Reducing risk of whale entanglements in the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery

Director’s Report

August 7, 2020

Caren Braby

Marine Resources Program Manager

CaseID: 20150703Mn

NMFS MMHSRP Permit #: 18786

Outline

• Dungeness crab fishery management framework, regulatory history

• Whale entanglements, populations and conservation framework

• Management measures to address whale entanglements in the Dungeness crab fishery

• Accountability (Sept 2019)

• Risk reduction (Sept 2020)

2

Commercial Dungeness crab fishery

• Most valuable single-species commercial fishery in Oregon

• State-managed fishery • State: 3-S management system (size,

sex, season); limited entry & pot limits

• Tri-State: coordination

• Federal: MMPA, ESA

• OR season from Dec-Aug

3

The Dungeness crab fishery is an economically and culturally significant fishery in Oregon

Photo by Greg Krutzikowsky, ODFW

4

1984-2010: Fishery limitation, accountability

Modern Era of Season Limitation

1984

1995

Participant Limitation

Gear Limitation (active & derelict)Accountability & Enforcement additions

2006

2010

Evaluation of Whale Entanglement

0

5

10

15

20

25

Nu

mb

er

of

WC

en

tan

gle

me

nts

Gray whales (n=24)

Humpback whales (n=65)

Blue whales (n=3)

Killer whales (n=2)

Unidentified whales (n=2)

• Increase in reports since 2014

• Driven largely by humpback whales

• Quality of data and reporting is improving

• Awareness

• Hotline

5

Crab gear whale entanglements (West Coast fisheries)

*

* Data for 2020 are incomplete

Crab gear whale entanglements (Oregon fishery)

• 13 confirmed entanglements in Oregon commercial Dungeness crab gear (2003-present)

• Majority of recent entanglements are humpback whales

• Observations of entangled Oregon gear from Mexico-Washington

6

0

1

2

3

Nu

mb

er

of

OR

en

tan

gle

me

nts

Gray whales (n=6)

Humpback whales (n=7)

*

* Data for 2020 are incomplete

Why increased whale entanglements?

• Cascade of ocean condition changes (2014-present)• Prey distribution and abundance shifts

• Humpback foraging locations and increased population abundance

• Crab distribution shifts, biotoxin load

• Fishery effort shift

• Public awareness and reporting

7

Increased overlap of humpbacks and fishery in space and time, correlated with climate and ocean change

Multi-pronged management approach

• Research & monitoring

• Education & awareness

• Regulations (State)

• Authorization (Federal)

Oregon Vision: Aligned management &conservation goals allow co-existence of an

economically viable commercial Dungeness crab fishery and whales

8

Global distribution of humpback whales

Marine Mammal Protection Act

• CA/OR/WA stock: Depleted

• CA/OR feeding group

• WA/SBC feeding group

Endangered Species Act

Distinct population segments (DPSs)

• Endangered

• Threatened

• De-listed

Winter Breeding in low latitudesSummer Feeding in high latitudes

9

West Coast distribution of humpback whales

Marine Mammal Protection Act

• CA/OR/WA stock: Depleted

• CA/OR feeding group

• WA/SBC feeding group

Endangered Species Act

• Distinct population segments (DPSs)

• Central America DPS: Endangered

• Mexico DPS: Threatened

• Hawaii DPS: De-listedTake-home #1:

Humpback whales feeding off OR are threatened or endangered (T & E)

10

Take-home #2:Entanglements are take, which is

prohibited, unless specifically authorized

• Oregon regulations (OARs) govern crab fishery • Accountability• Risk reduction

• Tri-State agreement aligns WA/OR/CA management • Reduce risk of whale entanglement• Pre-season testing• Biotoxin management

• Federal law is an umbrella• State management must comply with federal law• Conservation Plan (CP) legal mechanism to describe the

regulatory and mitigation approach

Dungeness crab legal framework

11Photo: ODFW

12

2010-present: Reduce risk of entanglement

Research & monitoring

2010

2015

Targeted fleet awareness

Phase I: Accountability (OARs)

2019

Phase II: Reduce Risk (OARs)

2020 2021

Conservation Plan,Future Phases (OARs)

2016

Biotoxin management

Oregon Whale Entanglement Working Group (OWEWG)

