Overview of Observed West Coast Fishery Sectors
An overview of the West Coast fishing sectors we observe.
West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share
Sector Description
The West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program is a limited access program implemented in January 2011 under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The program consists of an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program for the limited entry bottom and midwater trawl fleet and two distinct cooperative programs for the at-sea hake mothership and catcher-processor trawl fleets.
The bottom trawl fleets traditionally operate from the U.S./Canadian border to Morro Bay, California. The at-sea hake fleet operates off the coasts of Oregon and Washington.
We use observer data to account for any IFQ discarded catch, including the mandatory discarding of Pacific halibut and other prohibited and protected species (e.g., Dungeness crab, salmon spp.). Observer data, combined with landings data, enables fishermen to track their individual fishing quotas and for managers to monitor the fishery's progress.
(For an overview of observed West Coast fishery sectors, see Fishery Sectors Covered by the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program and the At-Sea Hake Observer Program.)
Limited Entry Bottom Trawl
Groundfish bottom trawl vessels range in size from 35 to 95 feet, with an average length of 65 feet. Vessels fish throughout the year in a wide range of depths and deliver the catch to shore-side processors. Bottom trawlers often target species assemblages, resulting in diverse catches. A single groundfish bottom trawl tow often includes 15-20 species. Individual fish sizes and weights also vary widely within each catch. Groundfish trawl vessels retain marketable and permitted catch. Prohibited and unmarketable catch is discarded at-sea.
Limited Entry Midwater Hake and Midwater Rockfish Trawl
Before 2011, the shore-based midwater hake fishery was conducted under an exempted fishing permit. It continues to operate as a maximum retention fishery, where minor amounts of operational at-sea discarding is permissible, provided the weight and composition of discarded catch can be determined by an observer or by video review. Most of the catch, including prohibited and unmarketable catch, is landed shoreside. Before 2015, this fishery was defined based on the species targeted by the captain, as recorded in the vessel logbook, and by the observer and divided into the IFQ non-hake midwater trawl and the shoreside hake sectors. With new regulations, this fishery is now defined and managed based on the percentage of hake landings for each vessel per landing day, so that the fishery currently consists of the shoreside midwater hake (landing ≥50% hake) and the shoreside midwater rockfish sectors (landing ≥50% widow and/or yellowtail rockfish).
At-Sea Hake (Pacific whiting) Processing Vessels
The at-sea hake sector operates off the U.S. West Coast from the U.S./Canadian border to the Oregon/California border. It consists of large factory vessels that catch and/or process catch at-sea. There are three components in this sector:
- Motherships: vessels that receive catch from catcher vessels to process.
- Catcher-processors: vessels that catch and process their own catch.
- Tribal: the portion of the coast-wide hake harvest set aside for native tribes. All tribal hake fishing occurs in each tribe’s Usual and Accustomed Areas (UAA) in northern Washington waters and can include at-sea processing.
At-sea hake vessels range in size from 150 to over 300 feet. Vessels target Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) with mid-water trawl nets and fish during the primary season from May through December. The catch is predominantly hake, but can include rockfish (Sebastes spp.) and salmon bycatch. There are approximately 9-15 vessels that participate in the fishery in any given year. Catch eligible for processing is retained. Prohibited catch and catch that cannot be processed is discarded at-sea.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) sets regulations for the sector. Active management of the fishery began in the early 1980s with the establishment of harvest guidelines for several managed species and trip limits for widow rockfish, the Sebastes complex, and sablefish. In 1997, the catcher-processor (CP) fleet entered into a cooperative agreement (co-op), splitting the hake quota into individual fishing quotas by company. The mothership fleet continued to operate as an olympic fishery (aka derby-style; race-for-fish) until the catch share program was implemented in 2011.
Vessel Selection Process
Regulations require all vessels participating in the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program to carry a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-certified observer or electronic monitoring (EM) system, during all fishing trips. We must account for all catch of IFQ species/species groups. Vessels participating in Catch Shares include:
- All vessels participating in the Shore-based Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program, including hake and non-hake groundfish trawl and non-trawl vessels.
- All motherships participating in the at-sea hake fishery.
- All mothership catcher-vessels participating in the at-sea hake fishery.
