According to non-profit group Oceana, the flatfish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Alaska throws back 35% of its catch as waste every year, which is equivalent to 34 million pounds of fish. Among the fish that are discarded by the fishery are five million pounds of cod and two million of halibut.

Oceana derived the numbers after getting access to the National Marine Fisheries Service's own 2010 data. "The value of the discarded halibut is worth more than the fish they are going after. This level of high bycatch affects fish populations, and we would rather be making use of the fish we catch and count them toward sustaining populations", said Jon Warrenchuk, a marine scientist with Oceana.

Warrenchuk referred the wastage of halibut as 'double whammy'. He added that most of the fish caught by fisheries are young and have not spawned yet. These are big enough to evade their predators but the irony is that they are caught by the trawl bycatch and discarded before they can reproduce.

Warrenchuk said Oceana is making efforts to reduce bycatch, name for non-targeted fish. The marine conservationist organization has called on federal fishery managers to take the matte seriously as commercial fishing practices have become the bane of marine life.

NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eileen Sobeck said in a Friday statement that the group is taking best measures to avoid bycatch and the issue is the top priority for NOAA Fisheries.

The agency said that their efforts are vindicated through the success seen in Alaska long-line fishing and seabird numbers have sought a decline by 50% due to streamer lines. It also touted other bottom trawl fisheries, including the West Coast groundfish trawl, are seeking reduction in bycatch numbers.

However, Warrenchuk said NOAA has not been able to employ simple measures like closing areas with high bycatch. "This has larger ecological aspects, when millions of pounds of fish are discarded. That changes food web", he added.