Species |
Ocean (or Pink) shrimp, Pandulus jordani |
Life history (biology, habitat, range) |
Aleutian Islands to Baja California, CA
Protandrous hermophrodites; sex change usually occurs after first year, from male to female
Habitat: Most abundant between 90 and 200 meters on green mud, mixed sand, or mud bottoms
Spawning: Sept-Oct (females carry between 800 and 4,000 eggs)
Predators: pacific hake, sablefish, flounder, spiny dogfish
Average Lifespan: 5 years |
Stock assessment status |
No formal assessment; most stocks considered complete or robust |
Vulnerability |
None known; changes in abundance driven by environmental conditions (e.g. El Nino) and predator abundance, much less so fishing pressure |
Protected/declared species interactions |
Unknown |
Gear types |
Bottom trawls, double-rigged with high-rise box trawls; single rigged
Average vessel length is 59 feet |
Gear specifications |
Bycatch reduction devices: rigid grate, soft panel, fisheye-excluder
Minimum mesh size of 1 3/8 inches to allow escapement of juvenile fish |
Historic gear |
Single-rigged only until 1974; double-rigged deemed 1.6 times more effective |
Associated conservation concerns |
No |
Management, commercial |
Jurisdiction(s) |
Fish and Game Commission: Legislature granted FGC authority to manage in 2004 when it approved Senate Bill 1459 |
FMP |
Developed, but never implemented; PFMC drafted plan in 1980; instead, federal regulations were used |
Code sections |
Title 14, CCR §§120, 190; FGC §§8842 |
Restricted access |
Pink shrimp northern permit – moratorium
Pink shrimp southern permit – open access
Owners or operators required to keep a logbook
Landings requirements to be eligible for transferable permits |
TAC |
No
Average landings weight was 2,943,860 lbs for 1998-2004
2004 commercial landings weight was 2,187,500 lbs for a value of $925,100
(see graphs below) |
Current seasons, size limits, other restrictions |
Early April – Late Oct
Federal at-sea observer coverage |
Fishery closures/ MPAs |
State marine reserves and parks (i.e. Channel Islands)
State water previously open to pink shrimp closed Jan. 1, 2008; specifically declared as area in state waters not less than 2 nautical miles from the mainland between Humboldt County and Point Reyes; closure may be reconsidered if there are changes in trawl gear |
Proposed regulations |
N/A |
Recreational component |
Very limited or no rec fishing |
Social context |
Participation statewide |
Fishing for pink shrimp began in Cal in 1952 off Morro Bay
Less than 50 permits annually (down from 250 permits in mid-1990s)
99% of landings in North
Vessel permits in Northern region 2006: 40 (4 active vessels)
Vessel permits in Southern region 2006: 21 (1 active vessel) |
Participation by area |
North: Cal-Oregon border to Point Conception
South: Point Conception to Cal-Mexico border
Separate fishing permits are required to fish in Northern and Southern regions |
Fishing and trade organizations |
Unknown |
Seafood industry context |
Product forms |
frozen block whole (raw or cooked); frozen block peeled (raw or cooked); frozen IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) – raw or cooked; canned, in brine; smoked; in prepared dishes such as soups, bisques and salads |
Seafood selector status |
Green status |
MSC certification status |
Oregon’s pink shrimp fishery is one of MSC’s certified as sustainable |
Potential for value added |
Unknown |
Miscellaneous |
Sources |
DFG Marine Region 2001. California’s Living Marine Resources: A Status Report. Ocean shrimp http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/status/ocean_shrimp.pdf |