- All catcher-processors participating in the at-sea hake fishery.
At-sea hake processing vessels over 125 feet in length are required to have full observer coverage for all fishing days. Each at-sea hake vessel carries two observers, so that data collection can take place 24 hours a day. At-sea hake processing vessels 125 feet or less in length are required to have one observer on-board for all fishing days. Vessels contact independent observer provider companies that hire NMFS-certified observers. Regulations can be found on NOAA’s West Coast Region’s groundfish regulations website.
Observer Coverage/Waivers
We cover all trips taken by vessels participating in the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program, with the exception of vessels using an EM system for catch monitoring purposes. Vessels must resolve any safety issues before carrying an observer. Coverage waivers are not permitted in the Catch Share fishery.
Limited Entry Bottom Trawl (pre-Catch Share)
Sector Description
The limited entry (LE) groundfish bottom trawl sector off the U.S. West Coast operates from the U.S./Canadian border to Morro Bay, California. Each vessel that participates in this sector must have a federal groundfish permit with a trawl endorsement. In 2011, the LE trawl sector became a catch share program with 100% observer coverage.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council sets regulations for the groundfish bottom trawl sector. Active management of the sector began in the early 1980s. The council established harvest guidelines for several managed species and trip limits for widow rockfish, the Sebastes complex, and sablefish. The objective of trip limits was to slow the pace of landings to maintain year-round fishing, processing, and marketing opportunities. Since the 1980s, regulations have evolved to further separate individual groundfish species for management purposes and led to the use of cumulative two-month trip limits for many species. Cumulative trip limits are a specified weight of fish that can be landed by a fishing vessel during a particular period. Since 2011, this sector's trip limits are only used for non-quota share species under the catch share program.
Selection Process
Before 2011, we selected limited entry groundfish bottom trawl permits for observation using stratified random sampling. First, the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program (WCGOP) determined the amount of time (based on available resources) to observe the entire fleet; we call this the selection cycle. Selection cycles varied in length due to changing priorities and observer resources. Our typical selection cycle was eight, ten, or twelve months.
WCGOP sampling strata consists of groups of ports along the U.S. West Coast. We assigned vessels with LE groundfish trawl permits to a port group based upon the previous year's landings location. We randomly selected the vessels for coverage within each port group during a two-month period, which coincided with a two-month cumulative trip limit period. After we selected the entire fleet, a new selection cycle began. Once a vessel was chosen, we only observed it once within each selection cycle.
Coverage/Waivers
In some cases, we could not observe vessels whose permits we selected. We often granted these vessels waivers—a temporary exemption from observer coverage. We give three types of waivers depending on the length of the trip:
- Trip waivers.
- Coverage period waivers.
- Selection cycle waivers.
We issue trip waivers based on observer availability or short-term safety issues. Some vessels receive coverage period waivers, which allowed a vessel to fish all trips during a two-month period without an observer.
We give coverage period waivers for a variety of reasons, including observer availability and vessel safety. If we provided a coverage period waiver, we added the vessel to the next two-month period's selection list. We continue to add vessels in subsequent selection lists until either an observer covered them or until the selection cycle ended. A selection cycle waiver allowed the vessel to fish without an observer during all trips taken during the selection cycle.
We provide selection cycle waivers when a vessel has a serious safety concern that cannot be easily remedied.
West Coast Fixed Gear
Sector Description
We divide the fixed gear groundfish sector into four major components:
- The limited entry (LE) sablefish-endorsed fleet
- The limited entry (LE) non-sablefish-endorsed fleet
- The federal open access fleet
- The state-permitted nearshore fleet.
A federal groundfish permit is required to participate in both of the limited entry fixed gear sectors. Permits are either sablefish-endorsed or non-sablefish-endorsed. All limited entry fixed gear permits have gear endorsements (longline, pot/trap, or both).
The open-access (OA) fixed gear sector does not require federal or state permits. Therefore, the total number of participants in the OA fixed gear sector varies widely from year to year. Open access vessels can use any type of hook-and-line or pot/trap gear, including longline, fishing pole, and vertical longline.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) sets regulations for the fixed gear groundfish sector, as well as harvest guidelines for groundfish species. Fishery managers use trip limits to maintain year-round fishing, processing, and marketing opportunities. Cumulative trip limits specify the amount of fish (by weight) that fishermen can land during a particular period of time.
