UNIT 1 5 



PACIFIC COAST GROUNDFISH FISHERIES 



67 



INTRODUCTION 



The Pacific coast groundfish Fishery in- 

 cludes 83 species managed by the Pacific 

 Fishery Management Council (PFMC) in 

 the U.S. EEZ off Washington, Oregon, and 

 California. These groundfish, which in- 

 clude 1 2 species of flatfishes and 55 differ- 

 ent rockfishes, are harvested com- 

 mercially by trawl, trap, and hook-and-line 

 gear. Sport fishermen operate from shore, 

 private boats, and charter or commercial 

 passenger fishing vessels. 



The commercial catch of Pacific coast 

 groundfishes by foreign and U.S. fisher- 

 men has changed greatly in recent years 

 (Fig. 15-1). Shoreside landings of all spe- 

 cies increased from 43,000 t in 1975 to a 

 peak of 116,000 t in 1982 and is well 

 monitored through state and Federal coop- 

 eration in the Pacific Fishery Information 

 Network (PacFIN). Since 1982, shoreside 

 landings have run 82,700-97,700 t; the lat- 

 ter figure, landed in 1989, was valued at 

 $67,500,000. 



A foreign fishery for Pacific whiting (for- 

 merly called hake) began in the mid-1 960's 

 and peaked at 240,000 t in 1976. That 

 catch declined as quotas were imposed 

 and a joint-venture ((J.S.-foreign) fishery 



began to develop. In 1989 the joint-venture 

 fishery harvested 203,600 t (valued at 

 $21,600,000) and completely displaced 

 the foreign Pacific whiting fishery. 



The recreational groundfish catch in 

 1986 was 13,900 t (excluding fish landed 

 dressed), including 42% rockfish and ling- 

 cod. The recreational catch in 1986 was 

 substantial only for lingcod (1,400 t) and 

 rockfish (5,500 1). Anglers took 43% of the 

 total lingcod catch and 13% of the total 

 rockfish catch, but the recreational per- 

 centage was much greater for some rock- 

 fish species in certain areas. Determining 

 the value of this recreational fishery is a 

 priority research need of the PFMC. 



Most groundfish are caught by trawlers. 

 In 1989, midwater trawlers delivered 

 203,600 t of Pacific whiting to foreign pro- 

 cessors at sea, and shoreside deliveries of 

 all species included 83,800 t from trawls, 

 2,000 t from traps, 5,800 t from longlines, 

 and 6,100 t from other and unspecified 

 gears. The recent average yield (RAY) of 

 Pacific whiting is 177,000 t, ten times 

 greater than the RAY of any other species 

 (Table 15-1). 



Figure 15-1.— The 15-year trend 

 in Pacific coast groundfish 

 landings. Yield is partitioned into 

 domestic shoreside landings of 

 all species, foreign harvest of 

 Pacific whiting, and joint venture 

 harvest of Pacific whiting. 



