Just finished up the June PFMC meeting on Wednesday evening. I will briefly update you on the issues pertaining to groundfish for the Conception management area.
Adopt Stock Assessments for 2023/2024 Management
The Council adopted the following stock assessments to be used for management in 2023 and beyond:
- Copper rockfish: Oregon and Washington only
- Dover sole: In excellent shape at 79 B/o (depletion)
- Quillback rockfish: Oregon and Washington only
- Sablefish- In very good shape at 58% B/o (depletion)
Now for the not so good news.
- Copper rockfish south of Point Conception: adoption paused
- Quillback rockfish California: adoption paused
- Squarespot rockfish: adoption paused
- Spiny Dogfish: adoption paused
As I reported to you folks last month, the assessments for copper rockfish, quillback rockfish and squarespot rockfish did not turn out like we had hoped. Copper rockfish south of Point Conception and quillback rockfish for all of California have been deemed to be overfished. Spiny dogfish and squarespot appear to be in precautionary management mode. The Council’s scheduled one hour agenda item to deal with stock assessments ended up being a 2-day event as folks, particularly CDFW, were scrambling for possible remedies after being caught off guard with the assessment news.
After a lot of discussion on the floor, CDFW made a motion to pause the adoption of the afore mentioned assessments and send them back to the SSC for further review. The SSC groundfish subcommittee will then make the decision on August 17th as to whether there is any other usable data to forward these assessments to the Mop-Up Stock Assessment Review Panel (STAR) in September where in essence we would conduct an updated assessment. I will be attending the meetings along the way and will keep folks informed.
One bit of good news! I received the new Lingcod assessment yesterday and that stock looks to be in much improved shape at 53% B/o and no longer in precautionary management. The Lingcod STAR Panel is set to begin in a little over a week on July 12th, to run through the 16th.
Vermilion rockfish is scheduled for its STAR review on July 26th. I should receive the assessment on or around the 19th. I have not heard anything as the scientists are keeping this one tight to the vest for obvious reasons. We really need a positive outcome on vermilion!
2023/2024 Management Measures
This is the initial meeting where we discuss process procedures for the next round of Management Specifications measures slated to be implemented in 2023. The one item of interest for our region is the discussion of repeal of the Cowcod Conservation Area (CCA). CDFW has proposed new coordinates for the Non-trawl Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary lines that would replace the former CCA boundary lines. I have enclosed the CDFW supplemental report for you all to review. Feel free to suggest changes or adjustments to lines that you feel are important and send those suggested changes to Andre Klein (email listed on the CDFW report). We have until the September Council meeting to get these adjustments completed at which time the enforcement folks will start to look at the lines for enforceability.
The goal is to get the repeal of the CCA completed in this next Specs program and implemented in 2023. Is it a realistic goal? I do not know. First and foremost, we must see where the stock assessments end up. We will also have to see how hard the environmental groups are going to push on corals and sponges as Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) within the CCA. CDFW wants these new RCA lines analyzed and ready to go on a moments notice should we get the go-ahead during the upcoming Specs process. Please review the document enclosed.
Groundfish Endangered Species Workgroup
Something new here for us to watch. A short-tailed albatross was sighted 2 nm SE of Palos Verdes a couple months back. I saw the picture and it is a short-tail. Apparently, it has been in the area for several months. I have been riding on fiber-optic cable ships since 2007 with Wildlife monitors onboard every trip up to 200 nm offshore and had never sighted one here in the south. We have seen a few juvenile black-footed albatross but never the listed short-tailed albatross. What it means for us south of 36 N latitude is a possibility of having to install longline streamer gear, as is required north of 36 N. I believe we are scheduled to hear more on the topic in September. We have a cable installation starting up next week with four wildlife monitors scheduled to be onboard, so we’ll see if there are any more short-tailed sighted offshore. It may be that the one animal sighted was an isolated incident and we end up in the clear. Happy Fourth!!