Jessica Cejnar Andrews / Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 @ 4:25 p.m. / Environment, Local Government, Ocean
Del Norte Pushes For Federal Disaster Declaration Due to Groundfish Closure; Crescent City Council Weighs In
Locals argue that a decision to close the nearshore groundfish season to protect the quillback rockfish will devastate Del Norte County's economy. | Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Previously:
• Del Norte Fishermen Are Pissed About Nearshore Groundfish Fishery Closure
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Del Norte County is seeking a federal disaster declaration for the 2023 nearshore groundfish fishery after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife cut the season short in August.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom urging him to take their concerns to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo.
In the letter, supervisors ask Raimondo to declare the 2023 nearshore groundfish season in California a fisheries resource disaster pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act allows the commerce secretary to declare a commercial fishery failure due to natural causes, man-made causes or undetermined causes.
The CDFW’s closure of the 2023 nearshore groundfish season is a drastic decision that will effect much of Del Norte’s economy, supervisors say.
“Many residents of Del Norte County are reliant on the local marine fishery for their livelihood such as charter boat owners, fishing supply stores and seafood restaurants,” the supervisors state in their letter. “Sport ocean fishing is a major attractant for visitors to our community and many sectors of our economy rely on this tourism such as grocery stores, gas stations, motels, RV parks, restaurants etc.”
The Board of Supervisors point out that Del Norte County is already dealing with the effects of the commercial and recreational salmon closure and is recovering from the 94,6930-acre Smith River Complex wildfires.
The Crescent City Council also officially added its voice to locals’ concerns with three members on Monday agreeing to send a letter to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. Crescent City had until Oct. 12 to submit comments to the PFMC for inclusion in the agenda packet for its November meeting in Garden Grove.
According to District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard, it’s too late to reopen the 2023 season. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council is expected to decide the fate of the 2024 nearshore groundfish season, Howard said.
Howard also urged Crescent City Councilors to send a letter to the California Office of Emergency Service and Congressman Jared Huffman supporting the county's efforts to get a federal disaster declaration.
“Right now the salmon disaster declaration is working its way through Congress, and we should be hearing any day now whether we’ll see some type of emergency relief,” Howard told the City Council. “The salmon closure is nothing compared to the groundfish closure as far as economic impact to the state, so we should see some movement by our legislators. That’s why I think that letter is extremely important at this time.”
Since before CDFW closed the nearshore groundfish season in Northern California, local elected officials and anglers have questioned the data they used to determine that the quillback rockfish harvest had exceeded its quota.
They have argued that the trawling data department scientists relied on to make that decision is flawed since local near-shore waters can’t be trawled due to the “nature of the reefs,” City Manager Eric Wier said, quoting from a letter the Crescent City Harbor District sent to state fish and wildlife officials just before the closure took effect.
On Monday, Howard told the City Council that he’s spoken with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and “there’s no disagreements in my conversations” that the data is flawed.
Howard also urged the City Council to advocate for a zero bag limit for the quillback rockfish. Up until Aug. 7 anglers were allowed to keep one quillback rockfish though most say they don’t want them.
Howard also said Del Norte County in another letter to CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham is addressing both the copper rockfish and the China rockfish.
“Both species, like the quillback, are thought to be in low population numbers and not necessarily because they are, but because there’s really no data for them in this 50 fathoms-and-less space,” Howard told the City Council pointing out that trawling is also used to gauge population for the copper and China rockfish. “We feel without the data coming along in the short term, we need to request, as a community, for them to set zero bag limits on those three species so we do not have what we think is a perpetuating cycle of closures when bag limits are reached.”
Wier, who said he learned of the groundfish season closure from his dad after they had gone fishing, cited the Harbor District’s letter again which stated that quillback rockfish are rarely found in water up to 10 fathoms, or about 60 feet. The Harbor District argued that closing the fishery shoreward of 50 fathoms, or 300 feet, is going overboard and is burdensome to local fishermen.
Wier said CDFW could have reduced the overall bag limit of fish caught in waters shallower than 50 fathoms rather than closing the season entirely. Wier also added that the quillback rockfish has a high survival rate when it comes to catch and release.
“They are a tough fish,” he said. “Their survival rate is 91 percent when using a descender device.”
Wier argued that CDFW could have established a zero bag limit for quillback rockfish and mandate fishermen use a descender device when throwing them back.
“You would have a 91 percent survival rate for this particular species while still keeping the fishery open,” he said. “There are some options to address what they’re trying to do and keep our fishing season.”
Councilwoman Kelly Schellong said she felt it was important that Crescent City’s letter to CDFW mention how close Oregon is and to point out that their fishery continues.
“I think mentioning that Brookings is open — which affects our economy when people go to Brookings versus here — is important,” she said.
The Pacific Fisheries Management Council meeting takes place from Nov. 1-Nov. 8 in Garden Grove. Groundfish matters is expected to take up much of the agenda, which includes subcommittee discussions on Nov. 4 and 5. Open public comment will be accepted when the meeting opens Nov. 3, according to local Del Norte fisherwoman Andrea Spahn
A group of Del Norte County anglers chose Crescent City Fishing Charters owner Steve Huber to speak for them at that PFMC meeting in Garden Grove, Spahn said.
The Board of Supervisors held off on deciding who would represent the county at the PFMC meeting with Howard saying it “doesn’t necessarily have to be me.”
“My hope with this letter is to really continue to speak towards the significance of what has occurred here at the state level,” Howard told his colleagues. “Not only to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, but to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Commission which makes regulatory decisions.”
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