Life-history traits of walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, in the northeastern Japan Sea during early to mid 1990s

I examined the age, growth, maturity, mortality, and body condition of walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, in the northeastern Japan Sea (northern Japan Sea population) and evaluated their resilience to exploitation. Walleye pollock were collected in pre-spawning (October 1991–1995) and post-spawning (April 1990–1996) seasons. Estimated ages ranged from 3 to 18 years for both sexes. A von Bertalanffy growth model showed that females had longer asymptotic fork length (460 mm) than males (425 mm). Fifty percent of females and males were mature at 348 mm (4.6 years) and 322 mm (3.9 years), respectively. The instantaneous natural mortality rate was estimated to be 0.22. These life-history traits in the northern Japan Sea population were compared to those in the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Japan Pacific populations. As a result, female walleye pollock in this population matured at small body sizes, grew rapidly toward small maximum sizes, and had short reproductive lifespans with low size-specific fecundity and poor body condition. Low prey availability and habitat temperatures are considered as a possible mechanism for the small maximum sizes in this population. The potential rate of population increase of both the northern Japan Sea population and other pollock populations tended to be lower than other exploited populations of non-viviparous marine fishes, suggesting potentially lower resilience to exploitation in this population and walleye pollock populations in general.

► The life-history traits of walleye pollock populations were examined.
► An index of population growth rate is lower in pollock populations than other fishes.
► The potential low productivity may be related to population decline in the Japan Sea.
► More attention must be paid to the productivity of this species.