California Spot Prawn Pot Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

Category

II

Estimated Number of Participants

25

Target Species

Spot prawn

Applicable Take Reduction Plans

N/A

Observer Coverage

None

Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured

Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific;

Humpback whale, CA/OR/WA¹

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)

III (1996)

Original Number of Participants

603

Basis for Original Classification

This fishery was classified as Category III because, while there were reports to the CA stranding network of gray whale entanglements in lobster pot gear, the entanglements did not appear to result in mortalities.  There were no reported entanglements of other stocks.

Past Names

CA lobster, prawn, shrimp, rock crab, and fish pot (until 2009)

Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)

N/A

2016

• Estimated number of participants updated from 28 to 25.

2014

• Estimated number of participants reduced from 27 to 28.

2011

• Estimated number of participants reduced from 29 to 27.

2009

• Split from the Category III “CA lobster, prawn, shrimp, rock crab, and fish pot” fishery and listed as a separate Category II fishery based on mortality and serious injury of humpback whales (WA/OR/CA).  A humpback whale was entangled and serious injured in spot prawn pot gear in 2005. This single humpback whale interaction equaled a mean annual mortality and serious injury level of 0.2 animals/year, or 8% of the stock’s PBR (PBR=2.5).
• This fishery has 29 participants.
• Added the following species/stocks to the list of species/stocks incidentally killed/injured in this fishery:
  • Humpback whales (WA/OR/CA stock):  Based on a serious injury entanglement event in 2005.  A superscript “1” listed after this stock to indicate that takes of this stock are driving the classification of the fishery.
  • Gray whales (Eastern North Pacific stock): Entanglements of gray whales in trap and pot gear have been reported; however, NOAA Fisheries had not yet determined which specific fisheries were involved. Gray whales were added to the list of species/stocks killed or injured in the Category III “CA lobster, prawn, shrimp, rock crab, and fish pot” (from which this fishery is split) in 2007; therefore, it remained listed under this separate fishery.  Data related to interactions with gray whales and the newly categorized Category II trap and pot fisheries will be reviewed and discussed in future LOFs.

Changes on the LOF when the “CA spot prawn pot” fishery was included in the larger “CA lobster, prawn, shrimp, rock crab, and fish pot” fishery

2007

• Added humpback whale (Eastern north Pacific), gray whale (Eastern north Pacific), and harbor seal (CA) to the list of species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery based on 14 sightings of entangled trap (11 cases) or pot (3 cases) gear between 2000 and 2005.  Also, the stranding database recorded a dead gray whale and a harbor seal entangled in pot or trap gear. Data was insufficient to warrant elevation to Category II for the 2007 LOF, but NOAA Fisheries stated its intent to monitor trap/pot interactions with large whales on the west coast and revisit classification in future LOFs, if warranted.

1999

• Added southern sea otter (CA) added to species/stocks killed/injured in this fishery based on fisher reports of 4 otters taken in 1992.