PACIFIC NORTHWEST
SEAFOOD
150 YEARS OF INNOVATION
Dungeness crab, Pink shrimp, Albacore tuna, Chinook salmon, groundfish, and whiting are vital to Oregon’s commercial fishing fleet and are dinner table staples – locally and the world over. The 150-year-long story told in this exhibit is about Oregon's emergence as a world leader in the sustainable seafood movement. It’s the story of fish, fishermen, fishery managers, scientists, researchers, and conservation groups – and how they met challenges and opportunities, including:
• environment and ocean changes
• technology and gear innovations
• regulatory changes
• international politics and globalization
• scientific advancement
• consumer preferences
A fisherman sets forth from his community to a relatively unknown place and returns home with something to share — in this case it is a bounty of wild, beautiful seafood. — Bob Eder, Newport fisherman
EXPLORE
Click on a link below to discover more about the species, history and sustainability of Oregon fisheries.
HISTORY
Milestones in Fisheries
Fishing boats at dock in Newport’s Yaquina Bay, circa 1956.
photo credit: Lincoln County Historical Society #1308
The Hudson’s Bay Company and early explorers trade with Native American tribes for salmon. Commercial salmon fishing begins at the mouth of the Columbia river.
Salmon fishing ramps up when improvements in canning make it easier to sell fish the world over. Fishermen come from the U.S. eastern seaboard and Europe to claim their fortune in Oregon’s waters.
SEAFOOD SCHOOL
The largest amount of fish that can be caught over a long period of time from a specific area, considering the current environmental conditions.
Overfishing is a harvest rate that is higher than the MSY for that stock.
When a stock is overfished, the population is too low, which jeopardizes the stock’s ability to produce the MSY.
A rebuilt stock was overfished previously and has increased in abundance to a target population that supports its MSY.
The advent of the gasoline boat engine allows fishermen to journey offshore as they are no longer restricted to bays and rivers for salmon and Dungeness crab. This allows access to new species, such as Albacore tuna, Pink shrimp, and groundfish.
The Sustainable Fisheries Act (1996) prohibits fisheries from exceeding catch targets based on the concept of Maximum Sustainable Yield. It defines “overfishing” and “overfished” terms and mandates regular stock assessments of certain fish populations. See sidebar.
The abundance of groundfish resources off the coast draws international attention. In 1966 the Soviet trawl fleet first appears off the Oregon Coast. The fleet expands, boat size increases and new gear types develop. High levels of catch and damage to the ocean floor spark concern over sustainability and catch rights.
Reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act focuses on promoting sustainable fisheries by establishing annual catch limits, advancing market-based strategies such as catch shares, and addressing illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing from countries that export seafood to the U.S.
Several landmark laws are passed, including the Fishery Conservation and Management Act (later named the Magnuson-Stevens Act) in 1976, which brings stronger regulation to U.S. fisheries and eliminates foreign fishing within 200 miles off the coast. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973) also become law.
The COVID-19 pandemic brings unprecedented challenges to the seafood industry, where 2/3 of the product is consumed in restaurants. Still, U.S. fishermen landed 8.4 billion pounds valued at $4.8 billion in 2020. While these numbers indicate a decrease compared to 2019, they show that U.S. fishermen faced the challenge of a global pandemic and still provided the nation with nutritious, sustainable seafood.
With international export markets still in turmoil, many are looking to domestic and local markets for the future of food security.
MARKET
HOW DOES SEAFOOD
GET TO MY PLATE?
It can be as simple as buying directly from a fisherman at the docks or as complex as buying imported seafood at your supermarket. The steps from boat to fork are known as the “seafood supply chain” and there are many possible pathways. The process of tracking seafood all the way from boat to market is known as traceability. Short supply chains are preferred for quality and accountability. Long supply chains can include exporting, importing, and increased risk of consumer fraud.
SHORT
SUPPLY CHAIN
FOR OREGON
A fisherman sells his catch to a first buyer (also known as a processor). Oregon has 108 licensed fish buyers. The five largest buyers purchase 77% of all Oregon seafood.
Seafood processors clean, cut, freeze, can, and smoke fish. They also cook and shuck shellfish. After processing, the product may go in frozen storage or be sold to a secondary fish dealer.
Commonly, the product will change hands several times before final distribution to restaurants and retail markets.
In the U.S., about 2⁄3 of all seafood is consumed in restaurants and about 1⁄3 is consumed at home.
OREGON
sustainability
1. able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed;
2. involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources;
3. able to last or continue for a long time.
Oregon only produces a small amount of the world’s marine catch – just 0.2%! While it’s a small number, Oregon’s fisheries are a special part of the global industry. Oregon has emerged as a world leader in the sustainable seafood movement and provides premium quality seafood products sought the world over.
