5. Current Issues Affecting the Port's Fisheries
- Port-at-a-Glance
- Location, History and Economy
- Port Governance and Infrastructure
- Fishing Profile: Commercial and Recreational Fisheries
- Current Issues Affecting the Port’s Fisheries
- Social and Environmental Vulnerability
Social, political, economic and environmental events pose both immediate and ongoing challenges for the port’s fisheries and the impacts reverberate throughout the community.
Trawl Closure
2007 (Enforced) closure of Monterey Bay to trawling (based on status as state waters), limiting groundfish and California halibut trawl fishery activity and landings at the port.
Insufficient Infrastructure
Insufficient ice and cold storage facilities, with a lack of or limited ice production for fishing and seafood unloading, and bait and catch storage. Reduction in seafood unloading/receiving capacity matched to a current diverse mix of fisheries and levels of activity.
Changes in Fishery Management
2011 implementation of catch shares (ITQs) in the groundfish trawl fishery coupled with required observer coverage leading to loss of some groundfish fishing capacity and infrastructure.
Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust
The establishment of Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, initially as a (groundfish catch share) quota fund, has since expanded to facilitate quota management, seafood marketing, and commercial fishing community information sharing, education and coordination.
COVID-19 Pandemic
Disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including markets and supply chains for many types of seafood-producing businesses closure/limited operation of tourist-serving businesses and restaurants. CPFVs likewise operated on a more limited basis than usual.