North Pacific Region

The ‘North Pacific region’ includes temperate and Sub-Arctic areas of the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, northward from 30oN latitude.  This area coincides with FAO Statistical Area 67 and part of FAO Statistical Areas 61 and 77.  The main fisheries in this region are: salmon, flatfishes, cods, Alaska pollock, croakers, seabreams, Pacific sandlance, Atka mackerel, filefishes, Pacific saury, Japanese jack mackerel, scads, amberjacks, pomfrets, herrings, Japanese pilchard, anchovies, tuna and tuna-like species, swordfish and other billfishes, hairtails, chub mackerel, sharks and rays, crabs, prawns, shrimps, oysters, mussels, scallops, cockles, Japanese carpet shell, clams and cephalopods. 

Fishery interactions with sensitive species groups, including seabirds, sea turtles, cetaceans and sharks, occurs in several of the fishing gear types employed in this region.  Cetacean bycatch occurs in gill net fisheries, salmon and squid drift net fisheries, salmon trap net fisheries, trammel net fisheries and trawl fisheries.  Seabird, sea turtle and shark bycatch occurs in demersal and pelagic longline fisheries.