2003 Shoreside Hake Observation Program

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Wiedoff, Brett, Jennifer Conrad, and Steve Parker

Publish Date: 2003

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Name: Cedric Cooney

Job Position: Natural Resources Data and Systems Manager

Telephone: 503-947-6094

E-Mail Address: cedric.x.cooney@odfw.oregon.gov

Description

Abstract: The Shoreside Hake Observation Program (SHOP) was established in 1992 to provide information for evaluating bycatch in the directed Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) fishery and for evaluating conservation measures adopted to limit the catch of salmon, other groundfish and prohibited species. Though instituted as an experimental monitoring program, it has been continued annually to account for all catch in targeted hake trip landings, enumerate potential discards, and accommodate the landing and disposal of nonsorted catch from these trips. Limits to bycatch of Chinook salmon were set in 1991 under the NMFS initiation of the Biological Opinion for groundfish management (NMFS 1991). High numbers of salmon bycatch in 1995 resulted in a reinitiation of section seven of the 1996 Biological Opinion (NMFS 1996a). The bycatch rate is now limited to 0.05 Chinook salmon per metric ton of Pacific hake with an associated total catch of 11,000 Chinook for the coastwide Pacific hake fishery. In 1995, the SHOP’s emphasis changed from a high observation rate (50% of landings), to a lower rate (10% of landings) and increased collection of biological information (e.g., otoliths, length, weight, sex, and maturity) from Pacific hake and selected bycatch species (yellowtail (Sebastes flavidus), widow (S. entomelas), yelloweye (S. ruberrimus), darkblotched (S. crameri), bocaccio (S. paucispinis), canary (S. pinniger) rockfish, along with sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus). The required observation rate was decreased as studies indicated that fish tickets were a good representation of what was actually landed. Focus shifted again due to 1997 changes in the allocation of yellowtail rockfish and increases in yellowtail bycatch rates. Since then, yellowtail and widow bycatch in the shoreside hake fishery has been dramatically reduced because of increased awareness by fishermen of the bycatch and allocation issues involved in the SHOP program. The SHOP is a cooperative effort between the fishing industry and state and federal management agencies to observe and collect information on directed Pacific hake landings at shoreside processing plants. Participating vessels apply for and carry exempted fishing permits (EFPs) issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Sustainable Fisheries Division. Permit terms require vessels to land unsorted catch at designated shoreside processing plants. Permitted vessels are not penalized for landing prohibited species (e.g., Pacific salmon, Pacific halibut, Dungeness crab), nor are they held liable for overages of groundfish trip limits. Participants in the SHOP are midwater trawlers carrying EFPs, designated shoreside processing plants in California, Oregon, and Washington, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), NOAA, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Beginning in 1999, written agreements were made with designated processors to provide a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the processors and agencies involved, and to provide a mechanism to enforce bycatch reduction measures, specifically for yellowtail rockfish. The agreements set a vessel-specific maximum rate for yellowtail rockfish bycatch at 12 kg of yellowtail rockfish per metric ton of hake. In 2003 an analysis of single tow trips between 1995 and 2002 was done. Because there was no relationship between the weight of hake and the weight of yellowtail caught per ton of hake, the bycatch rate cap was changed to a trip average of 800kg (1764 lbs) of yellowtail. This cap reflected the 12 kg/mt of hake rate cap used in previous years. Non-cumulative rate check-points were set for when 30, 55, and 85 percent of the shoreside Pacific hake quota had been landed. If a vessel exceeded the average of 800 kg/trip at any of these points it was not permitted to participate in the shoreside Pacific hake fishery for one day for each 66 kg increment over the bycatch cap (i.e., no hake could be landed by this vessel for a set period of time) (for previous annual bycatch rates see Wiedoff and Parker (2002) or the website listed in the references). This strategy, especially knowledge of the operating requirements of the EFP and the fishery goals, has dramatically reduced yellowtail rockfish and widow rockfish bycatch.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content: 2003

Geographic Extent: Washington, Oregon, and California

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

Data Quality Information

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Data Information

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Entity and Attribute Information

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Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown