1999 

 OUR LIVING OCEANS 



Whiting 

 27% 



Figure 15-1 



Relative components of Pa- 

 cific Coast groundfish total 

 value in 1997 



Thornyhead 

 10% 



ing dominated the tonnage (l.ihlc 1 '^- 1 ), but Pa- 

 cific whiting and sablefish contributed equally high 

 values in 1997 (Figure 15-1). A deep-water trawl 

 fishery tor sablefish, thornyheads, and Dover sole 

 now operates out to near l.SOO ni depths. This 

 trawl fishery and a longline and pot fishery tor 

 .sablefish was worth $43,500,000 in 1997, with 

 sablefish ,ind thornyheads contribtiting about 63% 

 ot this total. 



On the continental shell and extending into 

 the nearshore reet habitat is a trawl and hook-aiul- 

 line fishery tor tens of rockfish (Sehastes) species 

 that was worth $16,800,000 in 1997. Widow 

 rockfish contributed 27% and yellowtail rockfish 

 contributed 10"/ii ot this total value. An associated 

 species is lingcod with landings worth $ 1 ,700,000 

 in 1997 (PFMC, 1997). In addition, lingcod and 

 some species of rocktlsh have substantial recre- 

 ational harvests in some areas. 



Catch ot nearshore flatfish (Petrale sole, En- 

 glish sole, sanddab, sand sole, and starry floun- 

 der) was worth $6,100,000 in 1997, with 64% 

 coming from Petrale sole. Fishmg and processing 

 participants in the groundfish fishery also com- 

 monly engage in fisheries for shrimp, halibut, 

 Dungeness crab, s.ihnon, and albacore tuna. In 

 1997, the groundfish fishery contributed 38% ot 

 the total $206,000,000 for these named fisheries 

 (PFMC, 1997). 



Management Situation 



Recommendations tor management ot the 

 Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries are developed 

 by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The 

 Ciroundfish Fishery Management Plan calls tor es- 

 tabhshmenl nl An annual acceptable biological 

 catch and harvest guideline hir major groundfish 

 species (PFMC, 1997). Although brief derby-style 

 tisheries ot a few weeks or days duration have been 

 used for a portion of the Pacific whiting and fixed 

 gear sablefish harvests, most elements of the fish- 

 ery have a goal of year-round operations. 



Achievement of a year-round fishing oppor- 

 tunity in the face ot excessive fishing ettort has 

 been achieved by imposition of limits on individual 

 vessels. These limits have evolved trom trip limits 

 for widow rockfish beginning in 1 983, to monthly 

 cumulative limits for each vessel for each ot sev- 

 eral species today. Inseason adjustment of these 

 limits has been mostly successful in keeping the 

 annual catch close to the harvest guideline while 

 allowing year-round fishing opportunities. How- 

 ever, some abrupt changes to the limits have been 

 disruptive to the indtistry, and the restrictive na- 

 ture ot these limits causes discard of excessive 

 catches. 



In an attempt to redtice discarding, fishermen 

 are presently allowed to bring in up to 10% over 

 their monthly limit and have the excess deducted 

 trom the other month in designated 2-month pe- 

 riods (PFMC, 1998). 'Fhe expected level of dis- 

 card IS taken into account when setting the an- 

 nual harvest guideline below the acceptable bio- 

 logical catch, ncvelopmeiit ot observer programs 

 to estimate the amount ot discard, biological stud- 

 ies to understand the mortality rate of discarded 

 fish, and studv ot co-occurrence patterns among 

 species is needed. 



In 1994, a limited entry program was imple- 

 mented for the groundfish fishery (PFMC, 1 997). 

 The transterable limited entry permits have en- 

 dorsements tor vessel size and primary gear in or- 

 der to maintain the existing fleet composition. A 

 formula tor combining ot permits trom smaller 

 vessels into a single permit tor a larger vessel has 

 allowed several large (>20() tt) catcher-processors 

 to buy permits and participate in the Pacific whit- 

 ing fishery. Implementation ot the limited entry 



1 76 



