The aquarium said Thursday pollock populations are moderately healthy, but numbers have been declining and are at their lowest levels in more than 20 years.
The fishery uses midwater trawling gear designed to not impact the seafloor, but the nets hit the seafloor an estimated 44 percent of the time, resulting in severe damage to seafloor habitats of the Bering Sea, the aquarium says on its Web site.
In the fishery's favor, it cites some aspects of management as progressive and precautionary, including steps toward an ecosystem-based approach that, relative to other fisheries worldwide, it says is considered highly effective.
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