Within 1 nautical mile of shore between Pt. Arena and Pt Reyes. Although the presentation was specific to this area it is generally characteristic of numerous other locations throughout the State particularly to the south.
Shallow reef and kelp forest fishes in two general categories:
- Benthic (bottom) reef fishes - china, black-and-yellow, brown, gopher, copper rockfish; greenling, cabezon (tend to be solitary fish amongst the rocks and overhangs)
- Midwater "schooling" fishes - blue, black, yellowtail and canary rockfish (tend to hang higher in the water column in schools)
Reef fish, including rockfish, are highly vulnerable to overfishing due to their characteristics which include:
- residential to home reefs,
- long lived (20-40 years),
- late to reproduce (3 to 11 years),
- slow growing (2.5 inches in 5 years for brown rf),
- irregular reproductive success (last good blue rf spawn was in 1988; the 12 to 14 inchers we catch now are from 1988),
- presence of an air bladder in the rockfish making catch and release of dubious merit, and
- as a group reef fish are easy to catch.
Currently there is a very active nearshore commercial stick fishery in Bodega Bay (traps are illegal in District 10)
Commercial longlines utilized outside 1 mile since they were banned inside 1 mile in 1995. Longlines systematically depleted reefs close to port beginning in the early 1980s moving radially outward. There was no commercial lingcod size limit until 1995.
The party boat fleet has recently expanded with an increased nearshore focus due to interest in light tackle fishing, use of live bait and less than great offshore fishing. Party boats are traveling 30 to 40 miles north of port to get decent benthic fishing (vermillion, browns chinas, etc). Trips closer than 20 miles from port focus on blue rockfish.
The skiff fishery for reef fish is virtually non-existent near port due to intense past and present commercial fishing. Other than Bodega Bay, skiffs have only limited access from several beach launches (Timber Cove, Ocean Cove, Lawsons, etc.) and rely almost exclusively on blue rockfish due to general absence of benthic fish. Small skiffs, spear fishers and anglers compete directly with commercial live-fish fishers for fish in kelp and shallow reef areas.
The bottom line is we are all chasing the same fish on the same reefs.
Consider that a "stick" boat typically utilizes 60 to 80 hooks but is allowed up to 150. 60 hooks is approximately the fishing power of 10 sport skiffs fished by 20 anglers using 3 hooks each. 150 hooks is equivalent to 25 skiffs with 50 anglers. A single stick boat represents a lot of fishing power systematically moving through the kelp beds.
"Commercial hook-and-line landings have increased greatly at all major northern and central California ports since the 1980s. Virtually the entire northern and central California coastline is fished. The catch consists mainly of rockfishes, which are slow growing, late-maturing and consequently vulnerable to overharvest. The species taken by the commercial hook-and-line fisheries are also the mainstays of the marine sport fishery. The magnitude of commercial take has risen from about half the sport take to about double the sport take. The two fisheries also generally fish the same areas for the same fish stocks. It is not known how much additional harvest the species of concern can sustain without causing ADDITIONAL (caps mine) long-term damage to fish stocks."
"A myriad of shallow water species are landed by individuals fishing this gear including black-and-yellow and grass rockfish, kelp and rock greenling, lingcod, cabezon, and miscellaneous sculpins. Because several of these species are commonly found only in intertidal and shallow rocky areas close to shore it is very likely their populations will not withstand intensive sport or commercial fishing effort."
My personal observation was that stick boats fished several reefs right outside the jetties at Bodega Bay in 1997 for several months straight (Bodega Rock and the Esteros area). These reefs were considered fished out by recreational anglers, but the market demand for small fish and effectiveness of stick gear made these nearly depopulated reefs profitable for the commercial live-fish fishery. They are really fished out now!
Commercial landings of nearshore fish in Bodega Bay are now predominantly immature fish and the sizes have declined dramatically between 1992 and 1997 according to CDFG data (Performance Reports, Hook and Line fishery 1992-1997). Landings of immature 8 to 10 inch fish are common and the markets pay a premium for these small fish. The effectiveness of recently enacted commercial minimum sizes for several of the species remain highly dubious and for several species the minimum sizes are the equivalent of having a minimum size on abalone of 4 to 5 inches.
Data from the CDFG draft report to the Legislature (1994) documents that in Central and Northern California sport landings of nearshore rockfish between 1950’s and 1980’s showed size declines for 5 of 5 shallow water rockfish species indicating the species were under stress when subjected only to recreational fishing pressure. Between 1980’s and 1990’s the recreational size declines accelerated with declines in 8 of 9 shallow water species at the same time the commercial fishery began to dominate the nearshore reefs. Further, the angler catch per unit effort declined for all nearshore fish except blue rockfish.
