


U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.
Category |
II |
Estimated Number of Participants |
21 |
Target Species |
Swordfish, common thresher, pelagic thresher, bigeye thresher, shortfin mako, blue shark, opah, albacore, tunas, dorado, louvar, barracuda, Pacific bonito, white seabass. |
Applicable Take Reduction Plans |
|
Observer Coverage |
Annual observer coverage rates of at least 20% are targeted. Actual coverage rates since 2014 have ranged from ~10% to ~30%. |
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured |
Bottlenose dolphin, CA/OR/WA offshore; California sea lion, U.S.; Dall’s porpoise, CA/OR/WA; Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific; Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA; Long-beaked common dolphin, CA; Minke whale, CA/OR/WA1; Pacific white sided dolphin, CA/OR/WA; Northern elephant seal, CA breeding; Northern right whale dolphin, CA/OR/WA; Risso’s dolphin, CA/OR/WA; Short-beaked common dolphin, CA/OR/WA; Short-finned pilot whale, CA/OR/WA1; Sperm whale, CA/OR/WA1 |
^ 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).
1Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.
The Category II classification is driven by the mortality and injury of CA/OR/WA stock of sperm whales, CA/OR/WA stock of short-finned pilot whales, and CA/OR/WA stock of minke whales. The total annual mortality and serious injury of these stocks is greater than 1% and less than 50% of these stocks’ Potential Biological Removal level.
This fishery, also known as the California (CA) large-mesh drift gillnet fishery (DGN), ranges from the U.S./Mexico border northward to waters off Oregon. Thresher shark, swordfish, and mako shark constitute ~90% of the target catch, with other marketable species of catch including: albacore, tunas, dorado, opah, and louvar. The fishery is subject to season-area closures: from February 1-April 30 fishing effort must be more than 200 nautical miles (nm) from shore; from May 1-August 14 fishing effort must be more than 75 nm from shore; and from August 15-January 31 fishing effort must be more than 12 nm from shore. There are also numerous smaller closures, mainly in the Southern California Bight. The majority of the effort occurs in October-December. An area closure to protect leatherback sea turtles prohibits drift gillnet fishing from August 15-November 15 in an area ranging from Point Sur, CA, to the Oregon coast. Another season-area closure to protect loggerhead sea turtles exists south of Point Conception and east of the 120° West longitude from June-August during El Niño years. Fishing can occur in federal waters off of Oregon, but landings cannot be made into the state of Oregon.
Gear consists of a 1,000 fathom (6,000 ft) gillnet with stretched mesh size commonly between 18-22 in (45.7-56 cm), with a 14 in (35.6 cm) minimum. The net is set at dusk and allowed to drift during the night, with one end of the net attached to the fishing vessel. The soak duration is usually 12-14 hours depending on length of the night. Net extenders with a minimum length of 36 ft (11 m) and acoustic warning devices (i.e., pingers) are mandatory.
This fishery is authorized under a federal limited entry permit, a state of California limited entry permit, and is managed under the federal Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fisheries Management Plan (FMP), by federal regulations under the Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan (POCTRP), and by State of California statutes and regulations, as specified in California Fish and Game Code and in Title 14, California Code of Regulations.
The HMS FMP includes a series of seasonal and area closures originally promulgated by CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. The POCTRP includes requirements for: acoustic pingers, net extenders (buoy lines) which lower the top of the net below the surface, and attendance by vessel captains at skipper education workshops through the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office. Landings from DGN gear into Oregon were only permitted under a state permit which is no longer issued, and this gear is prohibited off the Washington coast. Vessels participating in the fishery must use Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) devices, and federal logbook reporting is required. Fishery observers are required to be taken upon request.
Original Category (Year added to the LOF) |
I (1996) |
Original Number of Participants |
150 |
Basis for Original Classification |
Observer data from 1991-1993 indicated that the total annual mortality and serious injury of Pacific sperm whale was more than 50% of the PBR (PBR=1). |
Past Names |
CA/OR thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet (≥14in. mesh) fishery (until 2011); CA/OR thresher shark/swordfish drift gillnet fishery (until 2003) |
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) |
Baird's beaked whale (CA/OR/WA); Cuvier's beaked whale (CA/OR/WA); Fin whale (CA/OR/WA); Gray whale (ENP); Killer whale (ENP offshore); Mesoplodont beaked whale (CA/OR/WA); Northern fur seal (San Miguel Island); Pygmy sperm whale (CA/OR/WA); Steller sea lion (Eastern U.S.); Striped dolphin (CA/OR/WA) |
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
|
2017 |
|
2015 |
|
2014 |
|
2013 |
|
2012 |
|
2011 |
|
2009 |
|
2007 |
|
2006 |
|
2005 |
|
2003 |
|
1999 |
|
1998 |
|