Puget Sound groundfish include more than 150 species, including sharks, rockfishes, codfishes, flatfishes and lingcod, among others. These fish live near or on the bottom of the Sound for most of their adult lives, and they make up a high percent of the biomass of the ecosystem.  

Groundfish and rockfish play an important role in the food web, serving as a link between nearshore and mid-waters and the sea floor. Many of the harvestable groundfish species are in sharp decline including Pacific cod, hake, walleye pollock and several species of rockfish.

What’s the problem?  

Groundfish and rockfish stocks throughout Puget Sound have declined dramatically in the past 25 years. More than 27 species of rockfish—an extremely long-lived group of fish—have been recorded in the inland marine waters of Washington State . Thirteen species of rockfish are listed as Washington State candidates for protection. Pacific hake remains as a federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) candidate species.  

Some startling statistics:

  • Pacific cod and hake populations have plummeted during the past two decades in Puget Sound and show no signs of recovery.
  • Walleye pollock and spiny dogfish also show signs of stress and reduced numbers.
  • The most commonly caught species of rockfish are now in poor condition and some others species show signs of decline.
  • The spawning potential of copper rockfish in northern Puget Sound decreased by 75 percent from 1978 to 1999. Spawning potential for copper rockfish in southern Puget Sound decreased by 90 percent from 1978 to 1999. 
  • Rockfish fishing has been permanently closed or severely limited in many areas throughout Puget Sound .

In some cases, the declines of groundfish may be the result of changes in water temperature, especially for migratory species such as Pacific cod, hake and walleye pollock.

Rockfish, on the other hand, are generally not migratory, but remain loyal to the site where they settle out as larvae. They are susceptible to pressures from fishing partly because they do not move very far or very fast, and partly because they are opportunistic and non-discriminating feeders. The strongest suspected cause of decline of rockfish is associated with both sport and commercial fishing. Scientists measure rockfish health by their ability to reproduce, known as their spawning potential. Spawning potential declines when there are fewer fish of spawning age or when individual fish produce fewer eggs. These slow-growing species do not reproduce until fully mature, which makes them particularly vulnerable to environmental problems.

Status. While the majority of Puget Sound groundfish stocks are in good condition, the status for individual species is mixed. Some species are in steep decline while others are improving. Pacific cod, walleye pollock, Pacific hake, rockfish and spiny dogfish are in depressed or critical condition in Puget Sound . Lingcod, English sole, starry flounder, sand sole and Pacific halibut populations have increased.

Trends. Based mainly on sport-fishing surveys and harvest information, the condition of groundfish stocks improved slightly during the past four years. This improvement is most apparent in several species of flatfish including English sole, which had increases ranging from 17 percent to 42 percent, and lingcod, which had increases ranging from 68 percent to 104 percent since the 1980s.

Spawning potential for copper and quillback rockfish dropped by nearly 75 percent between 1970 and 1999, and more recent information confirms a continued decline. Although the overall number of groundfish has not changed significantly in the last few decades, many popular harvest species have sharply declined.

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What’s being done?

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) manages groundfish under the terms of the Puget Sound Groundfish Management Plan.

Some of the WDFW actions include:

  • Limiting fisheries.
  • Establishing MPAs. Under the approval of the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, establishing a series of Marine Protected Areas/Conservation Areas. The long-term strategy is to provide a series of such sites in geographically separate areas coupled with other management tools to help recover Puget Sound rockfish populations.
  • Status and trends. WDFW is completing a review of status and trends of several species of rockfish and developing a rockfish management and conservation plan.
  • Surveys and studies. WDFW conducts surveys and studies of rockfishes and other groundfish species and will be carrying out new conservation measures for rockfishes.
  • MRCs and Northwest Straits. Marine Resource Committees and the Northwest Straits Commission have worked to draw attention to the problem in local communities, including establishing voluntary bottomfish protection areas and a Marine Stewardship Area in San Juan County .
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