Northern California Red Abalone
Fishery
Pete Kalvass
Department of Fish and Game
June 30, 2011
Presentation Summary

Brief review of fishery status

Proposed Regulations

Rationale
Abalone Fishery Status

Surveys show low abalone densities

Surveys show evidence of poor recruitment

Fort Ross area shows high catch level
Proposed Regulatory Options
Reduce card limit from 24 to no less than 12
Reduce daily fishing hours by early morning
closure
Site specific effort reduction
Close Fort Ross the first 2 months of season
ARMP TAC Adjustment Table
CRITERIA
ACTION
Density (abalone/m2) –
Recruitment
emergent surveys
Deep (refuge)
All Depths
0.33/m2
N/A
No
AND
< 0.25/m2
AND
OR
0.66/m2
2) Maintain
TAC
< 0.50/m2
3) Reduce
TAC by 25%
Densities (2008-10): Deep = 0.28/m2; All Depths = 0.54/m2
Abalone Survey Density
Triggers
Red Abalone Density per m2
0.8
0.7
SE
0.6
25% TAC
Reduction
0.5
0.4
0.3
Site
Closure
0.2
0.1
0.0
FR
TC
OC
SP
PA
VD
CC
TP
Index Sites and Average
--
AVE
Index Site Density Comparison
2005-07 and 2008-10
Red Abalone Densities - All Depths
Van Damme
2005 - 2007
Salt Point
1.2
2008 - 2010
Fort Ross
Abalone per m
2
Point Arena
Caspar Cove
Timber Cove
Ocean Cove
0.9
Todds Point
0.6
0.3
0
2004
2006
2008
Year
2010
Ian Taniguchi or Pete Kalvass
California Department of Fish and Game
Marine Region
Invertebrate Management Project
4665 Lampson Ave. Suite C
Los Alamitos, CA. 90720
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/abalone.asp
Recruitment Densities 2008-2010
Site
Total Abalone
Density (all depths
and sizes)
Recruitment Density
(ab/m2 for abalone 4 in. to
7 in. length)
Todds Point 2009/10
0.51
0.10
Caspar Cove 2008
0.43
0.11
Van Damme 2010
0.80
0.30
Point Arena 2010
0.81
0.22
Salt Point 2008
0.39
0.15
Ocean Cove 2010
0.62
0.23
Timber Cove 2009
0.43
0.09
Fort Ross 2009
0.33
0.10
Overall Average
0.54
0.16
Abalone Card Site Catch Estimates
Site
Fort Ross
Van Damme
Moat Creek
Salt Point
Sea Ranch
Total Catch
2007
2008
2009
62,000 56,000 51,000
16,000 16,000 19,000
12,000 14,000 19,000
13,000 11,000 12,000
13,000 10,000 12,000
309,000 265,000 295,000
Site Densities: Ft. Ross = 0.33/m2; Salt Point = 0.39/m2
Fishery Status Summary
Fishery Density Still Close to TAC Trigger
 Some Evidence of Recruitment
 Continued High Effort at Some Fishery
Sites
 Proactive Regulatory Change

Regulatory Change Time Line
Regulatory notice in November 2010
 Discussion in December 2010
 Adoption in February 2011
 Regulations effective in May 2011