Limited Entry Sablefish-Endorsed Fixed Gear
Vessels participating in the limited entry sablefish-endorsed fleet range in size from 33 to 95 feet. They operate primarily out of ports in Oregon and Washington. Fishing generally occurs in depths greater than 80 fathoms. Nearly all of the vessels deliver their iced catch to shore-side processors.
Catch in the limited entry sablefish-endorsed fleet is composed mostly of sablefish, with bycatch primarily composed of spiny dogfish shark, Pacific halibut, rockfish species, and skates. Vessels retain the marketable and permitted catch, while discarding prohibited and unmarketable catch at sea. In addition to market and regulatory discarding, fishermen may discard smaller fish to maximize the value of their landed catch allowances (aka highgrading).
Limited entry sablefish-endorsed permits provide the permit holder with an annual share of the sablefish catch. Sablefish-endorsed permits are assigned to Tier 1, 2, or 3. Each Tier 1 permit receives 1.4% of the sablefish allocation, with Tiers 2 and 3 receiving 0.64% and 0.36%, respectively. Each year, these shares are translated into amounts of catch (in pounds), or “tier limits,” which could be caught during the primary season.
Regulations allow for up to three limited entry sablefish-endorsed permits to be “stacked” on a single vessel. Fishery managers implemented permit stacking to increase the economic efficiency of the fleet and promote fleet capacity reduction. Stacking more than one sablefish-endorsed permit on a vessel allows the vessel to land sablefish up to the sum of the associated tier limits. However, permit stacking does not convey additive landing limits for any other species.
Limited entry sablefish-endorsed primary season fishing takes place over seven months from April 1 to October 31. Fishery managers implemented the seven-month season in 2002. Permit holders may land their tier limits at any time during the seven-month season.
Once the primary season opens, all sablefish landed by a sablefish-endorsed permit are counted toward attaining its tier limit. Vessels that have limited entry sablefish- endorsed permits can fish in the limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed fleet under different trip limits once they catch their quota of primary season sablefish or when the primary season closes, from November 1 through March 31. These vessels are only included in our sampling frame for the limited entry sablefish- endorsed primary season (April-October). When observed vessels in the limited entry sablefish-endorsed fleet meet their tier quota, we no longer observe them when they begin fishing under limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed trip limits.
Limited Entry Non-Sablefish-Endorsed Fixed Gear
Vessels in the limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed fixed gear fleet range in size from 17 to 60 feet, with an average length of 34 feet. Vessels primarily operate out of southern California ports. The fleet typically fishes in depths greater than 80 fathoms. This fleet operates year-round, but the majority of fishing activity occurs during the summer.
Nearly all of the vessels in this fleet deliver their iced catch to fresh fish markets. For example, vessels operating out of Newport Beach, California, fish in the early morning hours and arrive back to port around 6:00 AM to sell their fish to local restaurants or markets.
Vessels catch a variety of groundfish species, including thornyheads, sablefish, rockfish, and flatfish. Limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed fixed gear permits are subject to trip limits for groundfish species. These vessels retain only the marketable and permitted catch. Prohibited and unmarketable catch is discarded at sea. Fishermen might also discard certain size classes or certain species to maximize the value of their landed catch allowance (aka highgrading).
Open Access Fixed Gear
The open access fleet of the fixed gear groundfish sector does not require federal or state permits. Vessels range in size from 10 to 97 feet, with an average length of 33 feet. Vessels operate out of all three states and generally fish in waters from 35 to 600 fathoms. Vessels catch a variety of groundfish species, including sablefish, spiny dogfish, and skates.
Open access fixed gear vessels are subject to trip limits for sablefish, spiny dogfish shark, and other species. The trip limit amounts are dependent on area, and the time of year fishing occurs. These vessels retain only marketable and allowed catch. The prohibited and unmarketable catch is discarded at-sea.
