EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

ycatch and habitat loss are also human-related factors that have likely led to bocaccio decline.
Although a frequent species captured in fisheries during the late 1970’s, bocaccio were not
recorded from any recreational surveys from 1996-2007 (WDF 1975-1986, Palsson et al. 2008).
Apart from commercial fishing, recreational fishing (even catch-and-release) appears to incur
significant mortality on bocaccio and other rockfishes (Schroeder and Love 2002). The species
is considered overfished by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and is not presently
harvested intentionally. However, bycatch is still considered to be a high impact stressor to
rockfish populations of Washington State waters (Palsson et al. 2008).
Habitat loss is also a factor in bocaccio decline, with rocky habitats (reportedly, there are only
217 km 2 in Puget Sound) being threatened by construction of bridges, sewer lines, cable and
pipeline deployment, and dredge spoil (Palsson et al. 2008). Loss of kelp, which is valuable to
juvenile fish recruitment, as well as anoxic conditions, exacerbate habitat loss (NMFS 2008e).
Critical habitat
Critical habitat has not been proposed or designated for the bocaccio.
Yelloweye rockfish
Description of the species
Yelloweye rockfish are likely composed of at least two populations and possibly more.
Yamanaka et al. (2006) found that those individuals found within the Georgia Basin and Queen
Charlotte Strait were genetically distinct from other samples from Oregon to Alaska. The
Georgia Basin/Queen Charlotte Sound population is the one which has been proposed for listing
in US waters.
Distribution
Yelloweye rockfish occur from Baja California to the Aleutian Islands, but are most common
from central California to Alaska (Love et al. 2002).
Habitat
As with other rockfishes, yelloweye habitat varies based upon life stage. Larvae maintain a
pelagic existence but as juveniles, move into shallow high relief rocky or sponge garden habitats
(Eschmeyer et al. 1983a, Richards et al. 1985, Love et al. 1991). Juveniles may also associate
with floating debris or pilings (Lamb and Edgell 1986). As adults, yelloweye rockfish move in
to deeper habitats. Individuals have been found in waters as deep as 549 m, but are generally
found in waters of less than 180 m (Eschmeyer et al. 1983a, Love et al. 2002). However, adults
continue to associate with rocky, high relief habitats, particularly with caves and crevices,
pinnacles, and boulder fields (Carlson and Straty 1981, Richards 1986, Love et al. 1991,
O'Connell and Carlisle 1993, Yoklavich et al. 2000). Yelloweyes generally occur as individuals,
with loose, residential aggregations infrequently found (Coombs 1979, DeMott 1983, Love et al.
2002). In the Puget Sound region, sport catch records from the 1970’s indicate that Sucia Island
and other islands of the San Juans as well as Bellingham Bay had the highest concentrations of
catches (Delacy et al. 1972, Miller and Borton 1980).
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