Status of major southern California marine sport fish species with management recommendations, based on analyses of catch and size composition data collected on board commercial passenger fishing vessels from 1985 through 1987

Abstract

This report on the status of major southern California marine sport fish species, together with management recommendations, is based on analyses of catch and size composition data, which were collected on board Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels (CPFV) from 1985 through 1987. The project was designed to determine the status of those fishes that support the CPFV industry, and to make management recommendations when deemed necessary. We collected and analyzed data based on random, stratified, on-board sampling of weekday (excluding holidays), open CPFV's on a year-round basis. We sampled 1/2-day, 3/4-day, and full-day type trips at a level of 5%. The survey area extended from below the United States-Mexican border to Point Arguello. Catch estimates were extrapolated to include weekday as well as weekend and holiday, open and chartered CPFV's. We sampled 736 CPFV trips in 1985, 650 in 1986, and 631 in 1987. We encountered 180 species of fishes, including 49 species of rockfishes. We performed detailed analyses on 14 non-rockfish species and 12 rockfish species, as well as all fishes as a group and all rockfishes as a group. We found a moderate increase in total catch of combined fish species between this study and one in the mid-1970's, due primarily to sizeable increases in catches of Pacific mackerel, kelp bass, barred sand bass, and barracuda. However, we also found that there has been more than a 50% decline in the CPFV rockfish catches, due primarily to substantial decreases in catches of bocaccio, chilipepper, and olive rockfish. We have recommended that the current 15-rockfish bag limit regulation be reduced to a 10-rockfish bag limit, and that additional and equitable conservation measures also be implemented on the commercial rockfish fishery. (385pp.