Selection Process
Limited Entry Fixed Gear Selection
We select limited entry fixed gear permits for observation using stratified random sampling. First, we determine the time (based on available resources) it will take to observe a fleet; this is termed the selection cycle. Selection cycles vary in length, due to changing priorities and observer resources. We have two selection lists for the limited entry fixed gear fleet: sablefish-endorsed and non-sablefish-endorsed.
Our sampling strata consist of groups of ports along the U.S. West Coast. We assign vessels with limited entry fixed gear permits to a port group based on the previous year’s landings location(s). Within each port group, vessels are randomly selected for coverage. We choose limited entry sablefish-endorsed permits for all trips that land sablefish against their tiered sablefish quota, during the primary season. We select limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed permits for two months. After we have selected the entire fleet, a new selection cycle begins. We designed this selection process to produce a logistically feasible sampling plan with observations throughout the entire geographic range of the fishery.
Complications in Selecting Limited Entry Sablefish-Endorsed Permits
Vessels can transfer limited entry sablefish-endorsed permits to any other fixed gear vessel with a sablefish- endorsed permit, during the year. This flexibility, combined with the benefits from permit stacking, results in inter- and intra-year movement of permits between fixed gear vessels. Limited entry fixed gear vessels participating in the sablefish-endorsed primary fishery can have up to three ‘stacked’ tier permits.
We contact permit owners before the season begins, regarding their selection for coverage; however, permits may still be transferred to different vessels, potentially introducing bias into our sampling process. Therefore, we have adopted a policy of observing the vessel on which the selected permit is eventually fished, even though it might fish and land its catch in a different port group.
Additional complications occur when tier permits are stacked. Before 2007, we did not require vessels with multiple permits to associate their landings with a specific permit. Consequently, if a vessel had a mix of selected and unselected permits, all tier-limit trips had to be observed to ensure that we covered the selected permits' landings. This condition led to the following two complications: 1) unselected permits received coverage and 2) permits were selected a second time before other permits were covered the first time.
In circumstances where we previously covered a permit, though not selected, we have the following policy:
- Observe the permit if it is attached to a vessel not previously observed for the primary fishery, during the current selection cycle;
- Do not observe the permit if it is attached to a vessel that has been observed for the primary fishery, during the current selection cycle.
In subsequent selection cycles, we facilitate tracking of permit movement between vessels and permit landings by additional regulations under Amendment 14 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP, January 1, 2007). This regulation requires a permit owner to certify the cumulative amount of sablefish taken on any sablefish endorsed permit transferred during the season.
The majority of permit transfers occur before any fishing occurs against the permit. As a result, vessels transfer most permits with zero cumulative pounds of sablefish. Additional requirements to record the federal groundfish limited entry sablefish-endorsed permit number on the state fish ticket landing receipts will aid in tracking specific permit landings.
Open Access Fixed Gear Selection
We select the open access fixed gear fleet for observation using stratified random sampling. First, we determine the amount of time it will take to observe a fleet, based on available resources. We call this the selection cycle. The length of an open access fixed gear selection cycle is often one year, but cycle length can vary due to changing priorities and observer resources.
We have observed the open access fixed gear sector in California since 2004 and in Oregon and Washington, since 2007. In 2007, we combined open access fixed gear vessels from all three states into a single sampling population.
Because the fishery is not federally permitted, we generate a list of active open access fixed gear vessels differently than the permit lists for the limited entry fixed gear fleets. We base the open access fixed gear vessel list on fish ticket landing receipt information from the Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) database. The active list includes all fixed gear vessels with landings in Washington, Oregon, and/or California that do not have federal limited entry groundfish permits and meet the following criteria:
- Vessel’s combined landings in prior two years meet a minimum threshold for lingcod, sablefish, spiny dogfish shark, and various rockfish species.
- Vessel landings did not include species allowed in state-permitted nearshore fisheries in California and Oregon.
- Vessel was greater than 17 feet in length.
Once we generate the final open access fixed gear vessel list, we assign vessels to port groups and sample randomly. We select vessels for two months. After we have selected the entire fleet, a new selection cycle begins. We designed this selection process to produce a logistically feasible sampling plan with observations throughout the entire geographic range.
