Crescent City Profile - California Sea Grant

Current Situation and OutlookCrescent City Harbor’s fishing community facescritical challenges as it continues to adjust toregulatory, economic and environmental change.Once highly engaged in a diversity of commercialand recreational fisheries, the fishing communityhas become particularly dependent on thecommercial crab fishery, which is vulnerable tofluctuations in resource availability and, to a lesserextent, markets. Salmon troll and groundfish andshrimp trawl activity at the port have been sharplycurtailed. Recreational fisheries, once highlydependent on salmon, now engage perhaps a tenththe number of anglers they did in the 1980s. Othersport fisheries for crab and groundfish continue, buthave not filled the void left by salmon.The reduction in fishing opportunities and activityhave, in turn, reduced shoreside activity andassociated revenues, which have been felt byfishery support businesses and the harbor itself.Moreover, because activity at the port is nowhighly concentrated during the winter crab seasonrather than spread throughout the year, manybusinesses, from fish buyers and processors tomarine supply stores, have had trouble maintaininga consistent labor force and income flow. Thesesame circumstances make it difficult for fishingoperations to retain crew and maintain their vessels.Several businesses have closed or reduced servicesand/or inventory, while others have adaptedby diversifying their operations. With limitedalternative sources of revenue, harbor infrastructureincluding docks and other shoreside facilities, onceconsidered state-of-the-art, have deteriorated.Current issues for the fishing community includethe implementation of marine protected areas(MPAs) through the state’s ongoing MLPA process(in which several community members are activelyengaged), and an individual quota program (IQ) forthe federal groundfish trawl fishery. Both of thesehave the potential to fundamentally change localfisheries and the community. Study participantsexpressed concerns about the MLPA process andits potential outcomes, especially reduced access tomarine resources and increased safety risks. Theynoted that expectations about future MPAs havealready created substantial unease in the community,and have affected choices related to investment innew boats, shoreside facilities and equipment. Inaddition, considerable uncertainty exists regardingthe trawl IQ program, which is “intended to increaseeconomic efficiency within the fishery and reducethe incidental catch of overfished groundfishspecies” (PFMC and NMFS 2010). However,some fishery participants are concerned that limitedinitial quota allocations for nontarget species willsubstantially reduce their fishing activity, withnegative economic impacts on their operations andthe community.Taken together, these circumstances may underminethe viability and well-being of the CrescentCity fishing community and the harbor. Thesituation is exacerbated by its isolation from largerpopulation centers, and limited alternatives for localemployment and community livelihood.At the same time, the Crescent City communityhas a well-established history of adapting tochange that may enable it to meet challenges ina constructive way. Community members havelong worked together to support the harbor and itsfisheries, as occurred with the building of CitizensDock and its reconstruction following the 1964tsunami. Recently, funds have been secured tobegin much-needed dredging of the harbor’smain navigation channel, and additional funds tosupport reconstruction of the inner basin and otherimprovements are pending. These efforts togetherwith the port’s location near rich fishing grounds,its safe and easy access, and the availability of keyservices (e.g., fuel, ice, haul-out, refuge) create thepotential for Crescent City to regain its resilienceand vitality as a fishing port.Crescent City Fishing Community Profile 50