Exhibit C: Oregon Dungeness Crab Fishery Management Plan

October 15, 2021

Caren BrabyMarine Resources Program Manager

Dungeness Crab PlanningBrittany Harrington

Bay Commercial & Recreational SectorFishery Managers

Steve RumrillMitch Vance

Liz Perotti1

Ocean Commercial Sector Fishery Managers

Troy BuellKelly Corbett

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Exhibit Overview

• Dungeness crab fishery sectors • Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Attachment 4)• Purpose, contents outline• Goals, objectives • Process and finalization

• Recommended regulatory modifications package (Attachment 3)

Dungeness Crab Fishery

• Fishery Sectors• Ocean commercial• Bay commercial• Recreational

• “3S” Management• Size, Sex, Season

OceanCommercial

BayCommercial

Recreational

• Average from 2008-2017• Estimated 17.0 million pounds per yr (avg)

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Dungeness Crab Fishery

RecreationalPopular, iconic fishery, drives tourism• ~160,000 annual licensees

(70,000 – 130,000 crabber trips/yr)• 0.970 – 1.1 million lbs/yr avg• $36 – $40 million/yr (indirect value)• Open year round in bays; open

Dec 1 – Oct 15 in ocean

Ocean commercialPrimary driver of coastal economics• 423 LE permits (~320 land into OR/yr)• 16.7 million lbs/yr avg• $60 million/yr (total ex-vessel)• Open Dec – Aug

Bay commercialFills marketing niche• 20 – 30 vessels/yr• 0.025 million lbs/yr avg• $0.10 – $0.15 million/yr (total ex-vessel)• Open Sep – Dec

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• Purpose: Management transparency & good governance• Scope: Ocean commercial, bay commercial, and recreational sectors• Key components:

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• Description of Oregon crab resource• Review of biological/ecological

information• Available data• Analysis of stock status• Threats to the resource• Sustainable harvest levels• Prioritized information gaps/needs

• Management goals, objectives, & priorities

• Fishery description• Current issues• Other social/cultural uses• Biological reference points• Evaluation of management tools• Recommended actions

Resource Analysis Harvest Management Strategy

Fishery Management Plan Overview

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Dungeness Crab Fishery Management Goals

DC-FMPSection B.I.I

p. 55

• Public involvement• Sector-specific public meetings (2020, 2021)• News release, 30-day public comment period• OFWC meetings for previous regulations, todayʼs meeting for modifications

• Regulations implement the FMP• Most of the regulations are already in statute and rule• Recommendations on modifications today• Proposed regulatory changes may be developed prior to the 10-year review

• Staff finalization of FMP narrative and posting• Will modify the contents, considering public comment, post on website• Will retain proposed ideas on regulatory changes for future public process

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Fishery Management Plan - Process

Public Comment Period - Summary

• 30-day public comment period – over 100 comments received (as of 10/13/2021)• Phone calls, electronic form, emails, letters• Heard from recreational, commercial, and unspecified

• General comments• Maintain sustainability of the crab resource, support plan• Too long and complicated of a document to read• Maintain current regulations • Improve enforcement *• Do not increase fees, increase fees only for non-residents

• Long-term regulation change comments (mentioned >1)• Increase/decrease limits, season lengths including opening ocean to sport year round• Prohibit bay commercial crabbing and ocean commercial crabbing in/around bays *• Increase green crab limits

8Attachment 7 and additional public comment * = common response

Implementing Regulations

ISSUE 2: Bay commercial logbooks ISSUE 3: Risk reduction – late-season buoy tagsISSUE 4: Biotoxins managementISSUE 5: Gear definition

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Issue 2: Bay Commercial Logbook

Sector: Bay commercial

2. Require logbook in permanent rule for bay commercial crab fishery• New data, accountability• Temporary rule Sept 2021

• Staff recommend making permanent logbook requirement

10(DC-FMP Section A.III.b, p. 18)

Issue 3: Risk Reduction for Entanglements

Sector: Ocean commercial

3a. Prohibit landing of crab after May 1 unless late-season buoy tags are purchased• Staff recommend prohibiting landing of crab unless late-season buoy

tags have been purchased (OAR 635-005-0480)

3b. Extend time to attach late-season tags to buoys• Staff recommend allowing late-season buoy tags to be attached

starting 3 weeks before the May 1 requirement (OAR 635-005-0480)

11(DC-FMP Section B.IIII.e)

Issue 4: Biotoxins Management

Sector: Ocean commercial

4a. Allow landing of crab from other states under evisceration• Staff recommend allowing provisions to land crab into Oregon for

evisceration if they are from an area in another state that is under an evisceration order (OAR 635-005-0466)

4b. Modify harvest area map (Attachment 6)• Staff recommend modifying the Dungeness crab harvest area map to

include finer scale areas in Washington (OAR 635-006-0201)

12(DC-FMP Section B.IV.b)

Issue 5: Marine Reserves Gear Prohibition

Sectors: For all fixed gear commercial fishing sectors

5a. Marine reserves gear definition clarified to include surface gear• Staff recommend defining that "fishing gear” include surface buoys

of bottom contact gear and as such are prohibited in marine reserves(OAR 635-12-0030)

13(DC-FMP Section B.III.e)

Summary

a. Adopt staff recommendations on regulatory changes (Attachment 3)ISSUE 2: require logbooks in the commercial bay sector

ISSUE 3: prohibit landing of commercial ocean crab if late-season buoy tags are not purchased; allow seasonal buoy tags to be attached earlier in season

ISSUE 4: commercial ocean crab may be landed in OR for evisceration, harvested from outside OR; modify harvest area map (Attachment 6)

ISSUE 5: definition of commercial fixed fishing gear to include surface buoys; prohibited in marine reserves

b. Alter staff recommendation

c. Status quo14

15Photo by Greg Krutzikowsky ODFW

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Questions?