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NOAA stock assessment shows quillback rockfish at 46%; Crescent City fishing group urges continued vigilance
Summary
A representative of the Crescent City Fishing Group told the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors that NOAA's stock assessment places quillback rockfish at 46% (not overfished), offering cautious optimism for reopening fishing areas; local advocates and officials urged continued monitoring ahead of PFMC and STAR Committee reviews.
Andrea Spahn, representing the Crescent City Fishing Group, told the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors that federal stock assessment results put quillback rockfish at 46% of reference biomass, above the 25% threshold used to designate a stock as overfished.
"NOAA has determined that we are at 46%, meaning we are not even close to being overfished," Spahn said. She noted the assessment must be finalized by the STAR Committee and then reviewed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), and she said the local community's advocacy helped keep the issue before federal managers.
Spahn said the finding does not immediately reopen fishing but reduces the risk of a closure based on quillback status. She told the board that future stock assessments are planned for other species (including canary rockfish) and that local survey work by CCFRP and other groups has shown robust presence in some marine protected areas. She thanked county officials who attended federal meetings and advocated for local fishing interests.
Spahn said potential changes could return state waters from 20 to 30 fathoms to local fishing access as early as 2026, but that timing depends on PFMC actions. The board heard additional local comments about fisheries and the local economy during the public comment period.
No formal board action was taken on fisheries at the meeting; Spahn's remarks were part of the public comment record.
