{"id":835,"date":"2017-09-12T18:46:03","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T01:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mlml.sjsu.edu\/fisheries\/?page_id=835"},"modified":"2022-09-21T10:33:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T17:33:42","slug":"835-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mlml.sjsu.edu\/fisheries\/835-2\/","title":{"rendered":"RCA Hook and Line Survey: Comparing Pre- and Post Closure data"},"content":{"rendered":"

Comparing pre- and post- RCA Closure Data<\/h3>\n
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Between 2012 - 2014, the MLML Fisheries and Conservation Biology <\/a>lab set out to survey central California Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) with hook and line fishing gear in order to directly compare with data collected by\u00a0the\u00a0California Department of Fish and Game<\/a>\u00a0(CDFG).\u00a0From 1987 to 1998, (CDFG) placed staff on sportfishing boats to record fishing effort, species caught and length information of fishes captured from pre-RCA fishing grounds.\u00a0In conjunction with\u00a0NMFS<\/a>,\u00a0Cordell Bank National Marine\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Sanctuary<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0CDFG<\/a><\/span>, the FCB lab conducted similar research fishing trips off Cordell Bank, the Farallon Islands and Half Moon Bay to assess potential changes in catch rates, species compositions and lengths of fishes since the RCA closure.<\/p>\n

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We reproduced CDFG's survey protocols (1987-1998) and compared newly collected data (2012-2014) with those from the study conducted over a decade ago.\u00a0 This not only enabled a comparison of pre- and post-closure conditions but also provided an opportunity to assess the efficacy of this RCA closure by evaluating its impact on rockfish populations from central California over time.<\/p>\n

At all sites surveyed, total catch rates from the new surveys (2012\u201314) were significantly higher than catch rates from before RCA implementation (1995\u201398). The majority of the differences were due to the increased relative abundance of yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus), although other species, including the overfished canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), also increased. Differences in the size composition of species between the two time periods reflected both the increased survival of older fishes and higher recruitment success in the past decade.<\/p>\n

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You can view a summary of our preliminary data here<\/a><\/h6>\n

We published results of this study in CalCOFI :\u00a0Changes in size composition and relative abundance of fishes in central California after a decade of spatial fishing closures<\/em>. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations. Vol. 56, 2015<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

and presented at several conferences:<\/p>\n

RCA survey\u00a0data presented at the Sanctuary Currents Symposium in 2015 and the CalCOFI Conference in 2014<\/a><\/p>\n

RCA survey\u00a0data presented at the Western Groundfish Conference in 2014<\/a><\/p>\n