Crescent City Profile - California Sea Grant

long-term average of six buyers. This is due inpart to receiving and processing issues at theport despite reports from fishermen and othersof increases in the resources and improvedmarkets for the product.The number of shrimp trawl trips dropped from853 in 1981 to 64 in 1983. Effort subsequentlyincreased to 912–1,143 trips between 1986 and1992, then declined dramatically to 0–17 tripsduring the period 2003–2007. Annual shrimptrawl effort averaged eight trips in recent years,98% lower than the long-term average of 485trips.Prices for trawl-caught shrimp have rangedwidely, increasing from $0.97 per pound in 1981to a peak of $1.20 per pound in 1983 (whenshrimp were scarce). Since then, prices havegenerally cycled downward, reaching lows of$0.32–$0.49 during the period 2000–2007. Pricesaveraged $0.44 per pound in recent years, 33%lower than the long-term average of $0.66.The shrimp trawl fishery accounted for about11% of boats, 8% of trips, 22% of landings and18% of landed value at Crescent City over thelong term. The fishery’s contribution to CrescentCity activity has declined dramatically in recentyears to 2% of boats, less than 1% of trips, and1% of landings and landed value.The Rockfish and Lingcod Hook-and-LineFisheryCommercial fishing for rockfish and lingcodusing hook-and-line and bottom longline gearhas occurred at Crescent City for decades.Traditionally, the fishery produced whole fishand filets for retail and food service. Since thelate 1990s the fishery also has served the live fishmarket, which emerged about a decade earlier inthe southern part of the state.Landings increased from 407,000 poundsin 1981 to a peak of 1.1 million pounds in1989–1990 (Figure 12, Table 12). This upwardtrend was interrupted in 1983–1984 by the1982–1983 El Niño and extreme weather in1984 that made fishing particularly difficult(CDFG 1984, 1985). Landings declined to164,000–258,000 pounds during the period1999–2007. The ex-vessel value of landingsfollowed a similar pattern between 1981 and1990, although the increase in value from 1985to 1990 was not as dramatic as the increasein landings. After 1990, however, instead ofdeclining as landings did, ex-vessel valuesvaried from $249,000 to $572,000 withoutapparent trend.Annual landings averaged 194,000 pounds inrecent years, a 55% decline compared to thelong-term average of 429,000 pounds. The exvesselvalue of landings increased by 6%, froma long-term average of $410,000 to $436,000in recent years.The trend in the number of rockfish hookand-linefishery participants at Crescent Citybears some similarity to the trend in landings.Participation averaged 27 boats in recent years,64% lower than the long-term average of 76boats. Prior to 1989, vessel participation variedwidely, ranging between highs of 135–159 in1981, 1982, 1986 and 1987 and a low of 11boats in 1984. According to local fishermen,many displaced salmon fishermen enteredthe fishery in 1985 and 1986 when harvestopportunities in the KMZ were severelyconstrained. Participation reached 147 boats in1989 and declined steadily thereafter to 41–49during the period 1999–2002. From 2003onward, participation declined again to fewerthan 30 boats following the implementationof restricted access in the state’s nearshorefishery.The number of buyers in this fishery averaged8 in recent years, a 43% decline from the longtermaverage of 14. Between 8 and 28 buyerspartipcated during the period 1981–2004, thendeclined to 5–7 thereafter, due to fewer boatsCrescent City Fishing Community Profile 29