CA Coonstripe Shrimp Pot Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries
U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.
Current Classification on the List of Fisheries
Category | II |
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Estimated Number of Participants | 9 |
Target Species | Coonstripe shrimp |
Applicable Take Reduction Plans | None |
Observer Coverage | None |
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured |
Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific; Harbor seal, CA; America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA1; Humpback whale, Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA. |
Basis for Current Classification
Category II classification is driven by the mortality and serious injury of the Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA stock of humpback whales. The total annual mortality and serious injury is greater than 1% and less than 50% of the stocks’ Potential Biological Removal level.
Distribution
The Category II CA coonstripe shrimp pot fishery primarily occurs along a relatively narrow depth range, between 20 and 30 fathoms (120-180 ft or 36.6-54.9 m) in northern California and southern Oregon. In California, most of the fishing activity for coonstripe shrimp has taken place within a few miles off Crescent City Harbor with additional effort emerging within the Gulf of the Farallones, although the range of the fishery along the California coast has been expanding recently. The fishery is prohibited from November 1 through April 30. The fishery is relatively new, beginning in 1995.
Gear Description
Fishermen commonly use 300 to 400 traps during the fishing season. The traps are set in strings composed of between 10-30 traps per string, connected to a long line weighted at both ends and marked with a polyball or flagpole. Fishermen tend to leave the strings of traps in the water for several days before tending. Some fishers position their traps at a specific depth, about 25 fathoms (150 ft or 45.7 m), while others vary the depth and prospect as shallow as 12 fathoms (72 ft or 21.9 m). Each trap weighs less than 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) and is constructed of 1 3/8-inch (3.5 cm) mesh wire over a stainless steel frame. The traps are typically 39 inches (1.0 m) in diameter, 16 inches (40.6 cm) tall, and have two entry funnels that are 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter.
Every buoy marking a commercial trap, or the end of a string of traps, is marked with a commercial fishing license identification number followed by the letter “C”, which is specific to this fishery.
Management
This is an open access fishery managed by the State of California that varies in fleet size and composition every year. To participate in the commercial fishery, a fisherman must be a registered commercial fisherman, have a commercial vessel registration, and a general trap permit. In addition, fishermen must comply with all California regulations for all pot/trap fisheries regarding size of traps, destructive devices, marking the gear, and trap servicing.
Historical Information
Original Category (Year added to the LOF) | III (1996) |
Original Number of Participants | 608 |
Basis for Original Classification | Limited entanglement and stranding records did not point to mortalities or serious injuries of marine mammal stocks. |
Past Names |
CA/ OR coonstripe pot (until 2019) CA coonstripe shrimp, rock crab, tanner crab pot or trap (until 2015) CA spiny lobster, coonstripe shrimp, rock crab, tanner crab pot or trap (until 2010) CA lobster, prawn, shrimp, rock crab, fish pot (1996 until 2009) |
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) | N/A |
Timeline of Changes
2024 |
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2022 |
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2020 |
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2016 |
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2015 |
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