Observer Coverage/Waivers
Limited entry sablefish-endorsed vessels are selected for all trips, during their primary sablefish season while fishing for tier quota sablefish. Observer coverage is required for all trips, in which a chosen vessel lands quota against a tiered sablefish permit. For the limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed and open access fixed gear sectors, vessels are selected for two month periods.
In some cases, vessels whose permits are selected for a specific period are not covered by an observer during that period or are not covered on all trips during that period. Observer coverage may be waived for a trip, due to a lack of observer availability; a safety issue the vessel can fix in a relatively short amount of time; or vessel space issues which arise when an extra person is on board. A more extended selection cycle waiver allows the vessel to fish without an observer during all trips taken within the current selection cycle. A selection cycle waiver may be granted when a vessel has a serious safety concern that cannot be quickly remediated or vessel space is too limited to safely carry an observer.
Some vessels might receive a coverage period waiver, which allows a vessel to fish all trips during that period without an observer. We give coverage period waivers for a variety of reasons, including observer availability and vessel safety. If we provide a vessel a coverage period waiver for a specific two-month period or sablefish season, we add the vessel to the selection list for the next year (limited entry sablefish-endorsed) or two-month period (limited entry non-sablefish-endorsed). We continue to add vessels to subsequent selection lists until either an observer covers them or until the selection cycle ends, whichever comes first.
West Coast Pink Shrimp Trawl
Sector Description
The pink shrimp trawl sector off the U.S. West Coast primarily operates in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. Pink shrimp trawl vessels range in size from 38 to 105 feet, with an average length of 65 feet, and can use single and double-rigged shrimp trawl gear.
The pink shrimp season is open April 1 through October 31, and vessels deliver catch to shore-side processors. Vessels generally fish in depths ranging from 50 to 140 fathoms. Pink shrimp trawl vessels retain the marketable portion of their catch and discard the rest at sea.
Fishery managers require pink shrimp vessels to use bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) when targeting pink shrimp. The primary goal of mandatory BRDs is to reduce the incidental take of groundfish species and protected species such as eulachon. Also, each state has a maximum count per pound requirement for pink shrimp. Pink shrimp vessels are allowed to land up to a particular weight of groundfish per day, multiplied by the number of days fished, but cannot exceed a per trip threshold. However, since fishery managers introduced mandatory BRDs in 2003, groundfish species are rarely landed by pink shrimp trawl vessels.
Selection Process
Since 2004, we have observed vessels with Oregon pink shrimp licenses and California Northern Pink Shrimp Trawl Vessel licenses. However, pink shrimp fisheries were not observed in 2006.
In 2007, we combined California and Oregon pink shrimp fisheries into one sampling population for the period Mar-June 2007. Due to regulation differences between Oregon and California, the pink shrimp trawl fisheries were again split into two sampling populations by the state for July-December 2007.
Since 2008, we have observed Oregon pink shrimp and California pink shrimp licenses as two separate fisheries. We did not initially observe Washington pink shrimp trawlers, as the state had not issued a ruling allowing federal observer coverage of its state-managed fisheries. In 2010, the WCGOP began coverage of Washington pink shrimp licenses with the same criteria for Oregon and California pink shrimp coverage.
We select state-issued pink shrimp trawl licenses for observation, using stratified random sampling. First, we determine the amount of time it will take to observe a fleet; we call this the selection cycle. A selection cycle for the pink shrimp trawl fleet is the length of the fishing season: April 1 through October 31.
We use state-supplied permit lists for selection, based on the following criteria:
- The vessel landed >= 500 lbs pink shrimp in the previous two year period.
- The vessel is longer than 17 feet in length.
Our sampling strata consist of groups of ports along the U.S. West Coast. We assign vessels with pink shrimp permits to a port group based on their previous year’s landings location. Within each port group, vessels are randomly selected for coverage. In California, we choose vessels for either a one or two month period, depending on the year.
Before 2010, Oregon pink shrimp vessels were selected for one month, but only observed during every other trip. In 2010, pink shrimp selection in all three states (Washington, Oregon, and California) began covering all trips within the selected month.
After the entire fleet is selected, a new selection cycle begins. We designed this selection process to produce a logistically feasible sampling plan, allowing for observations throughout the geographic range. Based on this design and available funding, the program completes the selection cycle for pink shrimp permits every year.
