The boats fishing for Pacific cod with pots in the central Gulf of Alaska federal season finally wrapped up their 17.9 million pound quota Monday, a few days later than last year, but the trawl fleet is still fishing with only 30 percent of their 9,600-ton quota caught.

Obren Davis, area management biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service, said a combination of factors led to a slower pot season.

“Effort was down, catchability was definitely down,” he said. “They just seemed not to be getting the catch rates that they did, for example, last year.”

He said things started good and then slowed down, whereas last year fishing started slower and accelerated toward the end, which is more common as fish move inshore in preparation for spawning.

The boats now move into state waters within three miles of shore, where the quota is 5.1 million pounds with 85 percent, or 4.31 million pounds, allocated to pot gear and 15 percent to jig gear.

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