SEAFOOD
school
Key Terms
Population
The number of individuals of a particular species that live within a defined area.
Stock
A part of a fish population subject to a specific fishery. Usually the stock will have a particular migration pattern and specific spawning ground that may
differentiate it from other parts of the population. For salmon, this is also know as a run.
Fishery
The combination of fish and fishermen in a region. Within the fishery, all fishermen are generally targeting the same species and use the same type of fishing gear in a defined geographic area.
Bycatch
Fish other than the primary target species that are caught incidental to the harvest of the primary species. Bycatch can be sold, eaten, released alive, or discarded.
Source: NOAA Fisheries Glossary
Oregon’s
Rebuilt Stocks
Petrale sole
Pacific whiting
A rebuilt stock was overfished previously and has increaed in abundance to a target population that supports its maximum sustainable yield, or MSY.
Lingcod
Widow rockfish
Canary rockfish
photo credits: Petrale Sole, IfAME MBNMS MARE TNC; Pacific Whiting, Rick Starr/NOAA/CBNMS; Lingcod, Eva Founderburgh; Canary Rockfish, Adelita Vrana; Widow Rockfish, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Service.
Determining
sustainability
By law, all U.S. seafood must be caught according to fishery management plans to ensure sustainability. To evaluate the sustainability of fisheries, several indicators are used:
Does the fishing gear damage the sea floor or other marine habitats?
Are the fish populations high or low? Do they mature quickly and have lots of offspring?
Does the fishery catch only what it is trying to catch, or is there bycatch? Bycatch is fish other than the target species that is caught incidentally.
The modern seafood lover seeks high quality seafood and information about where it comes from. Several entities have emerged to help consumers select seafood from sustainable fisheries.
Says Who?
MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL sets a standard for fishing and fisheries. Those that wish to demonstrate they are well-managed and sustainable, can be assessed against that standard. Some national retailers have committed to sourcing MSC certified seafood products.
fishwatch helps consumers find information on the nation’s most valuable marine fish. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries is the leading science authority for managing the nation’s marine fish.
SEAFOOD WATCH is a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which publishes a popular guide for seafood consumers that categorizes options using a red, yellow, and green system, where green is the "Best Choice," yellow is a "Good Alternative," and red is an "Avoid."
Oregon Pink shrimp was the first shrimp fishery in the world certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable.
Oregon troll and gill net caught salmon is considered a “Good Alternative” by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.
HOW Oregon fitS into the
WORLD FISHERIES
OREGON
In 2019, fisheries generated $161 million in revenue from 1,570 fishing boats making a combined total of 23,100 deliveries to 110 wholesale fish buyers and processors.
Oregon is 4% of the U.S. Catch
United States
8.4 billion lbs. (3.8 million metric tons) Value: $4.8 billion
United States 5% of World Catch
WORLD
Wild capture fisheries have leveled off in the last 30 years. Farmed seafood production has increased at the rate of 8.5% annually.
The United States imports 70–85% of its seafood; it is estimated that more than half of this imported seafood is produced via foreign aquaculture. Driven by imports, our national seafood trade deficit has grown to $17 billion in 2020.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, 2020 Fisheries of the United States report
OREGON
Dungeness Crab
Then
Caption (above): Crab pots stacked along Newport bayfront, circa 1970.
photo credit: Lincoln County Historical Society, #3505
From its beginnings in the early 1900’s, and for its first 50 years, crab lingered as a minor fishery while salmon and tuna dominated the market. By the 1970’s, as consumer desire for Dungeness crab grew, so did the number of crab fishermen. Between 1950 and 1980, the number of crab pots in the water increased 20-fold which led managers to cap the number of crab boats through a limited entry permit system, but the race for crab continued as the permitted boats increasingly fished with more pots. In response managers placed a pot limit on each boat, ensuring a more sustainable and equitable harvest
Now
Caption (above): Jerry Biddinger, owner of the F/V Refuge, repairs an old crab pot. The crab pot has remained relatively unchanged, as its timeless design selectively captures mature, legal size male crab and allows females and undersized males to escape.
photo credit: Sharon Biddinger, Simply Design Studios
Today, Dungeness crab accounts for about a third of the value of all Oregon commercial landings annually, and it’s considered to be the economic backbone of the fleet. Boats of all sizes from all Oregon ports participate.
The 2022 crab season was the most lucrative in Oregon history. It started on time, catch was high, and prices peaked, which was a boon for commercial crabbers and their coastal communities. But savvy fishers must plan for an uncertain future, as they know that the catch and the market can always change. Indeed, in 2023 a “market correction” dropped average prices back down to previous years’ levels. For fishers, seasonal variability and market risk has always been part of the job.
