4.8 Socioeconomics
Turbidity plumes from the project would cause commercial resources to move from the area for some
period of time, effectively causing area preclusion for some period of time,
Movement of the sand from the beaches onto sensitive subtidal habitat areas would adversely affect
nursery habitat causing significant long-term damage (through population reduction) to the fishery, and
Dredging operations will lead to loss of fishing gear and equipment as well as limit access to fishing
areas.
These three concerns (area preclusion, adverse effects to nursery habitat, and gear loss/limit access) are
each discussed below.
It is appropriate to note that commercial trawl and gill netting operations would not be directly affected by
this project because these activities are not permitted within three miles of the coast. California halibut
(ranked 4th in value among localnearshore species) are commercially fished using nets and trawls and these
methods are generally restricted to waters at least three miles from shore. Since the borrow sites are all
located approximately one mile or less from shore, no significant impacts are predicted for this component
of the fishery.
Area Preclusion Issues
Socioeconomic impacts to the commercial fishery can be examined in terms of the regional fishery and
individual fishing (local level) operations.
Preclusion in Regional Perspective. In terms of the regional fishery, there would be no significant impact
to the overall San Diego region fishery from the proposed project. This conclusion is based on the
distribution of the commercial catch among fish blocks along the coast, and the relatively low contribution
of the North County area, where most dredging and sand placement would occur, to the overall area
fishery. Looking at the three North County fish blocks in terms of aggregate value over the years 1987 to
1998, for the five most valuable nearshore species currently fished, the North County accounted for 23
percent of area lobster value, 0.6 percent of area urchin value, 30 percent of rock crab value, 12 percent
of halibut value, and 14 percent of sheephead value. In order to result in even a 10 percent reduction of
the overall San Diego county fishery for any of these species, the project would have to degrade the North
County lobster catch by over approximately 43 percent; rock crab catch by one-third; and nearly eliminate
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Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
99-69\SANDAG EIREA 4.1 to 4.13.wpd 7/17/00
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