(Samhouri et al., 2019)
Tool to Support California Fisheries Management”(Ramanujam et al., 2018)
“Productivity and Susceptibility Analysis for Selected California Fisheries”(MRAG Americas, December 2016)
Ocean Science Trust (OST) is exploring a class of tools called ecological risk assessments (ERAs) that may help the State prioritize fisheries for fishery management plan (FMP) development, as well as inform management actions for individual fisheries and guide plans for future data collection and monitoring activities.
This project is being developed for consideration by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to help inform the state’s process to amend the Marine Life Management Act (MLMA) Master Plan. All final products from this project will be submitted to CDFW for review and may be integrated, in full or in part, into a draft Master Plan Amendment. Additional information about the amendment process, including key resources and opportunities for stakeholder engagement, is available here.
Project timeline: 2015 – 2016
In 2016, a NOAA PSA was conducted on 45 units of analysis as part of an information gathering process related to California’s MLMA Master Plan Amendment. The NOAA PSA methodology was selected for its inclusion of attributes that evaluate the management strategy and value of a fishery, along with its ability to generate and consider a data quality score. The analyses were conducted by MRAG Americas, Inc. with input and review from CDFW experts. The list of fisheries for analysis represents a diversity of stocks that span commercial and sport sectors, gear types, coastal areas, and include finfishes and invertebrates. It also represents those state-managed fisheries with the highest commercial landings, recreational catch, or commercial/recreational participation, as evaluated by CDFW. More information on the methods, interpretations, and results can be found in the PSA report online here.
Project timeline: March 2016 – October 2017
CDFW, with funding from the Ocean Protection Council, requested that OST research, develop and pilot-test a risk-based decision framework that advances the goals of the MLMA with regard to prioritization of fisheries for management attention, and is transparent, cost-effective to implement, and scientifically rigorous. CDFW sought an ecosystem-based management tool that could assess three ecosystem components: target species, bycatch species, and marine habitats. CDFW was also interested in considering the potential benefits of California’s network of marine protected areas. The goal of this project was to provide CDFW with a scientifically vetted pilot test of an ERA that could inform the prioritization among fisheries as part of the MLMA Master Plan amendment process.
OST worked closely with experts Jameal Samhouri and Joe Bizzarro, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, to pilot an ERA adapted from Samhouri and Levin, 2012. The pilot was conducted on nine California state marine fisheries with a range of different characteristics. More information on the methods, interpretations, and results can be found in the ERA report online here.
California halibut
Kelp bass
Pacific herring
Spiny lobster
White sturgeon
Stakeholder Workshops to Explore ERAs as a Potential Prioritization Tool to Support Fisheries Management in California
Two workshops, one in northern California and one in southern California, were held in June and July 2017 to explore the role that ERAs may have in prioritizing and informing the management of California fisheries.
Fisheries experts were invited to:
|
Southern California: Long Beach |
Northern California: Santa Rosa |