Caption (below): Crab pots are stacked and ready to go at the Port of Newport, just before the season opener in 2016. Note the unique buoy color for each vessel’s stack. photo credit: Ken Gagne
TV viewers might believe Alaskan crab fishermen have the most dangerous job.
The Alaskan crab fishery has the reputation of being the deadliest, but the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery has almost 2.5 times more fatalities than the commercial fishing average. Oregon boats are typically smaller than Alaskan boats, cross hazardous river bars in rough winter conditions, and work day and night. For these reasons, the fishery is heavily regulated for safety. Fishermen attend safety training classes, and vessels are inspected by the Coast Guard for seaworthiness and safety gear, such as survival suits, life rafts, and state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment.
OREGON’S CRAB FLEET
BY THE NUMBERS
Multiple crab pots are set in rows known as “strings,” each on an individual line. Pots are retrieved using hydraulic “crab blocks” which is essentially a power driven winch.
An efficient crew can hoist and re-bait as many as 400 pots per day. Pots are predominantly set between 10 and 50 fathoms (60-300 feet). Crabs are stored live in holds on boats that are filled with re-circulating sea water and are delivered daily to fish processing plants and mobile live crab buyers.
Sustainability
Crab pots are fished on sandy or muddy habitat, which is fairly resilient to change.
Crab grow quickly, and reproduce abundantly. Each female can produce 2 million eggs each year.
Escape rings allow undersized and female crab to exit the pot, ensuring little bycatch.
Data derived from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, and NOAA Fishwatch.
The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife uses a simple management strategy known as the 3 S’s – Size, Sex & Season. This has served the resource well and ensures that the Dungeness fishery is truly sustainable.
Size Only mature male crab measuring at least 6¼ inches across the back of the shell are harvested. Undersized male crab are returned to the ocean.
Sex Female crab are released unharmed to return to the ocean floor.
Season The annual harvest begins after December 1st, when the crab are hard-shelled, full of meat, and in their prime. The season closes on August 14, allowing the crabs time to molt and their shells to harden again, undisturbed.
Market Forces
The Dungeness crab market is highly volatile, fluctuating from year to year.
80-90% of the annual catch comes in the first two months of the season. As harvest (supply) decreases, price (demand) increases. By late summer, the market is saturated, and the price decreases.
Dungeness crab dominates the West Coast crab harvest in total dollar value. It’s the primary crab harvested commercially in Oregon. Snow, tanner, and king crab are harvested in Alaska.
Data derived from The Research Group
Oregon
Dungeness Crab
Combination Vessels
Known as combo vessels, many boats participate in more than one fishery. However, crab is at the core of Oregon's fisheries. To examine the bio-economics of the crab fishery, this graphics shows the overlap of crab and other fisheries from 2014. Source: Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission
NOTE: Counts in this graphics are not additive, as vessels participating in three or more fisheries are not represented.
The crab fleet is highly diverse, including small dories, medium sized wood vessels, and large steel boats.
The F/V Sea Q, a typical dory based in Pacific City launches from the beach.
photo credit: Sandy Weedman
The F/V Patriot leaves port.
photo credit: Ken Gagne
Crab Timeline
OREGON
GROUNDFISH
Then
Caption (above): The F/V Oregonian of Astoria, an early trawler, uses wooden doors and a smaller net mesh size than modern vessels. photo credit: Roger Hart / Lincoln County Historical Society, #1254
Trawling for groundfish off Oregon began in the 1880s, but it took decades of invention, market growth, and eventually World War II for the fishery to develop. Once it got going, though, it did not back off.
By the mid-1960s, fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, Korea, and Germany were aggressively fishing off the Oregon Coast, as there were no restrictions on who could fish in waters off the United States. Concern grew about the depletion of local fish populations.
The landmark Magnuson-Stevens Act (1976) established a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone for domestic boats only, which eliminated foreign fleets. The law also included big tax incentives and subsidies to increase domestic catch, which eventually contributed to overcapacity, and the fishery's peak and fall in the early 1980s.
In 1990, the fishery was declared a federal disaster and was nearly shut down entirely. Nine species of groundfish were designated overfished, and many thought the fish – and the fishery – would never recover.