• Oregon Sea Grant convened at request of Oregon crabbing industry (2017-2019)

• Representatives include:

• Sport and commercial crabbers, whale science/disentanglement experts, fishing gear expert, NGOs, Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission (ODCC), ODFW staff

• Key activities:

• Best Fishing Practices directive (inset)

• Identified research needs, including whale distribution surveys and co-occurrence modeling

• Industry survey

• Preliminary recommendations13

Public engagement in this risk reduction package

Oregon Advisors:• Oregon Whale Entanglement Working Group (OWEWG)

• Augmented Oregon Dungeness Crab Advisory Committee (ODCAC)

Oregon crab fleet and public outreach:• Public Meetings – 2018 and 2019

• Industry Notices

• Annual Crab Newsletters

• OFWC Briefings & Exhibits – June, Sept 2019; Aug (today), Sept 2020

Regional:• Tri-State Dungeness Crab Committee

• CA/WA Working Groups

• Forensics workshop, etc.14

Phase I: Fishery accountability regulations (2019)

• Additional gear marking:

• Commercial crab gear buoy color and pattern registration,sport marking, fixed-gear marking

• Double-sided buoy tags (non-rulemaking)

• Electronic fish tickets with crab harvest areas

15

West Coast 2014–2019

(n=234)

Phase II: Reducing risk rationale (2020)

Whale distribution - Feeding season

- Apr – Oct

- Depth - 27+ fathoms

16

NEWPORT

ASTORIA

BROOKINGS

CHARLESTON

PORT ORFORD

Dec-Feb

NEWPORT

ASTORIA

BROOKINGS

CHARLESTON

PORT ORFORD

Mar-May

NEWPORT

ASTORIA

BROOKINGS

CHARLESTON

PORT ORFORD

Jun-Aug

Crab Fishery Effort (footprint)

Decrease co-occurrence of fishery and whales in space and/or time

Whale Distribution

Research

Take-home: Timely season start decreases gear-whale co-occurrence

• Existing OARs: Biotoxins management

• Proposed OARs: Season start meat fill

170

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

Esti

mat

ed p

ots

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

Phase II: Reducing risk rationale (2020)

• Humpback whale entanglements (obs); navy = OR gear (Apr-Oct)

• Fishery season: Effort (pots) decreases over season

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Hu

mp

bac

k En

tan

gle

me

nts

2014 - 2020

Unknown state (n=2)

California (n=42)

Oregon (n=6)

Washington (n=7)

Phase II: Reduce risk proposed regulations (2020)

• Primary measures:• Reduce pot limits May 1 by 20%; gear excluded outside 30

fathoms; season tag. (Package has 3-year sunset, 2023)

• Additional measures: • Elimination of replacement tags

• Elimination of 2-week gear clean-up period (post-season)*

• Taut line provisions*

• Reduction of meat yield criteria

• Prohibit gear markings from other states

18* currently a temporary rule; the Sept action will consider making this permanent

Phase II: Pot reduction scenarios

• Tools

• Date

• Reduction %

• Depth of exclusion area

• Impacts to consider

• Conservation benefits

• Economic harm

19

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

10% Reduction15% Reduction20% Reduction25% Reduction30% ReductionFlat 200 pot limit

Esti

mat

ed d

ecr

ease

d p

ot

day

s (~

flee

t im

pac

t)

April 1

April 16

May 1

May 16

June 1

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Flat 200 pots

April 1 April 16 May 1 May 16 June 110% Reduction 25 21 16 12 9

20% Reduction 51 41 32 24 1730% Reduction 76 62 48 36 26

Flat 200 pot limit 100% 79 60 44 31

Relative conservation benefit for whales (green is largest

benefit):

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

esti

mat

ed p

ots

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

0

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

30,000,000

35,000,000

40,000,000

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

ex-v

esse

l val

ue

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

Estimated pots

Ex-vessel value

Crab

Season Season Start Date(s)

2014-15 Dec. 1 coastwide

2015-16 Jan. 4 north of OR/CA border

2016-17

Dec.18 south of Cape Blanco Jan.1

north of Cape Blanco

2017-18

Jan 15 Cape Blanco to OR/WA Feb

7 Cape Blanco to OR/CA

2018-19

Jan. 4 north of Cape Arago

Feb 1 from Cape Arago to OR/CA

Pots permitted – 149,200

Avg. annual usage – 115,423

Estimated pots and

ex-vessel value by month

20

May-Aug ex-vessel (avg):

