The Effect of the Oceanic Condition on Variations of the Catches of Alaska Pollack in the East Sea (the Japan Sea)

The effect of the oceanic condition on variations of the catches of Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) in the East Sea (the Japan Sea) is examined using monthly catches data of this fish and temperature data during 1972 to 1991. Since 1973 the catches of Alaska pollack have gradually increased, showing a peak in 1981, and then rapidly decreased after 1986. A significant negative correlation was found between variations of the catches and the temperature at 50 m depth offshore Mukho. In 1981, the year of the highest catches in the study period, the water mass in the Eastern Korean Coastal Sea of the East Sea was extremely cold, while the year of poor catch, 1979, was much warmer than the annual mean temperature. The results show that the temperature variations around the Eastern Korean Coastal Sea play an important role in the variations of the catches of Alaska pollack, implying that the effect of the Tsushima Warm Current is also very important.