Now
Caption (above): Fishermen and observers work side by side, fishing and monitoring all fish caught.
photo credit: NOAA/West Coast Groundfish Observer Program
Twenty-five years later, the fishery has bounced back. Eight of the nine overfished species have been declared rebuilt, and the trawl fishery was certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2014, a feat which required tough decisions to achieve:
Capacity About half of the trawl boats permanently retired Catch Quotas were reduced and seasons shortened
Gear Innovations in net design led to greater selectivity and lighter impacts to the seafloor Monitoring Federal fishery observers on vessels ensured proper monitoring of discards
Habitat Creation of Rockfish Conservation Areas closed thousands of square miles of the ocean to trawling
Catch Shares A portion of the total catch is allocated to each boat, reducing discards
Is trawl fishing sustainable?
The bad reputation trawlers have had isn’t always warranted, and changes to gear and management have greatly reduced environmental impacts. In fact, trawl fisheries can be certified sustainable if they meet the rigorous requirements of the MSC Fisheries Standard.
OREGON’S GROUNDFISH FLEET
BY THE NUMBERS
The West Coast groundfish fishery uses 4 types of fishing gear:
• trawl nets
• longline
• pots
• hook and line (pole and line)
Most are harvested by trawling, a method of fishing that drags a net through the water.
Newport netmaker Foulweather Trawl creates nets that target different types of fish based on fish behavior. Oregon’s selective groundfish trawl net (commonly called the pineapple net) reduces unwanted bycatch.
Trawl
GROUNDFISH
METHODS & GEAR
Longline
Baited hooks on leaders are attached to a groundline that lies on the ocean floor. The groundline is anchored at each end and marked by surface buoys, poles and flags.
PACIFIC HALIBUT
-
Pacific halibut is caught using the longline method. It is a relatively small commercial fishery in Oregon, as most of the halibut quota is managed for recreational fisheries.
-
The directed halibut fishery is typically open for only 10 hours on each of two days in early summer - a true “derby” fishery.
-
In lieu of the directed fishery, salmon fishermen may retain and sell incidental halibut catch (bycatch).
Pots
Pots are trapezoidal, basket-shaped, or rectangular, and are attached to a groundline that lies on the ocean floor. The groundline is anchored at each end and marked by surface buoys, poles and flags.
Sablefish / BLACK COD
-
Sablefish is also targeted with longlines and pots, which fetch higher prices than trawl caught sablefish.
-
The majority of the catch is exported to Japan, where it is considered a delicacy.
-
Sablefish is very high in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, and is gaining popularity with American consumers.
Nearshore Hook & Line
Hook and line gear is common on the Southern Oregon Coast, particularly around Port Orford, where rocky reefs, close to shore are favored by the dory fleet. Much of the catch goes to specialty live fish markets, where fishers can get 4 to 5 times more money per fish than traditional avenues.
Sustainability
Nets have been modified to have decreased impact to important ocean floor habitat and thousands of square miles are altogether closed to trawling.
Most species are managed through scientific stock assessments. Stock status is highly variable. Species with healthy stock numbers are targeted for fishing; overfished species have reduced quotas or total closures.
Nets have been modified to allow some unwanted species (bycatch) to escape. Catch shares create a market-based incentive for selective catch. Mandatory federal fishery observers on board ensure catch reporting.
Data derived from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, and NOAA Fishwatch.
On the West Coast trawlers harvest about 1% of the total groundfish population each year, come into contact with about 10% of the continental shelf bottom* every 5 years, and have a 97% retention rate of target species. Oregon’s trawl fishery was certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2014.
*Source: Prof. Ray Hilborn, University of Washington, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences
What’s a Groundfish?
Groundfish is a commonly used term for fish that live on or around the ocean floor. The fishery targets over 90 types of fish, including those known as snapper, rockfish, cod, rock cod, black bass, and sole.
The four main categories of groundfish are:
-
6 species, including sablefish (blackcod), lingcod, cabezon, greenling, Pacific cod.
-
Sablefish are deep water fish, found as deep as 5,000 feet.
-
Pacific whiting is a groundfish, but it is managed as a separate fishery from other groundfish.
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12 species, including flounders, sole, and sanddabs.
-
Flatfish are born with eyes on each side of their head. As the fish matures, one eye migrates to join the other.
-
Pacific halibut is a flatfish, but it is managed as a separate fishery from other groundfish.Pacific whiting is a groundfish, but it is managed as a separate fishery from other groundfish.
-
64 species from the genus Sebastes, meaning “magnificent.”
-
Sold as rock cod, red snapper, Pacific snapper, ocean perch, or sea bass.
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Broad range of lifespans – living 10 or up to 200 years.
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9 species, including skates, sharks, ratfish, grenadier, and finescale codling.
-
Skates, sometimes caught with groundfish trawl, are kept for skate wings.
-
Most other species are not targeted and comprise a small portion of total groundfish landings.
