CA/OR/WA Salmon Troll Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

Basis for Current Classification

Classified as a Category III fishery based on the lack of documented mortality or serious injuries of marine mammals based on the available data.

Distribution

The Category III CA/OR/WA salmon troll fishery primarily targets Chinook and coho salmon in Oregon and Washington. Retention of coho salmon is prohibited in California, leaving Chinook as the primary target for the California fishery. Pacific halibut may also be caught and landed incidentally in all three states under an incidental take permit. Effort occurs across all three U.S. West Coast States, primarily during the summer and fall, with limited effort occurring during the spring in certain areas during certain years. In California, the majority of effort takes place in the central and northern coast, but can extend all the way into the Southern California Bight. Generally, most of the salmon trolling effort occurs within 15-20 nautical miles (27.8-37.0 km) from shore including both State and Federal waters.

Gear Description

Trollers fish for salmon by towing lures or baited hooks through the water. Fishing lines are rigged to outriggers that prevent the lines from being entangled or caught in the vessel prop. Up to six stainless steel lines are fished from each outrigger, each of these lines containing up to four baited hooks or lures weighted to depth by 10-50 pound (4.5-22.7 kg) weights. The barbless lures can be fished from just under the surface, down to 80 fathoms (480 ft or 146.3 m), trolled at speeds of 1-4 knots (1.9-7.4 km/hr). Natural bait used includes anchovy or herring. Fishing depth, troll speed, type of lure, and area fished all help to determine the number and species of salmon caught. For example, Chinook salmon are generally caught deeper than coho salmon.

Management

Ocean salmon fisheries conducted off of California, Oregon, and Washington are managed under the Federal Pacific Coast Salmon FMP along with individual state regulations. The Salmon FMP provides a framework for managing ocean salmon fisheries in a sustainable manner as required under the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act through the use of conservation objectives, annual catch limits, and other status determination criteria described in the FMP. Fishermen in all three U.S. West Coast states are issued limited entry permits. It is important to note that quota and size limits change every season, as do the timing and duration of seasons, depending on stock assessments and other management considerations.

Historical Information

Timeline of Changes