Century old large rockfish caught in alaska

[Arima17Ryan]

Sorry if this has already been posted. 44inch, 60lb 100-year-old Shortraker rockfish. A really big old fish...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17979900/?GT1=9246

[BiteFactory]

I saw that. Is a shortraker the same as a yelloweye or such?

[BaitStop]

Originally Posted by BiteFactory

I saw that. Is a shortraker the same as a yelloweye or such?

No

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/groundfish/...r_rockfish.htm

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/groundfish/...e_rockfish.htm

[BiteFactory]

Ah, thanks. Guess I should have googled that before asking.

[Mark Mc]

It's funny that this photo & story are making such a fuss........look at any websites for Alaska halibut fishing / Alaska charter boats....you will see photo after photo of many big, dead yelloweye rockfish, many with big bellies full of eggs.

Our whole (lower 48) west coast rockfishing has been severely curtailed because of threatened yelloweye & canary rockfish stocks.....and the knowledge that they grow very slowly, to reach breeding size of high fecundity (big word meaning...."she pumps out a lot of eggs").

It boggles the mind that there is still essentially unrestricted fishing for yelloweye up there. It is only a matter of time....they'll probably be in the same situation we are.



"hey, when you fillet my fish, could you please try to keep the 2 million eggs off of the fillets? Since we only get a 20% return on a yelloweye fillet I want them to be as clean as possible."

[BaitStop]

The Shortraker and Rougheye RF are usually taken by trawlers & longliners and most sportfishermen in Alaska rarely go deep enough to take these species. The yelloweye is available at shallower depths & often taken in association with lingcod.

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/groundfish/...e_rockfish.htm