The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report - Earth Economics

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The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report ery and harvest area, catch reporting, resource assessment, and other pertinent management information” (WDFW 2001a). (See “Nature of the Fishery Today—The Offshore Spot Prawn Fishery” section above for the summary of fishing regulations in the offshore fishery.) Management Issues and Concerns The state of knowledge is seen by many of the parties interviewed in this report as the biggest challenge for Washington spot prawn management. Basic biological information about spot prawns is lacking, and the level of basic research being conducted is mini-mal (Paul Williams, Suquamish Tribe Fisheries Department. Pers. comm., May 2001). In data-limited situations such as these, it is difficult to determine and establish biological or management reference points (Lowry, University of Washington School of Fisheries. Pers. comm., May 2001). Nevertheless, managers view the current commercial fishery as sustainable. Fishing is regulated and controlled, and expansion is slow. The future of the fishery is a “wild card,” however; the lack of biological information and research effectively forces managers to “grope in the dark” (Paul Williams, Suquamish Tribe Fisheries Department. Pers. comm., May 2001). The lifecycle characteristics of spot prawns—e.g., protandric hermaphroditism, and the fact that the fishery relies heavily on females—may threaten longterm sustainability. If recruitment and stock size prove to be linked, then removing a large proportion of females (i.e., the breeding stock) may reduce the number of young prawns entering the population and, ultimately, the robustness and resilience of the population (Lowry, University of Washington School of Fisheries. Pers. comm., May 2001). These factors, along with the fact that the spot prawn is susceptible to localized and serial depletion, are important management considerations. Existing research must be utilized, and monies and staff made available so that additional biological data can be collected, analyzed, and integrated into existing management systems (O’Toole, WDFW Pers. comm., May 2001; Cain, WDFW. Pers. comm., September 2001). According to WDFW, a rigorous stock assessment process should be instituted so that quotas are based on a biological understanding of the species and the fishery, rather than a historical understanding of effort and landings (O’Toole, WDFW. Pers. comm., March 2001). The ultimate goal is to determine and implement quotas so that the spot prawn fisheries can be maintained on a sustainable basis (Cain, WDFW. Pers. comm., September 2001). There is also a general sense that managing on a smaller scale may be a way of offsetting the species’ vulnerability to localized depletion (Paul Williams, Suquamish Tribe Fisheries Department. Pers. comm., May 2001; Lowry, University of Washington School of Fisheries. Pers. comm., May 2001). WDFW’s management in Puget Sound is also challenged by the lack of a good method of adjusting quotas, particularly in-season, and an inability to determine the significance of pot catch rates due to a lack of pot efficiency studies. The lack of a scientific system for assessing the impacts of the recreational fishery is also challenging (Paul Williams, Suquamish Tribe Fisheries Department. Pers. comm., May 2001). Managers are working to “get a handle on” this fishery, which is growing rapidly (O’Toole, WDFW. Pers. comm., May 2001). Concerns have been expressed that the 250,000-lb. quota in the offshore fishery may not reflect the actual biological status of the stock and may need to be reduced. This is presently being investigated, and WDFW is establishing a research and monitoring program that will provide much-needed information (Lorna Wargo, WDFW. Pers. comm., September 2001). Bycatch is also an issue of management concern for the offshore fishery. WDFW estimates that there are presently three trawlers in the spot prawn fishery. Preliminary bycatch observations indicate that benthic epifauna may be damaged or destroyed by trawling. The main bycatch component is glass sponge, a slow-growing species that provides habitat for juvenile fishes and crustaceans (Lowry, University of Washington School of Fisheries. Pers. comm., May 2001). WDFW is currently working with the industry to develop a plan for converting the offshore fishery to a trap-only fishery. Four options are being discussed. One of these will be selected and sent to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for adoption. The fishery is expected to be trap-only by 2004 at the latest (Lorna Wargo, WDFW. Pers. comm., September 2001). OREGON SPOT PRAWN FISHERY Biological Status of Spot Prawns The biological status of spot prawns in Oregon waters is relatively unknown. The available species 35