Coverage/Waivers
In some cases, vessels whose permits are selected for a specific period are not covered by an observer during that period, or are not covered on all trips during that period. We can waive observer coverage for a trip due to a lack of observer availability; a safety issue the vessel can fix in a relatively short time; or vessel space issues that arise when an extra person is on board. A more extended selection cycle waiver allows the vessel to fish without an observer during all trips taken within the selection cycle. We give selection cycle waivers when a vessel has a serious safety concern that the vessel cannot quickly remediate or if vessel space is too limiting to carry an observer safely.
Some vessels might receive a coverage period waiver, which allows a vessel to fish all trips during that period without an observer. We give coverage period waivers for a variety of reasons, including observer availability and vessel safety. If we provide a vessel a coverage period waiver for a specific two-month period or sablefish season, we add the vessel to the selection list for the next year (LE sablefish-endorsed) or two-month period (LE non-sablefish-endorsed). We continue to add vessels to subsequent selection lists until either an observer covers them or until the selection cycle ends, whichever comes first.
Further information on state pink (ocean) shrimp fisheries can be found at:
California Halibut Trawl
Sector Description
The California halibut trawl sector generally operates out of U.S. ports from San Francisco to Los Angeles, California. Vessels range in size from 29 to 71 feet, with an average length of 46 feet. Fishing generally occurs in less than 30 fathoms of water, and vessels deliver catch to shore-based processors.
In 2006, the state of California began requiring state-issued licenses to participate in this sector. Management includes state-designated California Halibut Trawl Grounds (CHTG) from Point Arguello to Point Mugu, California. Commercial bottom trawling is prohibited in California state waters, except for the CHTG. Regulations for vessels operating in the CHTG include:
- Minimum mesh sizes to reduce bycatch.
- A three-month closed season during California halibut spawning.
- A possession limit on the incidental take of fish other than California halibut.
- A minimum size limit for retained California halibut, and mandated federal observer coverage by the WCGOP.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (PFMC) Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) does not manage California halibut. However, California halibut can co-occur with other FMP flatfish species on the continental shelf.
Vessels that participate in the California halibut trawl sector can belong to either the open access (OA) (federal permit not required) or limited entry (LE) (federal permit required) trawl fleet. Federal LE groundfish permitted vessels targeting California halibut are subject to federal groundfish regulations, depth-based area closures, trip limits for groundfish, and must participate in a vessel monitoring system for enforcement purposes.
In federal waters, trawling for California halibut can occur year-round. A state California Halibut Bottom Trawl Vessel Permit is required (as of 2006) to land more than 150 pounds of California halibut per trip. Generally, vessels with a federal LE groundfish trawl permit, which also have a state California Halibut Bottom Trawl Vessel Permit operate in federal waters out of the ports of Monterey and San Francisco, California.
Generally, vessels operating in state waters do not hold a federal LE groundfish trawl permit, and are referred to as open access. Some open access vessels operating out of ports south of San Francisco and within the CHTG deliver their California halibut catch live. This is a low-volume, high-priced component of the fishery. The tow duration for live California halibut is less than the average tow duration for other trawl fisheries. Vessels retain and deliver to processors the marketable, permitted portion of catch. Unmarketable and prohibited catch is discarded at-sea.
Selection Process
Open Access California Halibut Trawl Selection
We select California Halibut Bottom Trawl Vessel Permits assigned to open access vessels that do not hold a federal LE groundfish trawl permit for observation, using stratified random sampling. First, we determine the time (based on available resources) it will take to observe a fleet; we call this the selection cycle. The selection cycle length is often a calendar year and not the California halibut season, which spans two calendar years (June-March).
The California Department of Fish and Game provides an initial list of vessels with state-issued California Halibut Bottom Trawl Permits. We apply the following criteria to the list of permits/vessels to select for the open-access fleet:
- Vessel does not have a federal limited entry groundfish permit.
- Vessel landed a minimal amount of California halibut during the previous 18 months.
- Vessel used bottom trawl gear to land California halibut.
- Vessel is 17 feet in length or greater.
