Seasonal availability
- Available year-round, though it is more abundant in summer.
Regulatory and managing authority
- The Pacific Mackerel fishery is managed federally by the NOAA fisheries and, as established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) through the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (CPSFMP).
- As established by the Marine Life Management Act, the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) regulates the fishery in state waters, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) collects data and helps enforce FMP management rules for this fishery through the Pelagic Fisheries and Ecosystems Program.
- The California Wetfish Producers Association combines input from the industry and government entities to inform regulatory and management measures for this fishery.
Gear type
- Commercial fisheries use round haul gear consisting of purse-seines, lampara nets, drum seines, and dip nets.
Status of the fishery
- Currently harvested by two fisheries, commercial and sport fishing, both localized in Southern California.
- The stock collapsed in 1960s, resulting in moratorium on the fishery in the 1970s.
- The stock recovered in the late 1970s, but demand has not rebounded for canned mackerel so harvest remains low.
- The last mackerel cannery in Southern California closed in 1992 with diminished demand for the product.
- Recent landings fall well under sustainable harvest limits.
Potential ecosystem impacts
- Harvesting with round haul gear takes place in surface waters, minimally impacting the environment.
- The schooling lifestyle of Pacific mackerel means bycatch is low, as individuals are densely grouped together.
- Bycatch primarily consists of other coastal pelagic fish species.
Source : https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/
0 Comments