The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report abundance and distribution information suggests that sparse populations of prawns are widely distributed along the Oregon coast. To date, there have been no spot prawn scientific surveys. Most of the information regarding the status of the species is based either on fishers’ local ecological knowledge or has been extrapolated from the fisheries in California, Alaska, and British Columbia. History of the Fishery Oregon’s spot prawn fishing grounds are small, clearly delineated, and “characterized by high relief rock bottoms” (ODFW 2000). These small areas are regularly fished and are concentrated in prime habitat that lends itself to dense concentrations of spot prawns. Three areas are regularly harvested: the “prawn patch” off Nehalem Bay (35 square miles), two sites off Cape Blanco (35 sq. miles), and the Rogue River (26 sq. miles). Other areas may be fished in any given year, but are generally fished in an exploratory fashion, with low catch per unit of effort rates and no concentration in any single area (ODFW 2000). The directed fishery for spot prawns was established in 1993, when a fisher/vessel with “California trawling technology” came to Oregon and “pioneered” the fishery (Bob Hannah, ODFW— Marine Program. Pers. comm., March 2001). Three vessels participated in the fishery and landed approximately 40,212 pounds—the first significant landings of spot prawns in the history of the fishery. The only other recorded landing prior to 1993 was 74 lbs. by one vessel in 1989. The spot prawn fishery is open to both trawl and pots. Except in the 1994 season, trawlers have dominated landings. This is the primary gear type fished today. Pot landings peaked in 1994 at 20,398 lbs., and trawl landings peaked in 1998 at 130,081 lbs. As of 26 May 2000, the trawl fishery had landed 14,158 lbs.; the pot fishery had zero landings. Analysis of both fish tickets and logbook data suggest that Oregon CPUE has been declining for the last three years. The Washington fishery has largely driven the rise and fall in Oregon landings during this time period. Logbook data illustrate that a large percentage of spot prawns landed in Oregon are actually caught in Washington. For example, in 1997, of the 86,510 lbs. landed, 16% came from Oregon waters, 84% from Washington. In 1998, the percentages were even more extreme: Of the 137,625 lbs. landed, 9% originated in Oregon, 91% in Washington. Nature of the Fishery Today Spot prawn landings in Oregon are sporadic and small. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is of the view that this may ultimately compromise the long-term ecological and economic viability of the fishery. They have expressed concerns that the long-term conservation of spot prawns may be threatened by the fact that critical habitat—i.e., key fishing areas—are limited and may not be ecologically compatible with trawling. The Department stated in a recent document, “The small size of these areas cannot be overstressed. None of these sites are more than 6 miles in diameter. The logbook data for 2000 shows 2 boats making 80 tows within a triangular area only 8 miles across at its widest point. With trawling being focused in small, confined areas, habitat damage in these areas could be severe. This begs the question of how long spot prawn trawls can be used in an area of high relief before the habitat is altered to the point where it is no longer suitable for prawns” (ODFW 2000). The Oregon Developmental Fisheries Board (see description of the Board below) has not yet taken a position on the ecological vulnerability of the species, although local experience and knowledge seems to support the conservation concerns expressed by ODFW. According to fishers involved in the fishery, spot prawn areas fished in 1993 never recovered to initial abundance levels (Hannah, ODFW—Marine Program. Pers. comm., March 2001). Examination of fishing in the “prawn patch” indicates that “heavy fishing” of a spot prawn population can drive down the localized population to the point where it is not economically viable to fish the area any longer. This analysis also gives some indication of the time it may take a population to recover after intensive fishing. According to ODFW (2000), “CPUE [in the prawn patch] in late 1993 was approximately 25 lbs./hour SRE [single rig equivalents]. In 1997 a few tows in the area yielded 21 lbs./hour SRE. In 1998 a few exploratory tows yielded no prawns, and in 1999 there were no tows at the prawn patch recorded in logbooks. Year 2000 logbooks show renewed activity at the site and a CPUE of 21 lbs./hour SRE. This suggests that about three years may be necessary for spot prawn populations at a given site to recover to levels where fishing becomes worthwhile again.” Existing Management and Regulatory Systems Spot prawns in Oregon can be fished year-round, 36
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The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report - Earth Economics

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