Synopsis Of Sebaste Degradation In North America

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS Species Profile https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=E0BM

Life History
Reproduction and Development
Females produce a large number of eggs (up to 2,700,000) and give birth to live larval young. Larval release occurs between February and September. Larval yelloweye may be dispersed over a wide area as they drift with ocean currents. Their survival is affected by ocean conditions such as temperature, currents and the availability of food. Only a small percentage of larval yelloweye will survive to reach maturity. 

Food
While in the larval stage, yelloweye feed on algae, other single-celled organisms, and small crustaceans. As they grow to adulthood, yelloweye shift to a variety of prey including other rockfish, sand lance, herring, flatfishes and crustaceans.

Growth and Maturity
Yelloweye are slow to mature but are very long lived. One individual was aged at 121 years old. In Southeast, Alaska yelloweye males mature around the age of 18 while females mature around 22 years old.

Movements
When yelloweye larvae are born, they are carried with ocean currents and eventually settle onto the ocean floor where more protection from predators can be found. As juveniles mature they will move into deeper water habitat. Adult yelloweye, like many species of non-pelagic rockfish, have small home ranges. Some may live their entire adult life on a single rock pile.

Dfg.webmaster@alaska.gov. “Yelloweye Rockfish Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game.” Yelloweye Rockfish Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=yelloweyerockfish.main.

Habitat

Juveniles and subadults prefer shallower water than adults, and are associated with rocky reefs,and kelp canopies. Adults move into deeper water as they grow, and prefer rocky bottoms.

“Yelloweye Rockfish.” Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, 

https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/yelloweye-rockfish

In response to the above articles published on AK F G and OR F W website’s.
My hypothesis: Potential for at least two variations of yelloweye rockfish exist: one that prefers deep water cooler environments as well as a shallow water variety that prefers warmer water temperatures. Similar to humans, food preferences in a younger or older fishes life cycle create a draw to defined habitat areas causing them to prey on a particular food source that is found at those depths. Do yelloweye prefer specific depth ranges according to prey availability? Does the theory of prey availability decide when fish are drawn to specific habitat in various stages in the fishes life? Potential predation of juvenile rockfish from an overwhelming population of sculpin is an undeniable concerning factor when discussing potential predation of the species.

KTOO: “Yelloweye — or red snapper — is one of the last remaining open access fisheries in the state. Olsen says it’s a good opportunity for longliners to work their gear in the winter, before the halibut” season opens in March, and after it closes in November. The Department of Fish & Game has tried rotating closures in the past, hoping to see stocks rebound in specific areas. But it hasn’t worked. This is the first time the Department has shut down fishing in the entire region. 

Woolsey, Robert, and Kcaw. “Say Goodbye to Yelloweye: Southeast Alaska Waters Closed to Harvest of Rockfish Species.” KTOO, 13 Jan. 2020, www.ktoo.org/2020/01/10/say-goodbye-to-yelloweye-southeast-alaska-waters-closed-to-harvest-of-rockfish-species/.

The writing is on the wall. Another question remains: How is British Columbia dealing with this issue?

“Under the ESA, species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. All species of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. For the purposes of the ESA, Congress defined species to include subspecies, varieties, and, for vertebrates, distinct population segments. As of January 2013, the FWS has listed 2,054 species worldwide as endangered or threatened, of which 1,436 occur in the United States.”

 https://www.fws.gov/endanger…/esa-library/pdf/ESA_basics.pdf

Humans have developed a need to harvest the most “sought after” game species available to them. As fishermen harvest rockfish, salmon, and halibut we throw back species such as sculpin and consider them to be less desirable bycatch. Artisanal fishermen have long been harvesting fish from the closest waters to their home port. After fish are continually removed from a geographic location the fishermen are forced to move further from their home port resulting in riskier behavior and increased loss of life. In accordance to the theory that risk is mitigated by simply not partaking is a modern day response to such activity.

Consequently, fishers are vulnerable to more treacherous open waters more of the time they are harvesting, all of which occurs increasingly further away from the port. Increased runs to productive fishing grounds puts strains on boat owners, crews, and equipment not to mention more resources like fossil fuels. Today’s advancements in fishing technology has made targeting specific species increasingly easy which has leveled the playing field in a way. We live in a commodity controlled world where the best or rarest “quarry” is highly sought after which creates an evolutionary gap in game species across the board. Less desirable species will boom in population causing other species to dwindle. The overwhelming population expansion and its influence has caused similar effects on not only fish but the aboriginal people across the globe. Humans have evolved to the point in which we can manipulate our environment to the point where it is no longer recognizable to an aboriginal species.

Adam J Bahr, cir. 2020