The Spot Prawn Fishery The Spot Prawn Fishery - Basel Action ...

potentially important management and/or conservation
concern: the latent possibility of a
significant increase in fishing effort.
Statewide trawl landings peaked in 1997 at about
566,000 pounds. Trap landings peaked in 1991 at
about 260,000 lbs. Throughout most of its history,
the spot prawn fishery has been characterized by
periodic declines in catch followed by periods of
increasing catch. The reasons for fluctuations in
landings are poorly understood but may be due in
part to variability associated with environmental
change as well as variable fishing effort.
Recreational Fishery
Due to the depth at which spot prawns are found,
presently there is virtually no recreational fishery
for spot prawns. Some recreational traps have
been set on occasion in the Carmel Bay Ecological
Reserve.
Landings, Landed Values, and
Markets
In 2000, coast-wide spot prawn landings declined
from the previous year’s 615,000 pounds to 439,000
lbs. According to CDFG biologists, these landings
are much closer to the historical average (National
Fisherman 2001). The effects of El Niño and the
relocation of fishing effort are believed to partially
explain these lower landings. The 1997–98 El Niño
is believed to have led to increased spot prawn
abundance. Relocation of effort can be explained
by the increased value of Dungeness crab, following
the shortfall of Opilio crab in Alaska. The price
of Dungeness increased again in the 2000 fishery,
and 41 trawl vessels as opposed to 49 made spot
The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report
prawn landings. Fewer trap landings were evidenced
as well—37 landings, as opposed to 46 in
1999 (National Fisherman 2001).
Southern Trap and Trawl Landings
Landings in the southern half of the fishery fluctuate
widely. During the past two decades the trawl
fishery has exhibited two major spikes in landings,
the trap fishery three. Environmental variability
has been identified as one causal factor; in the
trawl fishery, expansion of effort was identified
as another. A study in the Santa Barbara Channel
during the 1980s suggested that “declining catches
and CPUE, coupled with increasing total effort, portend
a resource in distress” (Sunada 1984, p. 102).
Northern Trap and Trawl Landings
In the northern half of the state, the trap fishery
is characterized by relatively low fishing effort
and steady landings. By contrast, beginning in
1993 the trawl fishery exhibited a large increase
in landings. Similar to the southern fishery, this
increase in effort and, subsequently, catch can
be explained by the migration of displaced vessels
from the West Coast groundfish fishery as a
result of overfishing and subsequent reduction
in allowable catch.
Many prawn fishers market their own catches
or sell to the live market via smaller buyers. The
result is a high-valued product. Approximately
80% of the spot prawns landed in California are
sold alive. Typically, trawlers make multiple-day
fishing trips, but refrigeration units for seawater
keep the prawns near a desired temperature of
40˚ Fahrenheit. Most trap vessels and some
Spot Prawn Landings (Metric Tons) By Port Area And Gear Type
Adapted from Fisheries Review, CalCOFI Rep. 2000
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