Groundfish Timeline
OREGON
Chinook salmon
Then
Caption (above): Early fishermen caught salmon out of small, hand-powered boats in rivers and estuaries – especially the Columbia River.
photo credit: Lincoln County Historical Society, #1007
Salmon fishing in Oregon began in the mid-1800s and soon became the backbone of the coastal economy. While then fishery was expanding, so were logging, mining, agriculture, and urban development—all of which took a huge toll on the watersheds that salmon call home. Dams, natural predators, and fishing pressure also contributed to the decline in
native, wild salmon runs.
In the 1990s, several runs were placed on the federal Endangered Species List, which triggered sweeping changes in land and ocean management. Watershed restoration efforts helped many wild runs of salmon rebuild, and salmon hatcheries bolstered production. The season duration, quantity of catch, and method of fishing were intensely managed.
Now
Caption (above): Fishermen collect scientific data for Project CROOS, including length, catch location, and scale samples.
photo credit: Project CROOS
Now scientists and fishermen are working together to understand where weak and abundant runs of salmon travel in the ocean with the Project for Cooperative Research on Oregon Ocean Salmon (Project CROOS).
Right on the boat, fishermen take biological samples from their catch: a fin snippet to genetically determine river of origin and a scale sample for aging. At Oregon State University, scientists analyze the data in near real time.
The project is still experimental, but it’s one example of collaboration between fishermen and scientists to improve fisheries knowledge and management. The success and continuation of projects like this is highly dependent on continued federal
funding for ocean research.
Many people think all salmon are endangered.
Not so. Salmon form different populations, or runs, based on where they hatch (the same river to which they return to spawn). River-based threats such as dams, droughts, and development may harm some salmon runs, while others remain abundant. Under the Endangered Species Act, some salmon runs can be considered to be endangered, even if the species as a whole is not.
OREGON’S CHINOOK SALMON
BY THE NUMBERS
Ocean trolling is a type of hook and line fishing. Several hooks are pulled slowly behind the boat. Undersea mounts, currents, and feed determine where the salmon are found. The fisherman lands each salmon individually, then cleans it immediately and packs it in ice for delivery. In the Columbia River, fishermen still use gill nets to harvest fish.
Sustainability
Almost zero impact to ocean habitat from fishing with hook and line.
The status of each run varies; commercial fisheries target robust runs, avoiding weak runs through time and area management.
Salmon often swim with other species. Fishermen work hard to avoid areas of high rockfish and other fish bycatch.
Data derived from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, and NOAA Fishwatch.
Seafood markets and restaurants typically sell Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, and farmed Atlantic salmon. Wild Atlantic salmon are commercially extinct, with global farmed salmon production surpassing wild catches. Critics decry farming practices for causing pollution, fish diseases, and heavy chemical use. Sustainable alternatives like closed containment aquaculture are costly and limited in scale. Oregon relies solely on wild salmon harvest and has no salmon farms.
Pacific salmon begin their lives in fresh water rivers, migrate to the ocean for most of their lives, then return to their natal river, where they spawn and die. A group of salmon that migrates together is called a run.
Specific runs of salmon in each river (examples – Columbia, Klamath, Sacramento), and populations can be separated further by seasons (fall, winter, spring and summer). Each is genetically distinct from other runs.
Fisheries management works to maintain genetic diversity and considers each run separately when setting harvest limits.
Big Picture
Top 5
SALMON Controversies
Salmon vs. Agriculture
Drought or low water levels are devastating for salmon, particularly young salmon. Baby salmon hatch in rivers, where the effects of low, warm water can be lethal. Ensuring an adequate supply of clean, cool water in rivers is critical to salmon survival – and a big political challenge in the face of limited water resources. The fight for adequate water flows for salmon has, at times, pitted fishermen and conservationists against farmers and urban developers.
Salmon vs. Sea Lions
A sea lion can eat up to 40 pounds of fish a day. Before being protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 there were 5,000 California sea lions; today there are hundreds of thousands. Some people believe sea lions eat too much fish and should be controlled by lethal removal. Others contend that eliminating predators that are our competitors for salmon is bad policy. The debate continues, and legal protection ensures most sea lions can dine on salmon at will.
Organic vs. Wild Salmon
You might have seen “organic” salmon at a restaurant. An organic label refers to how a plant or animal is raised. A wild fish is purely natural, but cannot be called organic because its food cannot be controlled and documented. All organic salmon are farm raised and imported from other countries.
Farm raised salmon, even those fed organic feed, pose risks to the open ocean environment. Salmon lovers that desire the purest, most natural salmon available, choose wild-caught labels.
Wild Salmon vs. Hatchery Salmon
Recent studies show that hatchery fish have different, less diverse genetic DNA than wild fish. There is concern that interbreeding between hatchery and wild salmon may reduce wild fish survivability.
