The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report - Earth Economics

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The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report Washington fishers displaced from collapsed or overcapitalized fisheries •changes in gear design, in particular the advent of large rollers on trawl gear (rock hopper gear), which allowed fishers to fish areas that previously had been unfishable due to the rocky nature of the habitat. “These areas had previously acted as de facto reserves providing new recruits for adjacent areas traditionally worked by trawl vessels” (Larson, in press) •Strong recruitment years in 1996 and 1997 In 1999, statewide landings decreased 21%, even though fishing effort continued to increase. The combination of these factors led to the proposal and discussion of a range of new management and regulatory measures. These included: •limits on landings made with trawl roller gear larger than 8 in. •bycatch-reduction devices in trawl gear •limits on the number of allowable traps •future phase-out of trawl gear, pending observer data •seasonal closures •observer coverage implemented in both the trap and trawl fishery and funded by fees assessed on the industry •establishing a qualifying date for future limited-access programs Not all of these measures have been adopted. Of particular interest is the fact that roller gear has not been limited in the trawl fishery, despite the fact that the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted rollergear and mesh restrictions in order to protect severely depleted rockfish species. Nature of the Fishery Today Commercial Fishery In 1999, the California spot prawn fishery consisted of a total of 95 vessels (46 trap, 49 trawl). Some of the vessels landed in more than one port, and more than half the landings were in the Santa Barbara area (see chart on p. 41 for detailed analysis of landings by gear type and port). The present-day trawl-fishing effort is widely dispersed north of Point Conception. In Southern California, effort tends to focus around California Fishing Areas Image Courtesy Valerie Taylor, CDFG 39
The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report offshore islands. The fleet operates coast-wide from Bodega Bay to the Mexican Border, with one of four ports—Monterey, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, or Ventura—used as a home port. A number of vessels also operate out of Washington State ports in fall and winter. The fleet consists of vessels that range in length from 28 to 85 feet. The trap fleet operates from Monterey Bay to Southern California. The Monterey-based fleet consists of approximately six vessels of 30–60 feet in length that fish 10 months a year, fishing for salmon in the summer months. The Southern California fleet consists of vessels ranging from 20 to 75 feet in length. Both the trap and trawl components of the fishery exhibit significant landings now. In 1992, traps took nearly 75% of all prawn landings; 25% were taken with trawls. Yet by 1999, 68% of landings were by trawl and 32% were by trap (Reilly, CDFG. Pers. comm., March 2001). Compared to other California fisheries, a relatively small number of vessels participate in the spot prawn fishery in any given year; total landings are accounted for by only a small percentage of the total number of boats participating in the fishery. For example, between 1992 and 1998, about 30 trawl vessels accounted for 95% of trawl landings. Approximately 50 trap vessels accounted for 95% of total trap landings. It is important to note that, historically, a much larger number of vessels have participated in the fishery on an occasional or incidental basis. For example, between 1992 and 1998, 171 trawlers and 169 trap fishers made at least one spot prawn landing. This fact is significant in that it belies a Spot Prawn Trawling Zones Image Courtesy Valerie Taylor, CDFG 40
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The Spot Prawn Fishery: A Status Report - Earth Economics

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