3.8 Socioeconomics
San Diego Commercial Fishing Catch Volume and Value for Nearshore Species
In order to provide a more specific analysis of commercial landings for species that might be impacted by
the proposed project, and because commercial catch and value can change dramatically fromyear-to-year,
a longer-term perspective of nearshore commercial fishing is more appropriate for analysis. Appendix D
presents specific information on volume and value data by major species by year landed at area ports (from
any fishblock[s]) for the 18-year span from 1981 to 1998 and from area fish blocks for the 12-year period
from 1987 to 1998. Figure 3.8-2 summarizes the San Diego and Oceanside port area data for volume and
value by year for the period 1981-1998. For the purposes of the analysis, landings at any sites between
Torrey Pines and Oceanside were included in the Oceanside landings, and landings reported at locations
between La Jolla and Imperial Beach were considered as a port of San Diego landing. These data provide
a regional view of the historical usage, resource trends, and value of the resources, divided between a north
county and central/south county perspective.
Only those species generally fished in nearshore waters were considered for further discussion. The
exceptions are spot and ridgeback prawns because of concern expressed by commercial fisherman that
nearshore waters may be important as nursery areas.
The total value of San Diego County commercial landings from 1981 to 1998 for the selected nearshore
species was .2 million (Table 3.8-11), or an annual average of
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.7 million. This dollar amount is ex-
vessel value (e.g., whole fish, wholesale price), and the final economic value is about three to four times
higher. Commercial landings at Oceanside represent 10.3 percent of the total San Diego County nearshore
landings. The commercial catch and value changes significantly from year to year. The value of landings
for the nearshore species for San Diego County in 1998 was
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.3 million (Port of San Diego plus
Oceanside) with Oceanside representing 10.0 percent of the total. This is in sharp contrast to 1997 when
the total landings were .2 million with Oceanside accounting for 16.6 percent of that figure. It should
be noted that unlike fish block harvest data, the commercial port landing data of nearshore species for San
Diego County does include catch from the Channel Islands as well as from areas along the mainland. The
proportion of catch attributable to areas other thanSan Diego County coastline cannot be determined from
available records.
For the San Diego area as a whole, California lobster ranked first in value (.1 million) of landings
followed closely by red urchin (.6 million) (Table 3.8-11). These two species accounted for over 80
percent of the total nearshore commercial catch. Lobster accounted for 68.0 percent of the catch at
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