Our sampling strata consist of groups of ports along the U.S. West Coast. We assign vessels to a port group based upon the location of their previous year’s landings. Within each port group, we randomly select vessels for coverage for two months.
After we have selected the entire fleet, a new selection cycle begins. We designed this selection process to produce a logistically feasible sampling plan, allowing for observations throughout the entire geographic range. Based on this design and our funding, we complete the selection cycle for the open-access California halibut bottom trawl fleet every year.
Limited Entry Bottom Trawl Vessels Targeting California Halibut
We select California halibut vessels with a federal LE groundfish permit for coverage under the LE groundfish bottom trawl sector/fleet.
If we select an LE groundfish bottom trawl vessel during a two-month period for observer coverage, and the vessel targets California halibut, we will observe those trips/tows. Since 2011, we observe all trips made by LE groundfish bottom trawl vessels under the catch share program.
Coverage/Waivers
In some cases, vessels whose permits are selected for a specific period are not covered by an observer during that period or are not covered on all trips during that period. We can waive observer coverage for a trip due to observer availability, a safety issue the vessel can fix in a relatively short time, or vessel space issues that arise when an extra person is aboard. A more extended selection cycle waiver allows the vessel to fish without an observer during all trips taken during the selection cycle. We give selection cycle waivers when a vessel has a serious safety concern that the vessel can not quickly remediate or if vessel space is too limiting to carry an observer safely.
Some vessels might receive a coverage period waiver, which allows a vessel to fish all trips during that period without an observer. We give coverage period waivers for a variety of reasons, including observer availability and vessel safety. If we provide a vessel a coverage period waiver for a specific two-month period or sablefish season, we add the vessel to the selection list for the next year (LE sablefish-endorsed) or two-month period (LE non-sablefish-endorsed). We continue to add vessels to subsequent selection lists until either an observer covers them or until the selection cycle ends, whichever comes first.
West Coast Nearshore Groundfish
Sector Description
The U.S. West Coast nearshore groundfish commercial fleet operates from northern Oregon to southern California. Vessels participating in this fleet range in size from 10 to 50 feet, with an average length of 25 feet.
Fishermen fish with a variety of fixed gear, including hand-lines, cable gear, fishing poles, and pots. Fishermen set and retrieve gear multiple times per day and land their catch daily. Catch is primarily delivered to the live fish market, necessitating careful handling of retained fish. Vessels retain only the marketable, permitted portion of their catch. They discard the unmarketable and prohibited catch at sea. Fishermen may discard certain size fish or dead fish to maximize the value of their landed catch (aka highgrading).
The Pacific Fishery Management Council and the states set regulations for the nearshore fisheries. The Pacific Fishery Management Council sets harvest guidelines for groundfish species. Several fishing area closures designated in federal groundfish management apply to the commercial nearshore fixed-gear fisheries. In addition to the Council's regulations, each state manages its nearshore fleet independently, by issuing state regulations on the cumulative trip limits of nearshore species in their state waters.
Cumulative trip limits specify an amount of fish (by weight) that fishermen can land during a particular time, usually two months. Often, the state's cumulative trip limits are more restrictive than the federal limits. Limits for the nearshore fisheries are small, generally between 100 to 2,000 lbs every two months.
Washington
The State of Washington does not allow commercial fishing within its territorial waters (0-3 miles from the coastline), and therefore, a nearshore commercial fixed gear fleet does not operate in Washington.
Oregon
Oregon's nearshore commercial fixed gear fleet typically fishes in shallow water (< 30 fathoms) and targets species such as black rockfish, blue rockfish, china rockfish, copper rockfish, quillback rockfish, grass rockfish, cabezon, and greenlings. Oregon's nearshore permitting process assigns permits to vessels. Oregon issues black/blue rockfish permits for the landing of black rockfish and blue rockfish. These permits can have an additional nearshore endorsement, which allows landing 21 additional Oregon designated nearshore groundfish species. State nearshore management employs minimum size limits for many nearshore species and two-month cumulative trip limits and annual landing caps (maximum landed weight in 12 months). In 2004, Oregon began requiring those nearshore fishermen to complete a vessel logbook.
California
California state nearshore fixed gear management designates four geographic zones along the coastline. The state of California issues two permits for fishing within nearshore waters: a shallow nearshore species permit and a deeper nearshore species permit.
