Spot Prawn Workshop – March 29 - 30, 2005
Earth Economics has been working towards ensuring sustainability in the spot prawn fishery since 1999. Recent state by state reviews of the spot prawn fishery identified gaps in the scientific foundation on which management plans are based. In the spring of 2005, Earth Economics held a Spot Prawn Workshop to bring together managers, fishers, and scientists from California to Alaska to share knowledge and discuss the future of the spot prawn fishery.
The workshop was held at the Russell Family Foundation in Gig Harbor, Washington. Almost 50 people attended, including commercial fishers, scientists and fishery managers from all jurisdictions with spot prawn fisheries.
The participants gave presentations examining the strengths and weaknesses of the management systems which are in use in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and California. This was followed by a more general discussion of issues facing spot prawn fisheries. This discussion raised a number of interesting issues and highlighted differences between management approaches used across the range of the species. A number of research needs were identified and future directions for management addressed.
One of the main aims for the workshop was to initiate dialog between people involved in different spot prawn fisheries. This was achieved, with the workshop giving an opportunity for many people from opposite ends of the continent to meet for the first time.
The summary proceedings on this page were assembled from notes taken during the workshop and as such are not a verbatim record of the talks or the discussions. The chief focus of the note takers was to capture the main points raised in the discussion as a future reference for the workshop participants.
Workshop Proceedings
Presentations:  (links are to PDF versions of powerpoint presentations)
Spot prawn management in Alaska – Gretchen Bishop / David Harris (ADFG)
Spot prawn management in British Columbia –
Spot prawn management in California – Kristine Barsky (CDFG)
Spot prawn management in Washington –
Summary of common strengths and weaknesses of spot prawn fisheries
– Steve Devitt (Tavel Certification)
Potential to reopen a trawl fishery in the Santa Barbara Channel
– Mike McCorkle (Southern California Trawlers Association)
Larval development and behavior; implications for stock structure of spot prawns – Nick Lowry (Earth Economics/University of Washington)
Open discussion topics:
- Key population parameters
- Maximum age
- Natural Mortality
- Fecundity / ovigery
- Transition size / maximum size
- Growth rates / relation to temperature
- Spot prawn habitat
- Determinants of prawn density
- Nursery area habitat
- Nursery areas for inshore fisheries
- Nursery areas for fisheries on the outer coasts
- Stock delineation
- Indices for management
- Relation between gear type and catchability
- Response of stocks to fishing pressure
- Use of logbook data
- Future communication between spot prawn stakeholder
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