Van Damme Abalone Recruitment
(5-50mm)
Year
Total
Juvenile
2001
53
36
2002
50
25
2003
32
17
2004
38
17
2005
65
52
2006
29
19
2007
35
17
2008
43
11
2009
34
15
2010
133
72
2010 Abalone Size Frequency
2
2
2010 Todds Point Red Abalone (abs/m )
2010 Point Arena Red Abalone (abs/m )
0.25
0.25
shallow, N=10, n=378
0.2
220
240
240
200
180
160
140
120
100
220
2
80
20
240
220
200
180
160
0
140
0
120
0.05
100
0.05
80
0.1
60
0.1
40
0.15
20
0.15
deep, N=17, n=279
60
deep, N=21, n=290
40
0.2
shallow, N=20, n=667
2
2010 Van Damme Red Abalone (abs/m )
2010 Ocean Cove Red Abalone (abs/m )
0.25
0.25
shallow, N=19, n=681
0.2
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
240
220
200
180
160
0
140
0
120
0.05
100
0.05
80
0.1
60
0.1
40
0.15
20
0.15
deep, N=19, n=279
40
deep, N=17, n=227
20
0.2
shallow, N=17, n=491
Abalone Growth
Gaussian model predictions of red abalone shell length
(inches) of ages 1–30 y. Rogers-Bennett et al. 2007
Age
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Length
0.63
1.34
2.14
3.00
3.85
4.61
5.25
5.77
6.19
Age
10
11
12
13
14
15
20
25
30
Length
6.54
6.83
7.08
7.39
7.48
7.64
8.25
8.67
8.98
Size Frequency Comparisons for
2007 and 2010
2
2
2007 and 2010 Ocean Cove Red Abalone (abs/m )
2007-10 Van Damme Red Abalone (abs/m )
0.16
0.16
OC2010
VD2010
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
40
20
240
220
200
180
160
140
0
120
0
100
0.04
80
0.04
60
0.08
40
0.08
20
VD2007
0.12
60
OC2007
0.12
Van Damme Abalone Sizes 2003, 2007
2003 Van Damme Red Abalone Density (abs/m2)
1989 Van Damme Red Abalone Density (abs/m2)
0.16
0.16
shallow, N=16, n=670
shallow, N=9,n=233
230
245
230
245
215
200
185
170
155
140
125
110
95
80
65
35
20
230
215
200
185
170
155
140
125
110
0
95
0
80
0.04
65
0.04
50
0.08
35
0.08
20
deep, N=17, n=368
0.12
50
deep, N=12,n=131
0.12
2007 Van Damme Red Abalone Density (abs/m2)
1992 Van Damme Red Abalone Density (abs/m2)
0.16
0.16
shallow, N=14, n=536
shallow, N=14,n=344
215
200
185
170
155
140
125
110
95
80
65
35
20
230
215
200
185
170
155
140
125
110
0
95
0
80
0.04
65
0.04
50
0.08
35
0.08
20
deep, N=14, n=131
0.12
50
deep, N=13,n=293
0.12
2010 Abalone Survey Density
Site
Transects (#)
Density (Ab/m2)
TP
31
0.51
VD
36
0.80
PA
40
0.81
OC
36
0.62
Index Site Densities 2008-2010
Site
Number
of Deep
Transects
Number of
Deep Density Transects
(Abalone/m2) All Depths
Density
All Depths
(Abalone/m2)
Todds Point 2009/10
21
0.33
31
0.51
Caspar Cove 2008
24
0.19
50
0.43
Van Damme 2010
17
0.31
36
0.80
Point Arena 2010
20
0.57
40
0.81
Salt Point 2008
21
0.15
41
0.39
Ocean Cove 2010
19
0.29
36
0.62
Timber Cove 2009
20
0.27
35
0.43
Fort Ross 2009
22
0.17
43
0.33
Totals/Average
164
0.28
312
0.54
Index Site Density Trend
Red Abalone Densities - All Depths
Surveys used to
calculate most recent
average densities
Abalone per m
2
1.2
0.9
0.6
Van Damme
Salt Point
Fort Ross
0.3
Point Arena
Caspar Cove
Timber Cove
Ocean Cove
Todds Point
0
1998
2002
2006
Year
2010
Index Site Density Trend
Red Abalone Densities - All Depths
Abalone per m
2
1.20
0.90
0.60
Van Damme
Salt Point
Fort Ross
Point Arena
0.30
Caspar Cove
Timber Cove
Surveys used
for average
densities
Ocean Cove
Todds Point
0.00
1988
1993
1998
2003
Year
2008
Preferences for catch reduction
from telephone survey
Rate the following methods on a scale of one to
five with one being least favored and five being
most favored:
Method
Percent most favored
Percent least favored
7.5
52.1
Reduce bag limit but allow
possession of two limits
21.8
6.9
Reduce card limit
27.5
10.0
Close additional months
18.0
11.0
Close days of the week
25.1
20.0
Reduce daily bag limit