A Survey of Trawl Gear Employed in the Fishery for Ocean Shrimp Pandalus jordani Information Reports 96-6

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Stephen A Jones, Robert W Hannah, James T Golden, ODFW

Publish Date: Aug 1996

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 northeast Pacific trawl fishery for ocean shrimp, Pandalus jordani is managed using mutually consistent state regulations in Washington, Oregon and California, rather than a federal fisheries management plan and rules. The principal management regulation is an aggregate size limit (Hannah and Richmond 1993). This regulation requires landings of ocean shrimp to average 353 shrimp per kg (160 shrimp per lb) The regulation is intended to limit exploitation rates of age one shrimp and to help maintain the economic value of the catch (Pacific Fishery Management Council 1981). As of 1991, when the most recent portion of this study was begun, the states of Washington and California also required that shrimp trawls have a minimal codend mesh size of 34.9 mm (l-3/8. inches) stretch measure between the knots. Oregon has had no minimum codend mesh size regulation since 1969 (Zirges and Robinson 1980). The other principal management regulation restricting trawl fishing for ocean shrimp is a coastwide closed season from November through March each year, designed to protect egg-bearing female shrimp, from harvest (PFMC 1981). Prior study of the fishing gear used in the ocean shrimp fishery has focused on determining an appropriate minimum codend mesh size to allow for escapement of age one shrimp (Lo 1978). The work was somewhat successful in showing how age one escapement varies with mesh size, at least under low volume catch conditions, and can be used to predict the effect that a change in mesh size might have on catch rates. However, to evaluate the impact that a coastwide minimum codend mesh size regulation might have on Oregon shrimp fishermen, it's also necessary to know something about the statistical distribution of codend mesh sizes presently in use by the fleet. Gathering this type of information for the Oregon shrimp fleet was one of the principal objectives of this study. Zirges and Robinson (1980) and Hannah and Jones (1991) have reviewed the various changes in shrimp fishing gear which have taken place since the inception of this fishery. One of the major structural changes in shrimp fishing, which took place in the mid-1970's, was the switch from predominantly single-rigged vessels fishing two-seam trawls to predominantly double-rigged vessels fishing four-seam, highrise trawls. These gear changes have created problems in interpreting trends in catch and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data for this fishery (Hannah and Jones 1991, Hannah 1993). It has been argued that the correction factor which was developed far converting double-rig effort into single-rig equivalent hours may substantially account for the gear improvement which took place,(Hannah 1993). However the near total lack of information on the fishing gear in use by particular vessels before, during and after the, gear changes took place makes the testing of this assertion impossible. A second objective of this study was to generate information on the fishing gear presently in use by the ocean shrimp fleet so that trends in, catch and CPUE data can be more accurately assessed in the future.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content:

Geographic Extent: Oregon

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF File

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Bibliography Information

Field Name	Value
Biblio ID	5659
Year	1996
Publisher
Request Type	Information Report
Location	Salem HQ
Date Created	Aug 1996
Date Cataloged	6/22/05
Date Published	Aug 1996
Type	info repo
Pages	23 pp
Volume	96-6
Status	2
Descriptor	Shrimp; trawl gear; Oregon
Date Entered	2005-06-22 00:00:00
Location In Clackamas Library	S wall, yellow info reports 2nd row
Author	Stephen A Jones; Robert W Hannah; James T Golden
Duplicates	0
Number Remaining After Requests	7
Presumed All Distributed
Back Room Duplicates
Author	James T. Golden; Robert W. Hannah; Stephen A. Jones
Risk
Species
Disposition Of Requests	StreamNet Library: Request filled

Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Yes