A small, spiny fish no one wants to catch has started to appear in trawl nets off the Oregon Coast.
Shortbelly rockfish are common off California but were rare in Oregon until recently. Boosted by several strong reproductive years, their apparent expansion into new territory triggered a discussion among West Coast fishery regulators and raised concerns for conservation groups.
The rising number of shortbelly landings triggered a review by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
The council, which recommends fishery management measures in federal waters off California, Oregon and Washington state, took several interim steps in 2019 and 2020 to protect the fish. They raised the annual catch limit and designated the rockfish as an ecosystem component species, a title that recognizes shortbelly’s value in the ecosystem as a forage fish but does not come with specific fishery management measures.
Conservation groups argued that more proactive protection was needed.
The Audubon Society and Oceana urged for a prohibition that would prevent the creation of a fishery targeting shortbelly rockfish.
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