In the Columbia River, the majority of the salmon are from hatcheries. Regulations ensure fishermen target these hatchery fish to reduce hatchery fish on the spawning grounds, and to minimize impact on wild salmon populations.
Sport Fishing vs. Gill Nets
Gill nets have been used on the Columbia River for 150 years. Fishery managers carefully control the commercial fishery, opening and closing fishing locations at specific times to selectively target strong runs of primarily hatchery fish. Despite this intense management, some groups have called for the elimination of gill nets.
Supporters point out that no salmon will be “saved” if the allocation of Columbia River fish harvest simply shifts to sport fishermen. They also advocate for salmon consumers: the gill net fleet of about 150 fishermen provides the public with upwards of a million salmon meals each year.
A diversion dam redirects salmon through the Feather River Salmon and Steelhead Fish Hatchery in Oroville, CA.
photo credit: Shutterstock / David Brimm
Columbia River salmon fishermen, circa 1919.
photo credit: Library of Congress
Unloading salmon from fishing boat at docks of the Columbia River Packing Association in Astoria, circa 1941.
photo credit: Library of Congress
Salmon Timeline
OREGON
PINK SHRIMP
Then
Caption (above): A typical catch with many fish bycatch prior to the use of underwater lights.
photo credit: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
Imagine finding and catching something as small as a shrimp in the big Pacific Ocean.
For the last 65 years, fishermen have dragged trawl nets through the water to capture these tiny delicacies. Unfortunately, unwanted fish were also caught. Untargeted species are called “bycatch” and although they are often thrown back into the ocean, this can pose a conservation problem for sensitive fish populations.
Now
Caption (above): A typical catch with the use of Bycatch Reduction Devices and underwater lights.
photo credit: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
Who would intentionally put holes in their net? Oregon fishermen!
In the 1990s, state fishery managers worked with fishermen and an Oregon net builder, Foulweather Trawl of Newport, to put a round aluminum grate in the net. This grate is known as a Bycatch Reduction Device, or BRD, and it works with an escape hole to allow large rockfish, salmon, and hake to swim out if caught. Further experiments proved that underwater lights at the net entrance deter small fish, like Eulachon smelt, that can still slip through the grate. Eulachon are strong swimmers and are able to avoid containment in the net unlike the shrimp the fishermen are targeting. The BRD and lights have dramatically reduced bycatch in the fishery, yielding a “cleaner” catch.
Fishermen are often referred to as “lone wolves,” roaming the sea in search of their catch.
In the case of the shrimp fishery, this is not true. Finding something as small as shrimp in the big ocean requires the cooperation of many – sometimes 5 to 7 boats – working together to locate a shrimp “bed.” These groups are highly secretive. Entry into a group can take years of giving (rather than getting) information, or having membership handed down for generations. These groups use secret code words to describe the locations and quantities of their catch. Leaking of information to other groups is strictly prohibited!
A typical double-rigged shrimp trawler. Notice the wooden doors hanging off the outriggers and the round Bycatch Reduction Devices in the nets.
photo credit: Oregon Travel Commission
OREGON’S SHRIMP FLEET
BY THE NUMBERS
Pink shrimp are harvested via trawling. Boats tow trawl nets at depths between 40 and 125 fathoms (240-750 ft) on mud and muddy-sand substrates. Codends, the terminal end of fishing nets, are emptied into a hopper where catch is carried by conveyor belt for sorting.
The catch is then moved to the hold where it is mixed and packed with ice. Fishermen deliver the catch into coastal ports for processing, which is done with machines that cook and mechanically peel the shrimp. The cooked, ready to eat product is packed in 4-5 lb. tubs for distribution to domestic and international markets.
Most of Oregon’s boats are “double rig” boats, meaning a net is set out from each of the trawl arms.
LED lights deter fish from entering the net.
Fish encounter the Bycatch Reduction Device (BDR) grate and swim out through the escape hole in the shrimp net.
Sustainability
Nets have little to light bottom contact on sandy or muddy habitats, which is fairly resilient to change.
Shrimp are short lived and highly reproductive, which makes them inherently resistant to fishing pressure.
Average bycatch is less than 2% - one of the most selective net fisheries in the world.
Data derived from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, and NOAA Fishwatch.
Oregon’s Pink shrimp resource is annually managed using season and size. The season is set to not overlap with the period of time when shrimp are carrying eggs. Oregon shrimpers are required to deliver market-size shrimp that average 160 individuals per pound or better, which ensures fisherman move out of areas containing a high percentage of small shrimp.
