The Great Widow Rockfish Hunt of 1980-1982

The rapid depletion of the widow rockfish (Sebastes entomelas) resource along the Pacific coast is described. The economic, sociological, and political factors that set the stage for this phenomenon are briefly discussed. The depletion of this resource has revealed significant weaknesses in the current fisheries management regime, and suggests that both short-term and long-term management policies for Pacific groundfish stocks need to be re-appraised.