Impacts of recently implemented recreational fisheries regulations on the Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel fishery for Paralabrax sp. in California

Abstract

The California Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) fleet is unique in scale of operation, extensive fishing history, and economic impacts. The basses (Paralabrax sp.), which represent a principal target for the CPFV fleet, recently gained more stringent size limits and bag limits. The goal of this study was to conduct a survey of CPFV captains to assess perceptions regarding the status of two Paralabrax species, as well as the impacts of the new regulations. Catch and effort estimates were also obtained using CPFV logbook data to compare captains’ perceptions with actual changes in the fishery. The captains agreed that both species are vital to recreational fishing, and that the Barred Sand Bass stock is less healthy than Kelp Bass. Catch and effort analyses were consistent with this perception, with more dramatic declines in CPUE exhibited by Barred Sand Bass. The most experienced captains perceived the status of each species to be in a less healthy state than the less experienced captains, suggesting that shifting baselines are occurring. Most of the captains thought the increased minimum size limits had the greatest short-term impact on the fishing experience. The CPFV logbook data summaries support this assertion, but Kelp Bass CPUE showed a trend reversal. In contrast, Barred Sand Bass CPUE has precipitously declined, and spawning aggregations have been absent since 2013. The agreement between captains’ perceptions and logbook analyses strengthens the overall findings, and suggests captains are a valuable resource for informing fisheries management, especially in future studies with data-limited stocks.