3.8 Socioeconomics
Regional Overview
Several species of invertebrates and fish found in the project area are economically valuable marine
resources, and the commercial fishery has been well established in the local economy for decades. The
composition, volume, and the value of the local commercial catchhave not been stable over time, however,
as measured by a number of indices.
In terms of number of participants, statewide the number of licensed commercial fisherman since 1980 has
declined by about 50 percent and roughly 70 percent since the late 1970s (SDUPD 1998). The data are
incomplete for San Diego but it is assumed that this area has paralleled the statewide decline. The number
of fishing vessels has shown a similar decline, and the San Diego fleet has decline by about 67 percent since
the mid 1970s. The Port of San Diego, Mission Bay, and Oceanside Harbor are the base for nearly all
commercial operations in the county.
The composition and relative economic importance of the local fishery has changed as well, with the largest
changes being attributable to the local decline of the tuna fishery. In 1950, the San Diego county area
produced the second largest volume and value of commercial fish landings among California's six primary
fisheries statistical areas, accounting for 25 percent and 35 percent of the state's total commercial fishing
landing volume and value respectively. By 1990, however, the San Diego county statistical area had
dropped to being the state's lowest producer, with only one percent and four percent of the California's
landings volume and value respectively. By 1996, area landings had declined to three percent of the state's
total value of landings. The role of tuna in these large scale changes can be seen by the fact that in 1980,
various species of tuna comprised 96 percent of San Diego's volume and value of landings. By 1990, this
figure had dropped to less than one percent of volume and value of local landings.
In general, over the past 25 years, the California fishing industry was harvesting less catch, required fewer
fisherman, and utilized a smaller fleet in both boat length and numbers to bring the catch to port. Locally,
since 1985, exclusive of tuna, while the number of fisherman and boats has declined significantly, the value
of the landings have only declined slightly (SDUPD 1998). Commercial harvest and value of nearshore
species showed a generally increasing trend from 1987 to 1995/1996, but since then has been declining.
Annual commercial fishery catch and landings in volume (pounds) and value (dollars) are compiled by the
CDFG. Landings are reported by area and port, and catch data are reported by fish block. Fish blocks
are statistical areas normally 10 minutes of longitude by 10 minutes of latitude, with blocks adjacent to
shore being somewhat smaller, with the area of specific blocks being determined by how the shoreline
intersects the block area.
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
Page 3.8-9
99-69\SANDAG EIREA 3.5 to 3.12.wpd 7/17/00
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