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| Pacific
sardine |
Background
In Washington, Pacific
sardine is managed under the Emerging Commercial Fishery provisions
as an experimental commercial fishery. An experimental commercial fishery
allows the harvest of a newly classified species, or harvest of a previously
classified species in a new area or by new means.
The target of the
experimental fishery is Pacific sardine; however, anchovy, mackerel,
and squid can also be retained and landed. These coastal pelagic species
(CPS) are managed by the Secretary of Commerce through the Pacific
Fishery Management Council (PFMC) under a federal fishery management
plan (FMP). Current limited entry provisions and direct harvest controls
have been developed in the FMP for waters south of 39° N latitude
which encompasses most of the distribution of the CPS stocks and fisheries.
This leaves specific management measures north of 39° N latitude
(Oregon and Washington) up to the state management agencies, as long
as those management measures conform to the overall guidelines of the
FMP. PFMC develops and adopts separate annual harvest guidelines for
the two areas which take into account the biological and ecological
impacts of harvesting forage fish. State fishery management measures
must be developed to ensure that the harvest guidelines are not exceeded.
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Pacific
sardines being pumped
onto the sorting table at sea |
Goals and Objectives
The goals for this
experimental fishery were to provide fishing opportunity consistent
with the Pacific Council’s CPS FMP and Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) policy, collect information on sardines off
Washington to improve the coastwide stock assessment, and document the
extent of bycatch occurring in the fishery.
Objectives
include:
- Collect size, age,
sex, and maturity data from the catch landed into Washington.
- Document bycatch,
in terms of species, amount, and condition. Recommend management measures
to reduce bycatch, as necessary.
- Document harvest
methods, distribution of harvest, and catch per unit of effort.
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Pacific
sardine net being brought in
and stacked on deck. |
Sardine
net being sorted into three piles;
cork line, net, and lead-line. |
Washington
Sardine Set Locations by Year
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