of six research missions that help scientists measure fish stocks because of fears of virus outbreaks at sea.
Fishermen have begun their two-week coronavirus quarantines ahead of the Jan. 20 start of the fishing season and aren’t sure what they’ll find once ships largely based in Washington state make their way to the Bering Sea.
“This is the best time of year,” said Kevin Ganley, who captains a 123-foot (37-meter) boat called American Beauty. “If (the fish) are not there, we’re in trouble.”