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title: "Albatross friendly? Marine Stewardship Council re-certifies two longline fisheries in the North Pacific"
---

# Albatross friendly? Marine Stewardship Council re-certifies two longline fisheries in the North Pacific

The [U.S. North Pacific Halibut](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/pacific/us-north-pacific-halibut) and the [U.S. North Pacific Sablefish](http://www.msc.org/track-a-fishery/certified/pacific/us-north-pacific-sablefish )fisheries operating in territorial waters off the coast of Alaska, Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska have been re-certified for a further five years by the [Marine Stewardship Council ](http://www.msc.org/)as sustainable and well-managed fisheries ([click here](http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/two-alaska-fisheries-earn-re-certification-to-msc-standard?fromsearch=1&isnewssearch=1)).

 North Pacific Halibut *Hippoglosus stenolepis*is caught by a demersal longline fishery. Besides Alaska, a small portion of the harvest occurs off the coast of Washington.  The United States and Canadian Governments co-manage halibut stocks through the [International Pacific Halibut Commission](http://www.iphc.int/).

 North Pacific Sablefish *Anoplopoma fimbria*, also known as black cod, is caught by demersal longlines in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.

 Both fisheries have the potential to interact with the three ACAP-listed albatrosses (genus *Phoebastria*) that breed in the North Pacific, as well as with trans-equatorial *Puffinus* shearwaters and other seabirds.

 ![](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/S/Short_tailed/Short-Tailed_Albatross_by_Aleks_Terauds1.jpg "Short-tailed Albatross in flight.  Photograph by Aleks Terauds")

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 25 August 2011*