2004-2005 Columbia River Recreational Dungeness Crab Pilot Catch and Effort Study, Shellfish / Estuarine Habitat Projects Data Report

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Durham, Christina and Mathew Hunter

Publish Date: 2008

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: In 2003, the Oregon State Legislature, with substantial public support, established a recreational shellfish license in an attempt to increase enforcement, public outreach and education, and food safety practices on shellfish resources. According to a brochure distributed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), “…the funds raised by the sale of shellfish licenses will allow a baseline program in each agency (ODFW, Oregon Department of Agriculture, and the Oregon State Police) to recoup information, resource management, and testing programs lost in the past.” The recreational Dungeness crab fishery is one fishery that has never been comprehensively studied due to lack of resources and personnel. The Oregon Dungeness crab fishery is managed as a “3-S” (sex, size, season) recruitment fishery, which means that all males over the minimum size are legal to harvest during the entire year in bays and estuaries by recreational crabbers (Didier, Jr. 2002; ODFW 2001). Dungeness crab catch rates have fluctuated fairly cyclically over the past 30 years (Pauley et al. 1989) and not much is known about current stock abundances and their potential for sustainability. In 1988, ODFW staff conducted a study in Alsea Bay to evaluate recreational crabbing effort in the area (Demory and McCrae 1991); however the data collected were predominantly from a one-year period and lack of funding prevented further study. With the implementation of the recreational shellfish license in 2004, ODFW decided to reinitiate a study of the recreational component of the Dungeness crab fishery. The pilot study was performed to assess the effort and catch of recreational Dungeness crabbers on the Columbia River estuary during the fall and winter of 2004-2005. This project will hopefully be continued annually and possibly expanded on in the future to more completely assess this key component of the crab fishery.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content: 2004-2005

Geographic Extent: Columbia River

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

Data Quality Information

Lineage-Source:

Data Information

No data information was supplied.

Entity and Attribute Information

Attributes Description: Field attribute information is available in the attached file(s).

Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown