Prepared by CDFW Environmental Program Manager Tom Barnes

Northern California red abalone are managed adaptively, using traditional management measures coupled with fishery independent surveys to maintain the catch at sustainable levels, as prescribed by the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan (ARMP). The Harvest Control Rules outlined in the ARMP are structured so that a density decline below the prescribed threshold at Index Sites triggers a reduction in the allowable catch by 25 percent. Recently, following a large die-off due to a harmful algal bloom (HAB), red abalone densities have declined in Sonoma County by 60 percent, which is more than 25 percent across the fishery as a whole. This has triggered a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission to reduce the fishery by 25 percent, as prescribed in the ARMP.

CDFW analyses showed that the prescribed 25 percent reduction in catch could potentially be achieved in a variety of ways, such as: lower daily bag limits, a shorter fishing season, a later start to the fishing day, and reduced annual limits. This suite of alternatives could be used individually or in combination to reduce the expected take of abalone. CDFW presented these alternatives as options in a regulatory proposal to the Fish and Game Commission last April. Part of the preparation for that proposal included extensive public input, including an opinion survey that was completed by over 1,000 constituents and scoping meetings with representatives of stakeholder groups. The results of the survey indicated that reducing the daily bag limit had very little support whereas the early morning closure option gained the most support among divers. The rockpicking sector (27 percent of the fishers) does not support an early morning closure because it disproportionately limits intertidal take during the early morning low tides. All groups supported a focused reduction to the annual take in Sonoma and Marin counties as well as site closure of the Fort Ross area which were particularly impacted by the die-off.

In addition to differences in stakeholder support, the alternatives also differ in their enforceability and their susceptibility to behavior shifts by fishers, which could weaken the anticipated reduction in catch. Although more easily enforced, decreasing the catch by reducing the fishing season or changing the start time can be offset by changes in fishing behavior. Reductions in daily or annual limits, however, are expected to yield more effective catch reductions as they are not as susceptible to changes in fishing behavior.

At the request of the Commission, CDFW developed a recommended set of specific options for the Commission to consider in rendering their decision at their June 26 adoption meeting in Sacramento. CDFW weighed the strengths and weaknesses of the five alternatives, along with input from constituents to develop their recommendation. CDFW's recommendation takes a conservative approach to meeting the fishery reduction goal while balancing differing constituent and enforcement preferences for the range of alternatives. CDFW's recommended suite of options is anticipated to have the highest likelihood of achieving the catch reduction objectives prescribed in the ARMP and maintaining the sustainability of the fishery. The recommendation employs an annual limit reduction to attain the bulk of the prescribed 25 percent reduction to the overall fishery take, because this alternative is expected to be the least susceptible to behavioral shifts by fishers. CDFW also recommends a fixed 7:00 a.m. start time for the fishery to limit some intertidal fishing pressure while also aiding enforcement efforts. In addition, CDFW recommends further limiting the annual take limit in Sonoma and Marin counties to address the significant population declines in the southern portion of the recreational fishery.

The CDFW recommendation was transmitted to the Commission on June 10, 2013 in an inter-agency memorandum. The memorandum is available online at http://tinyurl.com/abmemo.