The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) supports the current schedule proposed for the upcoming 2023-24 Harvest Specification & Management Measure process (biennial cycle) and offers an initial list of action items proposed for inclusion. As the process progresses over the next twelve months and new stock status and analyses of alternatives becomes available, CDFW expects there will be additional specification, allocation, and management measures proposed for California as part of the 2023-24 biennial cycle.
Repeal the Cowcod Conservation Areas
At the March 2021 Council meeting, CDFW submitted a report under the Workload and Prioritization Process to create a stand-alone item titled ‘Repeal the Cowcod Conservation Areas’ (CCA) and identified that it would be appropriate to incorporate that action in this upcoming 2023-24 biennial cycle (Agenda Item G.2.a, Supplemental CDFW Report 1, March 2021). As the report indicated, the rebuilt status of cowcod no longer requires a designated closed area for the purpose of conserving the previously overfished stock. Additionally, enforcing CCA regulations still requires a significant expenditure of limited CDFW agency resources; and now without a substantiated need or conservation benefit. Moreover, the CCAs include a considerable portion of the Southern California Bight, and many species of healthy fish stocks live there that could be accessed if the CCAs are repealed. Commercial and recreational sectors would still be managed in a manner consistent with areas outside the CCA, using depth constraints established by connecting a series of pre-established, defined waypoints codified within the Code of Federal Regulations.
Proposed New Coordinates for Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Area (NT-RCA) Boundary Lines
There are currently no NT-RCA coordinates and associated boundary lines deeper than 40 fathoms (fm) in regulation for Santa Barbara and San Nicholas Islands, and Tanner and Cortez Banks within the Western CCA (i.e., 50 fm, 60 fm, 75 fm, 100 fm, 125 fm, and 150 fm waypoints and lines do not exist). Therefore, CDFW provides the following proposed NT-RCA coordinates to be included in the 2023-24 biennial cycle process and is looking to solicit public input on the waypoints as early as possible. These proposed NT- RCA coordinates will then be available for use in the same manner as all other NT-RCA boundary lines, regardless of what regulatory mechanism is used to implement or adjust the NT-RCA boundary lines in future actions outside of the biennial cycle process.
An overview map of the Western CCA within the southern California bight and the proposed new 50 fm, 60 fm, 75 fm, 100 fm, 125 fm, and 150 fm NT-RCA boundary lines are in Figure 1. Detailed maps showing the new proposed NT-RCA boundary lines around Santa Barbara Island, San Nicolas Island, Tanner Bank, and Cortez Bank, are contained in Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, and Figure 5, respectively. Figure 6 contains a detailed map of new proposed 125 and 150 fm NT-RCA lines that would encircle both Tanner and Cortez Banks. A tabular list of the proposed new waypoint coordinates for each of the proposed new boundary lines reflected in the detail maps are itemized in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, and Table 4, and Table 5, respectively.
An additional area within the Western CCA is Osborn Bank, which current has no existing NT-RCA boundary lines in regulations but was requested by CDFW Law Enforcement to include for consideration. Upon review of depth contours around Osborn Bank, CDFW has determined there is not enough area to be adequately enforced, except for the 150 fm boundary line (Figure 7 and Table 6).
The Eastern CCA is designated as Essential Fish Habitat and closed to bottom trawl gear other than demersal seine; however, this does not preclude fishing with gears that are less impactful to habitat. Like
Osborn Bank, CDFW investigated the feasibility of establishing NT-RCAs in the Eastern CCA that encompassed high relief areas between the 50 fm to 150 fm depth contours and determined there is not enough area to be adequately enforced, apart from the 150 fm boundary line (Figure 8 and Table 7).
CDFW also expects to propose additional waypoint corrections and modifications to discrete portions of NT-RCA boundary lines. Presently, CDFW Law Enforcement is working to itemize a number of waypoints that are problematic for enforcement, and CDFW staff are also aware of a number of industry requests to correct crossovers in boundary lines. A full list will be provided at the September 2021 Council meeting.
CDFW welcomes input on individual proposed waypoints and lines in preparation for the upcoming biennial cycle and encourages industry or public to contact Andrew.Klein@wildlife.ca.gov for questions or technical support.
Full Report with Tables Here: Full CDFW 6-2021 Report