Ocean shrimp

For this stock, the main research priority is to continue examining shrimp population dynamics. Commercial fisheries data should be used to estimate total catch-at-age and effort by area. In addition, a re-evaluation of the fishery’s long-term effects on shrimp population structure should be completed. More information on how recent increases in shrimp density have influenced growth rates, age composition and sex change ratios is required (Hannah and Jones 2015). Research focusing on the use of artificial (LED) lights on trawls to reduce finfish bycatch should be ongoing. Feedback from fishers on how the lights are best installed, maintained and utilised is required (Hannah and Jones, 2015). A better understanding of the effects of the demersal otter trawl fishery on the ecosystem is needed. A camera system should be developed to improve knowledge of the ecosystem effects of fishing (Hannah and Jones 2015).

Last updated on 30 Aug 2016

Historically, the majority of pink shrimp fishing off the west coast of the United States occurred in federal waters (DFW 2007). Since 2007, essentially all of the pink shrimp landings have been in the Eureka area off the coast of Northern California (DFW Commercial Landings Reports 2007-11). Although in recent years the southern beds have been productive, they do not appear to have been fished (DFW, Commercial Landings Reports 2007- 11). It is unclear as to why this may be, but it may be due to low value of the fishery itself and/ or the inability to land pink shrimp at southern ports due to the lack of buyers. There are no enhancements on the west coast to the pink shrimp stock. ODFW estimates the number of vessels and amount of catch caught in federal waters off California and landed in Oregon ports, from logbooks. In recent years this catch and effort was considerably larger than California landings. In 2011, the estimated catch originating in federal waters off California was 10.3 million pounds from 20 vessels and in 2012 it was 9.5 million pounds from 31 vessels. This catch category was under 3.0 million pounds from 2008 through 2010. CDFW does not currently have an estimate of the amount of shrimp caught off Oregon and landed in California ports (DFW Commercial Landings Reports 2007-11).

The management of this stock is likely to remain stable in the future given that the stock review is updated annually and control measures are in place to adequately protect the stock from overexploitation. Regulations are enforced and independently verified using several surveillance measures. Managed  via  minimum  mesh  size,  size  limits,  catch  limits,   seasonal  closures;  no  evaluation  of  methods;  Shared   management  with  OR  and  WA;  no  CA-­‐specific  data.

Pink shrimp in the USA exclusive economic zone (California to Washington) is reviewed annually by the Department of Fish and Wildlife/Game in each respective state (Oregon, California and Washington) to estimate commercial catch-at-age, fishing effort, market prices and recruitment. The stock assessment is based on a time-series of commercial catches including sex and size compositions as well as an index of recruitment derived from commercial catch rates. A formal stock assessment has not been undertaken and the annual stock review is based on fishery-dependent data. No reference points for long-term sustainability have been defined for this data-limited stock (Hannah and Jones 2014; 2015). Standardised research surveys were undertaken in California in the early-1980s to obtain fishery-independent data. However, the research surveys were expensive to undertake and ran into a number of operational problems. Extreme variability in shrimp catches, some of which was attributed to the vertical distribution of the species, limited the usefulness of abundance/biomass estimates from the surveys (Devitt et al. 2007; Frimodig et al. 2009; Hannah and Jones 2015).

Last updated on 30 Aug 2016

No rebuilding program in place for any of the jurisdictional units.

There have been no significant interactions identified between the pink shrimp fishery and threatened or endangered marine species of birds, mammals, or fish in California (MSC 2007). The pink shrimp fishery is classified as a Marine Mammal Protection Act category III fishery with no observed or documented take of marine mammals (Federal Register: Vol. 72, No. 124). Other biologically sensitive species in near pink shrimp trawling grounds in California include canary rockfish, bocaccio, widow rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish (NMFS 2005; MSC 2007). The bycatch of these rockfish species has been minimized due to BRDs (MSC 2007). Recently the listing of Pacific eulachon has resulted in the first and only interaction of the pink shrimp trawl fishery with ETP.

The bycatch impact of the fishery is likely to remain stable in the future. Bycatch levels in this fishery are low (maximum of <6% of total catch weight) and all vessels have taken steps to reduce the absolute quantity of bycatch using bycatch reduction devices. Gear modifications are continuously under development to further reduce bycatch levels.

The habitat impact of the fishery is likely to remain stable in the future. All vessels in the fishery have taken steps to reduce the footprint of the gear on the seabed by using appropriate gear technology and 51 discrete areas have been closed to trawling to protect vulnerable marine habitats in the region (NOAA 2015).