$2.5 mill (total)

$2 mill (with 20% reduction)

Next steps

• Next 8-9 months:• OFWC consideration of risk reduction OARs (Sept 2020)

• Industry input on adaptive management measures (Oct 2020)

• ODFW submit Conservation Plan to NOAA for consideration of an incidental take permit (Winter 2021)

• Ongoing • Collaborative research on whale/gear co-occurrence (OSG, ODCC, OSU, NOAA)

• Collaborative work on Fishery Improvement Plan (FIP with ODCC)

• Develop and/or adapt management measures as needed

21

Questions?

22Photo by Greg Krutzikowsky, ODFW

Future: Fishery accountability (TBD)

• Additional gear marking (in addition to existing marking requirements):

• Line marking

• Fleet effort/footprint (near real-time)

• Electronic logbooks

• Vessel monitoring

23

Future: Risk reduction for future consideration

• Late season limited entry

• Hotspot closures

• Tri-State coastwide pot limit

• Permit stacking

• Longlining (2 pots)

• Buyback

• Gear modification (e.g., breakaway devices, ropeless gear, etc.)

24

Conservation plan elements

• Fishery description

• Environmental setting and covered species

• Potential biological impacts and take assessment

• Conservation program

• Plan implementation

• Funding

• Alternatives

25

Whale entanglement species (Oregon gear)

26

Gray WhaleEastern North Pacific Stock

Gray Whale Pacific Coast Feeding Group

HumpbackWA/OR/CA Stock

Population trend increasing* increasing* stable to growing

Population status delisted 1994 No formal status Endangered/ Threatened

Primary activity migrating feeding feeding

Known hotspotsmigratory corridors by distance from

shore coastwidecoastal reef habitats off central and

southern regionsStonewall and Heceta Banks

Peak timing

Northbound Jan-Jul, peak Apr-Jul

Southbound Oct-Dec, peak Dec-Mar

Jun-Nov Apr-Nov

Area utilizedfrequently within 2.5-5 nm from

shorefrequently within 2 nm of shore most commonly inside 100 fa

Prey naepibenthic zooplankton, benthic

crustaceanskrill and anchovy

• Season closed April 15 – statewide

• Season closed April 1 – south of Tri-State

• RAMP Risk Assessment • Bi-monthly meetings with Whale Working Group

• District-wide closure if:• 1 ESA-entanglement in CA crab gear, or

• 2 unidentified ESA-entanglements

• 20 ESA-whale aggregation

• Season closed April 1 – south of Tri-State• Exception: Ropeless gear allowed

2019

2020(or until HCP drafted)

2021(or until ITP issued)

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=166146&inline

CBD vs. CDFW settlement – March 2019

27

28

Pots by tier limit and monthPast 3 season average (2016-17 through 2018-19)

2019

Total

Permits

Landing

Into OR

200 92 53

300 176 132

500 156 134

Total 424 319

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

esti

mat

ed n

um

ber

of

po

ts

200 pot limit

300 pot limit

500 pot limit

29

37%

63%

34%

66%

27%

73%

18%

82%

14%

86%

13%

87%

11%

89%

6.2%

94%

39%

61%

35%

65%

27%

73%

24%

76%

20%

80%

13%

87%

19%

81%

18%

82%

17%

83%

37%

63%

31%

69%

29%

71%

25%

75%

14%

86%

8.4%

92%

4.6%

95%

2.3%

98%

43%

57%

36%

64%

32%

68%

33%

67%

28%

72%

30%

70%

23%

77%

17%

83%

19%

81%

17%

83%

33%

67%

33%

67%

25%

75%

13%

87%

13%

87%

6.7%

93%

2%

98%100%

36%

64%

39%

61%

36%

64%

41%

59%

34%

66%

22%

78%

23%

77%

23%

77%

20%

80%

2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018

2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

De

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Ju

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Au

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0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Month

% T

ota

l Pot P

ulls

Depth

Less than or equal to 30 fathoms

Greater than 30 fathoms

Percent effort by depth

30