WA/OR/CA Hagfish Pot 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 WA/OR/CA hagfish pot fishery targets Pacific hagfish and black hagfish. Even though hagfish generally occur as shallow as 9 fathoms (54 ft or 16.5 m), hagfish are found across most of the outer continental slope in marketable quantities. Hagfish are generally found in muddy substrate, but may occupy a variety of bottom types.

In Washington, the fishery is open year round in Pacific Ocean waters only, and effort is prohibited in waters less than 50 fathoms (300 ft or 91.4 m). In Oregon, the fishery is open year round, and there is no depth limit at which the fish may be targeted. The ports with the most landings are on the south coast of Oregon. The fishery peaks during spring and fall, with less effort during the winter. In California, the fishery is open year round, but similar to Oregon it peaks during the spring and fall with less effort in the winter due to poor weather and fishermen participating in the Dungeness crab fishery. There is no depth limit to where the fish may be targeted, but high hagfish densities are generally located in deeper waters. Effort occurs statewide from southern California to northern California.

Gear Description

The gear consists mostly of high-volume buckets (5 gallon or 18.9 liters) or barrel gear (large plastic drums with removable ends), although Korean-style traps are also used. Korean-style traps are small and tubular traps with little volume; as a result, hundreds are needed to achieve a marketable yield. All traps consist of an opening (entrance tunnel), with some states requiring specified dimensions, a cavity drilled with a number of smaller holes (dewatering and escape holes), and at least one escape exit, with some states requiring specified dimensions. 

In Washington, no more than a 100 barrels or buckets are used at any one time. They can be set individually or strung together by a common ground line. The entrance tunnel is no larger than 11 inches² (71.0 cm²) and can be any shape. There must be at least one escape exit that has an opening of no less than 9 1⁄2 inches² (61.3 cm²). The gear is marked with buoys equipped with a pole, flag, radar reflector and a light. When ground lines are used, the end marker buoys display the identification number of the permittee and the number of pots on the ground line.

In Oregon, fishermen use barrel gear, setting up to 200 barrels. There is no minimum size requirement for the escape hole, but the use of a hole with 5/8 inch (1.6 cm) in diameter is nearly universal. A groundline with 10-25 barrels is set and soaked for 4 or more hours. The biodegradable opening has a minimum diameter of 3 inches (7.6 cm). 

In California, fishermen can use (gear limited per vessel) 25 barrels, 200 buckets, or 500 Korean-style traps, but never a combination of gear types. The escape holes are at least 9/16 inches (1.4 cm) in diameter to allow smaller hagfish to escape. Barrels are 45 inches (114.3 cm) long and the diameter is 25 inches (63.5 cm) or less. Barrels may be attached to a maximum of three groundlines. There is no limitation on the number of bucket groundlines. Marking buoys must have the fisherman’s commercial license number and vessel commercial registration number.

Management

In Washington, the fishery is open access managed as a trial fishery under the state’s Emerging Commercial Fishery Act requiring an emerging commercial fishery license and a hagfish pot trial fishery permit. There is no limit to the amount of hagfish that can be landed, although no incidental catch of other species is allowed. Fishermen must notify the state 24 hours in advance of landing for dockside sampling, and must submit logbooks once a month.

In Oregon, the fishery is a state-managed open access fishery requiring a hagfish permit and submission of logbooks quarterly. An annual harvest guideline of 1.6 million pounds (726,000 kg) exists for the state, which could trigger additional management measures.

In California, the fishery is a state-managed open access fishery requiring a general trap permit for all participants. Logbooks are not required.

Historical Information

Timeline of Changes