The Dept had something to say about that in their report to the Legislature (1994):
"Thus the sizes of the nearshore and wide-depth-range rockfishes do not appear to be stabilizing; mean size apparently decreased more rapidly in the past 10 years than it did in the previous 20 years. The size decreases are a sign of overharvest; that the fish being taken at a higher rate than the ocean produces them. Overfishing can result in fishery resource depletion that may take decades to reverse."
CDFG data from party boat surveys conducted between 1988 and 1997 at Bodega Bay show that for the nearshore benthic fish (brown, china, copper, gopher, yelloweye) the catch per angler hour dropped from 1.25 to 0.25 fish/hour. Average sizes also declined markedly. Party boat effort is shown to have shifted to blue rockfish, however the average blue rockfish caught by party boats are now predominantly immature and still declining in size.
I would content that the actual conditions are even worse than the data is telling us because vessels are fishing further from port to get better quantity and larger fish. Fishing further skews the data masking the absolutely dismal fishery conditions nearer to port.
Add value to a depleted resource, i.e. markets pay extremely high amounts for small fish. Abalone did the same thing. As the resource crashed the market offered exorbitant dollars, thereby creating an incentive to keep chasing the remaining few animals.
Federal offshore quota reductions are creating an incentive for more commercial fishers to enter the nearshore live-fish fishery which is relatively unmanaged. With a quota of 3600 pounds per month is a fisherman going to catch dead fish worth $0.50 -0.75/pound or live fish at $3.50 - $6.00/pound. Commercials will argue that it is better to catch low volumes of high value fish (live), rather than high volumes of low value fish (dead). They fail to mention that live fish come from nearshore where there is very limited habitat and the "low" volumes taken are extremely high relative to the ability of the resource to sustain itself.
Those who can (party boats and larger private skiffs) are fishing further and more efficiently. Fast, tough-weather party boats and larger skiffs now run 25 to 40 miles from port to catch "quality " bottom fish. The growing popularity of live bait for "rock cod" is producing fish in otherwise marginal reef areas that ought to be left unfished.
Those who can’t (small skiffs, spearfishers, shore anglers) have been preempted from the benthic fishery within 10-15 miles of port. Near-port areas are fished out, further from port the small skiff fishery is for mostly small blue rockfish.
The nearshore fishery is now in a classic "race to the bottom" with serial depletion occurring geographically and by species. Fishing sectors that are increasing their "share" of the resource are now either removing reproductive potential from depleted stocks or taking fish from another fishing sector. There is no room left to grow.
CDFG is trying to structure a Fisheries Management Plan for nearshore fishes. It is 2 to 3 years out. Currently no quotas or seasonal restrictions exist; sustainable harvest levels are unknown. Its the last gold rush (until limpets start getting plucked).
Currently the fishery cannot be managed because no monitoring system is in-place or likely to be in-place to accurately estimate harvest levels.
Relevant quote from NMFS Undercover Investigation conducted in the Bodega Bay-San Francisco area (July 1994):
"The scarce paper trail associated with groundfish landings sold in violation of State landing regulations suggest that the actual amount of unreported groundfish detected by the task force, although alarming, is a mere drop-in-the-bucket." - (Between 1991 and 1993 the task force discovered approx. 576,862 pounds of undocumented groundfish landed in the Bodega Bay-San Francisco area. Fines of $200,00 were levied; approx $0.33/pound).
"Just say no." All hook-and-line commercial fishing for groundfish is banned in State waters. No live groundfish are allowed to be transported within the State.
100 pound per day commercial limit on black rockfish to create a disincentive for commercial harvest. Black rockfish are the mainstay of the recreational nearshore fishery.
Almost exclusively a rod-and-reel fishery limited entry fishery Area specific permits required
Logbooks are required
Commercial management costs are internalized including a license fee, $300/year data entry fee, $65/year logbook fee and hourly dock fees ($75/hr) to pay for Dept monitoring of fish weighing by species.
"Hailing" required by fisherman to alert fishery technicians that his vessel will be unloading at designated weigh station
Onboard observers ride selected commercial vessels to assess total fish take
5 fish /day bag dropping to 3 per day this year
Creation of "No Harvest Areas" in 1999
By comparison California’s nearshore reef fish fishery is clearly out of control.
Recreational funding (Sport Fish Restoration Act money-10% tackle and fuel tax on recreational fishing goods) for CDFG nearshore fish and habitat studies, monitoring and management (including paying for the monitoring of commercial hook-and-line fisheries) in 1998 totaled $1,264,800
Commercial funding in 1998 based on landing taxes paid on "documented" live fish totaled $1,601. The current landing tax is $0.0013/pound! This year commercial will generate $100,000 to $200,000 from a $125/fisherman nearshore permit fee. A nominal amount in my opinion for the multi-million dollar live-fish fishery.
Mike Malone