Estimated Mortality of Sea Otters Taken Incidental 

 to California Gill and Trammel Net Fisheries 



Thousands of sea birds and non-target fish species, as 

 well as sea otters and other marine mammals, are caught in 

 gill and trammel nets. The State of California recognized 

 problems being caused by this indiscriminate bycatch and, in 

 1982, prohibited the use of gill and trammel nets in waters 

 less than 10 fathoms deep in Monterey Bay to reduce the inci- 

 dental take of sea birds. In the spring of 1984, the closure 

 was extended to 15 fathoms. To protect sea otters, in 1984, 

 the California Department of Fish and Game also imposed a 

 temporary emergency closure, prohibiting the use of entangling 

 fishing nets with mesh larger than three inches in waters 

 less than 15 fathoms deep from Monterey south to the Santa 

 Maria River mouth. This closure was made permanent in May 

 1985 and was modified to apply to nets with mesh size of 3.5 

 inches or larger. 



The closures did not eliminate the incidental take of 

 sea otters and, in the fall of 1985, the California Department 

 of Fish and Game promulgated an emergency regulation prohibiting 

 the use of entangling nets in waters less than 20 fathoms 

 deep along 17 miles of coastline between Cape San Martin and 

 Piedras Blancas. In September 1986, the State of California 

 enacted legislation extending the earlier 15-fathom closure 

 to 20 fathoms in two areas — the first from Pico Creek in San 

 Luis Obispo County to Cape San Martin in Monterey County and 

 the second from Pfeiffer Point to Point Sur in Monterey County. 



Prohibitions on the use of entangling nets in waters 

 commonly inhabited by sea otters have no doubt substantially 

 reduced the incidental take of sea otters. Although it is 

 too early to be certain, the results of sea otter surveys, as 

 shown in the following table, suggest that the population may 

 be beginning to increase. 



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