Shrimp Tidbits
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Common Name: Pink shrimp
Other Market Names: Ocean shrimp, Northern shrimp, Cocktail shrimp, Salad shrimp, Bay shrimp
Scientific Name: Pandalus jordani
Shrimp vs. Prawn: Generally, all species are referred to as shrimp, with larger shrimp referred to as prawns
Shortly after the turn of the century, shrimp surpassed canned tuna as the most popular seafood in the U.S.
90% of the shrimp American’s eat is farmed and imported Tiger prawns or White prawns from Asia and South America, where environmental standards are often lower than the US.
The US West Coast Pink Shrimp Fishery has been recommended by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program as a "Best Choice" for environmentally concerned seafood consumers.
Oregon Pink shrimp start out their lives as males and then later turn into females.
They live for only 3-4 years and 1-2 year olds are most common in the catch. The average shrimp caught is about 4 inches long.
Vessels operate only during daylight hours since shrimp migrate up off the bottom to feed at night.
Pink shrimp range from Alaska to California. The majority of the catch is concentrated off the Oregon Coast.
Shrimp Timeline
OREGON
ALBACORE TUNA
Then
Caption (above): Cannery workers at the CRPA factory in Astoria filling cans with Albacore tuna.
photo credit: Library of Congress
In 1899, the Columbia River Packers Association (CRPA) was formed from a small group of independent salmon canners in Astoria, Oregon. As the Albacore fishery grew off the coast, tuna replaced salmon on the canning lines. Recognized as a tasty, easily portable, protein-dense food, canned fish was essential in feeding the country and overseas soldiers during World Wars I and II.
The West Coast fleet surged ahead, built new boats, installed the first vessel refrigeration systems, and delivered fresh tuna to the canneries by the ton. Astoria’s CRPA changed its name to Bumble Bee Tuna® and dozens more canneries, large and small, dotted the Oregon Coast. What followed was a new American cuisine—replete in tuna noodle casserole and tuna salad.
By the mid-1970s, the tuna industry had consolidated to a few major brands, including Starkist® and Chicken of the Sea®. As global markets developed, West Coast canneries moved to the South Pacific to cut costs. Astoria’s last major cannery, Bumble Bee, left in 1980, leaving tuna fishermen in the wake of globalization.
Now
Caption (above): Boneless, skinless tuna loins (fillets) and medallions now grace plates at white tablecloth restaurants, in sushi bars and at backyard barbecues.
photo credit: Library of Congress
While local micro-canneries still satisfy America’s love affair with Oregon Albacore tuna, new products are now made possible by the development of flash freezing on board the fishing vessel. Minimizing the time between harvest and freezing captures the fish at its peak of perfection. This technology has revolutionized the fishery, and quality can be as good as fresh. In Oregon, about 75% of the catch is frozen at sea within moments of harvest, and the remainder is delivered as fresh on ice.
Is fresh better than frozen?
People often think the term “sashimi grade” means “super-fresh.” Not always true. Sushi grade (or sashimi grade) fish is an unregulated term used to identify fish deemed safe for raw consumption. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends fish be frozen before consuming it raw. Blind taste tests performed by Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center, have repeatedly shown that consumers find high-quality flash frozen seafood to be as good as, if not better than, fresh seafood. However, this perception is slow to reach the general public, who still believe that fresh is always better than frozen.
OREGON’S TUNA FLEET
BY THE NUMBERS
Fishermen analyze real-time water temperature charts to find warm water edges, called thermoclines, where the fish congregate – sometimes hundreds of miles offshore.
All Oregon tuna are caught by troll or pole and line.
Small boats will stay close to shore and bring in iced fresh catch. Large freezer boats may stay out to sea for weeks until their holds are full.
Sustainability
Zero habitat impact from hooks pulled on the surface of the water.
Albacore grow quickly and are highly reproductive, helping to keep their population stable.
Troll or pole and line fishing near the ocean's surface results in almost zero bycatch of other species.
Data derived from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Marine Stewardship Council, and NOAA Fishwatch.
North Pacific Albacore off Oregon is considered the most robust of all four Albacore stocks and a good consumer choice by seafood sustainability rating bodies. Nonetheless, management is complicated as tuna’s global migration makes it accessible to fishing fleets in at least 22 countries. International measures are being considered to control the number of vessels and harvest of fish.
Albacore is an open access fishery, one of the last in the U.S., meaning that it is unrestricted – the right to catch fish is open to all who own a commercial fishing license.
Big Picture
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Oregon’s North Pacific Albacore is one of many tuna stocks in the sea. In fact, there are over 21 known species of tuna harvested by more than 70 countries! Here are some of the most common types of tuna seen in the fish market:
Top 10
TUNA FACTS
Albacore tuna form schools, sometimes 15 miles wide! Although there may be thousands of fish together, Oregon fishermen catch each fish by hand, one by one, either by pole and line or by troll.