The permits are assigned to a person and can only be used in the one regional management area specified on the permit. Fishermen can either have a single nearshore permit (deeper or shallow) or hold both types of permits. A trap endorsement can also be tied to a shallow nearshore permit to allow for the use of trap gear when fishing for nearshore species.
Fishermen are required to have a deeper nearshore permit for landing black rockfish, blue rockfish, brown rockfish, calico rockfish, copper rockfish, olive rockfish, quillback rockfish, and treefish. The shallow nearshore permit is required for landing black-and-yellow rockfish, cabezon, California scorpionfish, California sheephead, china rockfish, gopher rockfish, grass rockfish, greenlings, and kelp rockfish. Lingcod is also commonly targeted with shallow nearshore permit species. Most live fish landings consist of species in the shallow nearshore group. State nearshore management employs minimum size limits for many nearshore species and two-month cumulative trip limits. A limit on the number of hooks per vessel or line also exists for specific areas. In 2005, California instituted a voluntary nearshore logbook program.
Selection Process
The nearshore fixed gear groundfish fleet is divided into three components: Oregon black/blue rockfish, Oregon black/blue rockfish with a nearshore endorsement, and California nearshore. Separate selection lists are compiled for Oregon permits as the two groups are subject to different landing limits and may differ in fishing behavior. In all cases, we select state-issued nearshore permits for observation, using stratified random sampling.
First, we determine the amount of time (based on available resources) to observe a fleet. This is called a selection cycle. The selection cycle length varies, due to changing priorities and observer resources.
Because of the large number of state permits in these fisheries, we have developed criteria which limit selection to the vessels that are most active in each sector and have sufficient space to carry an observer. These criteria increase the probability that the vessels selected will be actively fishing and observable, thereby increasing the likelihood of obtaining observations in all geographical and temporal strata.
We developed selection lists for the two Oregon nearshore fixed gear components based on permit information from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the PacFIN database. The following criteria are applied:
- State permit was assigned to a vessel.
- Vessel meets a minimum threshold for landings of rockfish, during an 18-month period, prior to the start of the selection cycle.
- Vessel used fixed gear to land rockfish.
- Vessel is greater than 17 feet.
We developed the selection list for the California nearshore fixed gear component based on permit information from the California Department of Fish and Game and the PacFIN database. The following criteria are applied:
- Permit was valid in one of the four state-designated management zones.
- Permit holder met a minimum threshold for landings of groundfish, during an 18-month period, prior to the start of the selection cycle.
- Permit was used on a fixed gear vessel greater than 17 feet.
Our sampling strata consist of groups of ports along the U.S. West Coast. We assign state nearshore permits to a port group based upon the location of the previous year's landings. Within each port group, we randomly select for coverage during a two-month period, which coincides with two-month cumulative trip limit periods. After we select the entire fleet, a new selection cycle begins. This selection process was developed to produce a logistically feasible sampling plan, allowing for observations throughout the entire geographic range. Based on this design and funding, the program cycles through the fleets with California and Oregon state nearshore permits every year.
Coverage/Waivers
In some cases, vessels whose permits are selected for a specific period are not covered by an observer during that period or are not covered on all trips during that period. We can waive observer coverage for a trip due to a lack of observer availability; a safety issue the vessel can fix in a relatively short time; or vessel space issues that arise when an extra person is on board. A more extended selection cycle waiver allows the vessel to fish without an observer during all trips taken during the selection cycle. We give selection cycle waivers when a vessel has a serious safety concern that cannot be quickly remediated or vessel space is too limiting to carry an observer safely.
Some vessels might receive a coverage period waiver, which allows a vessel to fish all trips during that period without an observer. We give coverage period waivers for a variety of reasons, including observer availability and vessel safety. If we provide a vessel a coverage period waiver for a specific two-month period, we add the vessel to the selection list for the next two-month period. We continue to add vessels to subsequent selection lists until either an observer covers them or until the selection cycle ends, whichever comes first.
More Information
West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program
Fisheries Observation Science on the West Coast
West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Observer Program
Contact
Jon McVeigh, Observer Program Manager