 |
Commercial Fishingnews, events, and other information for the commercial fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industries |
 |
Related Information
Business Tools
The top California fishery is typically the dungeness crab fishery. The fishery has become a financial mainstay for many fishermen, but catches have been on a downward cycle for the past few years. California Department of Fish and Game reported that shows that some 8.2 million pounds were caught in 2007, down from 13.5 million pounds the previous season and 23.8 million pounds the years before. However, the crab stock is quite cyclical, and may be ready for a rebound. New research techniques in development seek to forecast stock size three or four years ahead of time.
Commercial Dungeness crabbing vessels operate in some of the winter's worst weather in hazardous waters and have the highest fatality rate of any West Coast fishery. "Operation Safe Crab" is the United States Coast Guard's continuing initiative to reduce the number of fisherman's lives lost at sea.
Senate Bill 1690 (SB 1690), which was signed in September 2008, requires natural resource managers to develop the California Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF), a group composed of commercial and recreational fishermen, crab processors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as representatives from California Sea Grant and California Department of Fish and Game (DFG). The purpose of the DCTF is to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to make fishery management recommendations to regulators.
Squid are important catches for California commercial fishermen, both in terms of volume and cash value. Squid landings exceeded $15 Million in 2007. The bulk of the fishery is made up of Loligo squid. Loligo are small, typically 8-16 per lb.
Salmon have been a traditional catch for California fishermen although the fish seem to go thru cycles and may be scarce in some years. As of 2008, Coho salmon were in decline and are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the Central/Northern California and Southern Oregon watersheds.
Commercial Dungeness crabbing vessels operate in some of the winter's worst weather in hazardous waters and have the highest fatality rate of any West Coast fishery. "Operation Safe Crab" is the United States Coast Guard's continuing initiative to reduce the number of fisherman's lives lost at sea.
Senate Bill 1690 (SB 1690), which was signed in September 2008, requires natural resource managers to develop the California Dungeness Crab Task Force (DCTF), a group composed of commercial and recreational fishermen, crab processors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as representatives from California Sea Grant and California Department of Fish and Game (DFG). The purpose of the DCTF is to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to make fishery management recommendations to regulators.
Squid are important catches for California commercial fishermen, both in terms of volume and cash value. Squid landings exceeded $15 Million in 2007. The bulk of the fishery is made up of Loligo squid. Loligo are small, typically 8-16 per lb.
Salmon have been a traditional catch for California fishermen although the fish seem to go thru cycles and may be scarce in some years. As of 2008, Coho salmon were in decline and are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the Central/Northern California and Southern Oregon watersheds.