Tuna are built for speed. Torpedo shaped and streamlined, they can swim at speeds up to 50 mph in short bursts.
Unlike many fish, Albacore tuna cannot pump water over their gills to obtain oxygen. They need to swim constantly with their mouth open, to force water over their gills.
All tuna belong to the scientific family called Scombridae, (which also includes mackerel and bonito). This family ranges widely in size, with lengths from 1 to 6 feet.
Albacore tuna contains the mineral selenium, a powerful antioxidant and natural neutralizer of mercury compounds. Oregon Albacore routinely test at 0.1% to 0.01% of the Food and Drug Administration standards for mercury.
Risk of cardiovascular disease is significantly reduced when a combination of tuna and other oily fish, like salmon, is eaten more than twice per week.
Albacore is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These acids carry the highest anti-inflammatory health benefits of any nutrient.
You’re likely to get more omega-3s from canned Albacore than from canned “light” tuna made from other species, like Skipjack.
Albacore tuna is the only tuna marketed as “white meat.”
Concerned about radioactivity? You would have to consume more than 700,000 pounds of tuna to match the amount of radiation the average person is annually exposed to in everyday life through cosmic rays, the air, the ground, x-rays and other sources.
Fishermen aboard a troller land Albacore tuna.
photo credit: Oregon Albacore Commission
A Newport fisherman sells his catch dockside.
photo credit:: John Valls / Local Ocean Seafoods
Bumble Bee® brand tuna retail display.
photo credit: Columbia River Maritime Museum
Tuna Timeline
OREGON
PACIFIC WHITING
Then
Caption (above): “It is the only commercial venture in which Americans and Russians work side by side,” reads the 1978 caption in Life magazine. “Off the Oregon coast, U.S. Trawlers catch 4,000 tons of Pacific whiting a week and the Soviets process and freeze the fish aboard big factory ships. An American company and the Soviet government share the profits - and the seamen an occasional shipboard celebration.”
photo credit: Life
Pacific whiting (also known as hake) comprises the largest volume of landings of any Oregon fishery. Historically it was discarded because its soft flesh deteriorates rapidly.
In the 1960s, Soviet trawlers began catching large quantities of whiting and processing them immediately at-sea on factory ships. However, the Magnuson-Stevens Act of 1976 restricted foreign fishing in American waters, leading to the creation of Joint Venture fishing arrangements.
Americans would catch whiting and Soviets processed them on their offshore factory vessels. No money was allowed to change hands, so Soviets traded salmon to Americans for whiting.
"The Russians were the ones with the experience fishing for and processing these species. They knew where they were. They had already been fishing for them for a ... decade and a half before the joint venture…” –Tony Allen, U.S. side of the Joint Venture
Even during the height of the Cold War, fishermen got along when their governments did not. After offloading, the Americans would board the big Russian trawlers – outfitted with a bakery, food, and vodka – to hang out and tell jokes.
Now
Caption (above): The “California Roll”, a type of sushi made with imitation crab, avocado and cucumber, became popular across the U.S. in the 1980’s.
In the early 1990s, the joint ventures were phased out, and processing has moved onshore to the Oregon Coast. West Coast processors have invested in highly mechanized plants to handle Pacific whiting efficiently. They produce a variety of high-quality products including skin-on, frozen boneless fillets and surimi, or imitation crab (“krab”).
Pacific whiting boats organize in co-operatives, and the fishery is managed through “catch shares,” eliminating the race to catch the quota. Co-ops allow the fishermen to focus on increasing their yield by producing the highest possible quality product efficiently.
HOW CATCH SHARES WORK
Fish managers set an overall limit (Total Allowable Catch) for the fishery to remain sustainable.
Each permitted fisherman gets a quota, which is a percentage (or share) of the overall limit.
Fishermen can choose when to catch and deliver fish based on demand, price, and weather.
If the Total Allowable Catch is adjusted, fishermen will have the same percentage, but the amount of fish they can catch will change. If the fish population increases, all fishermen get to catch more.
Because each vessel has its own share, fishermen compete less with each other and have more incentives to work together to improve the long-term health and sustainability of the fishery.
Whiting Timeline
This content is adapted from “Our Beautiful and Wild Oregon Fisheries: 150 Years of Innovation”, an exhibit created by the Lincoln County Historical Society. License to Use has been granted to WUSATA for education purposes. Contact the LCHS for more information or permission to reprint or reuse this content. The exhibit is on display at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center in Newport, Oregon.
