Commercial Fishing Regulations

The Coastal Pelagic Species commercial fishery is a multi-species fishery where fishermen typically switch between various CPS depending on market conditions, availability of the target CPS stocks to the fleet (distance offshore), and relative abundance levels. The CPS fishery primarily operates off of southern and central California. The fishery targets minor amounts of CPS off Oregon and Washington.

Sectors

The CPS fishery consists of four major sectors:

Primary Directed

The primary directed fishery consists of 58 vessels enrolled in the Limited Entry program (i.e., requires a federal permit to participate). These vessels operate off the California coast south of 39 degrees North latitude (approximately Point Arena, CA).

Live Bait

The live bait fishery is primarily in southern California where Pacific sardine and northern anchovy are targeted as live bait for use in various recreational fisheries. Northern anchovy is also targeted off the Washington coast for live bait in the commercial albacore fishery.

Minor Directed

The minor directed fishery consists of small, artisanal vessels that target very small amounts of CPS for use as dead bait or to sell to restaurants.

Tribal

The tribal CPS fishery includes tribal commercial fishermen who have a federally-recognized treaty right to fish for federally-managed CPS in their "usual and accustomed" fishing areas. Currently, the only tribe that targets CPS is the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington.

CPS are commonly caught incidentally with other CPS, but are also caught incidentally in some non-CPS fisheries (e.g., Pacific sardine are caught in the Pacific whiting fishery).

Gear

CPS are primarily caught using "round haul" gear such as purse seine nets, drum seines, lampara nets, and dip nets. A typical purse seine net measures 185 fathoms long, 22 fathoms deep, and 1,600 meshes deep with 1 1/4 inch mesh.

CPS Market

CPS finfish are sold around the world in several product forms. For example, Pacific mackerel are typically sold to Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and Baltic markets for human consumption. Pacific sardine are exported largely for canning for human consumption, high value table consumption products, and long-line bait. Increasingly, a small percent (less than 5 percent) of CPS are sold as pet food or tuna feed.

Primary Fishing Ports

The major West Coast processors and buyers of CPS finfish are generally located in six ports in three main fishing areas:

• Southern California (San Pedro/Terminal Island and Ventura),
• Central California (Monterey and Moss Landing), and
• Pacific Northwest/Columbia River area (Astoria Oregon and Westport Washington).

Fishing takes place near these ports with essentially no fishing taking place between San Francisco and the Columbia River/Astoria Oregon.

The ex-vessel markets for market squid are mainly in the Los Angeles, Santa Barbara-Ventura, and Monterey port areas.

Rules and Regulations

• Federal Register Rules and Notices - Open for Comment 
• Federal Register Rules and Notices - All Rules & Notices
• Federal Fishing Regulations
• State Fishing Regulations California | Oregon | Washington

Fishing Resources

• Permits and Licenses

Quotas/Specifications and Management Measures

Pacific Sardine, 2023–2024 Fishing Year

Because this year’s biomass estimate is below the value of the cutoff parameter (150,000 metric tons), there will be no primary directed fishery for the 2023 to 2024 Pacific sardine fishing year. Pacific sardine may be harvested in the live bait fishery, minor directed fishery, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as part of exempted fishing permit activities. All catch will be counted against the annual catch limit (ACL).

Specifications

• Commercial Harvest Guideline: 0 metric tons (mt)
• Annual Catch Limit: 3,953 mt

Management Measures

• If landings in the live bait fishery reach 2,500 mt, NOAA Fisheries will impose a 1-mt trip limit on retention of Pacific sardine in the live bait fishery.
• A 20 percent (by weight) incidental catch allowance per landing applies to other CPS primary directed commercial fisheries (such as Pacific mackerel).
• A 2 metric ton per trip incidental catch allowance for non-CPS fisheries.
• All catch will be subject to an annual catch target (ACT) of 4,000 mt. If the ACT is harvested by all fishing sectors combined, then NOAA Fisheries will impose a 1-mt trip limit on Pacific sardine caught as live bait, and a 1-mt trip limit on Pacific sardine incidentally caught while targeting other CPS.

Pacific Mackerel, 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 Fishing Years:

2023–2024:

• Commercial Harvest Guideline: 7,871 mt
• ACT: 6,871 mt

2024–2025:

• Commercial Harvest Guideline: 8,943 mt
• ACT: 7,943 mt

If the fishery attains the ACT in either fishing season, the directed fishery will close, reserving the 1,000-mt difference between the harvest guideline and ACT as a set-aside for incidental landings in other CPS fisheries and other sources of mortality.

CPS harvest specifications for Pacific mackerel are also published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 660.511 (i)-(j).

Central Subpopulation of Northern Anchovy

Annual catch limit: 25,000 metric tons

Northern Subpopulation of Northern Anchovy

ACL: [Not yet published]

Jack Mackerel

ACL: [Not yet published]

Krill:

0 mt (harvest is prohibited)

ACLs for the central subpopulation of Northern anchovy, the northern subpopulation of Northern anchovy, and jack mackerel are also published in the CFR at 660.511(k).

Visit the PacFIN website for current CPS landings.

Market Squid:

See the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website for annual market squid harvest specifications and management measures.