Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Fishery Public Meeting Oct 22, 2018 Matt - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Fishery Public Meeting Oct 22, 2018 Matt Hunter, Shellfish Biologist / Astoria Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources Program

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources Program Meeting Agenda Present: • Pacific razor clam life history • Past and current fishery monitoring work • Past and current Clatsop Beach stock assessment • Situation analysis for the delay in season opening for 2018 • Gather public feedback to protect juvenile razor clams and provide better harvest opportunities (= decrease wastage) All input is valuable Please sign in

Pac acific Raz azor Clam am Siliqua pat at ula I n a a clam am -sh shel ell • Range from Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the central coast of California • Genetically singular population • Prefer flat, low sloped sandy ocean beaches and inlets • Uniform sediment= stability • Require high oxygen and salinity • Highly mobile vertically • Similar life history with other  Grow up to 3.5 inches in YR 1 PNW bivalves • Broadcast spawning  Growth occurs in the spring / summer • Veliger larvae  Growth slows = produce gametes • Rapid first year of growth  Historic harvest primarily aged 1-2 YR • Mature by second year • Max age varies along range

Oregon Distribution Coa oast t o o coa oast • Found along entire coast with suitable habitat • Over 90% of population on northern most 18 miles known as Clatsop Beach • Southern populations are spatially sporadic and temporally episodic • Lack of sediment uniformity • Increased recruitment mortality • Consistent abundance on Clatsop Beach • Native American middens • Late 1800’s settler wagon trails • Infrastructure development increased opportunity • Economically and culturally important to the PNW

Resource Monitoring Scien ence e on t he e sa sand • Clatsop Beach has commercial and recreational fisheries • Commercial monitored 1941 • Recreational monitored 1955 • Numerous regulation changes • Commercial size limits  Down-up-down (3.75”) • Recreational bag limits  Continual decrease to 15 • Season structure  Summer conservation • Harvest implement restriction  Commercial-shovel  Recreational-tube size • License/Permits  Commercial-permit  Recreational-license

Annual Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Total Harvest Annual Total Harvest Da Dat a o on t n t he he sand nd Record Harvest 2016 • Cyclical in nature • Abundance driven • Set strength Seasons closed due to biotoxins • El Nino relationship Clams • Increase harvest  Multiple lag year • Decrease harvest  Shorter lag • Other factors • Smaller geographic anomalies  Wind stress  Currents • Biotoxin closures • More frequent • During large abundance

Proportion of Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Use 100% 90% Harvest Use 80% Wher ere e t he e clam s g s go 70% • Change of use through time 60% • Commercial until 1950s Average Razor Clam Harvest (1958-2018): 50% • 85% Recreational • Drastic switch to Recreational 40% • Infrastructure improved • 15% Commercial 30% • Priority to leisure time  Baby boom 20% generation 10% • Increase in visitors 0% • Tourist destination Rec. Comm • Economic value • Consistent thru time • High abundance increases commercial

Annual Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Abundance Abundance Assessment 3 Scien ence e in t he e sa sand 2.53 2.5 2.30 • The standard process used to assess 2 razor clam populations in the PNW Razor Clams/m2 1.53 Total • Initiated in 2004 1.5 1.40 Juvenile 1.35 1.33 • Clatsop Beach only Mature 1.21 1.12 • 10-12 transects annually 1.05 1.00 0.94 1 0.94 0.90 0.90 • Informational 0.82 0.77 0.77 0.74 0.74 0.72  Recruitment 0.62 0.61 0.59 0.51 0.45  Cohort survival 0.46 0.46 0.45 0.5 0.41 0.39 0.31 0.31 0.28 0.27 0.21 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.14 0.09 0.08 0.07 • 0.01 0.01 Abundance is cyclical and dependent 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 upon juvenile cohort. • Historic abundance • Ranges from .17 to 2.5 clams/m2 • Large abundance 2014-15 • Record effort and harvest 2016

Abundance on the Beach: Wher ere e are e t he e clam s? s? Oregon Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Average Abundance and Size by Transect; 2004-2018 100 2.5 • Spatially abundance is 90 significantly different 80 2 • North and south ends of Clatsop beach exhibit 70 high abundance Shell Length (mm) Density Clam/M2 60 1.5 • Overall robust abundance Clam/M2 Length 50 equally distributed • Depressed abundance is 40 1 unequally distributed 30 • Average size is fairly consistent 20 0.5 10 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Transect North South

What did 2018 provide? Sho how us us t he he clam s! • Average abundance • Unequal distribution

Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Population Distribution 2018 3 North Sunset Peter Iredale Camp Rilea Seaside Del Rey Gearhart 2.5 Razor clams/m2 2 All Clams 1.5 1 0.5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Transect

What did 2018 provide? Sho how us us t he he clam s! • Average abundance • Unequal distribution • Small size frequency distribution

Oregon Clatsop Beach Razor Clam Assessment Size Frequency Distribution-2018 15% n=204 Ave. Size (mm)= 67.6 Ave. Size (in.) = 2.66 2007-2018 Ave. Rec. Harvest Size (mm)= 109.8 Ave. Rec. Harvest Size (in)= 4.32 10% % Frequency 2018 Commercial Min. Size Ave. Size (mm)= 115.0 Ave. Size (in)= 4.5 5% 0% Length (mm)

What did 2018 provide? Sho how us us t he he clam s! • Average abundance • Unequal distribution • Small size frequency distribution • Late but successful spawning event in 2017

How 2018 Stacks Up To r rec ecen ent m em em ory • Modeled a simulation of expected • 2015 and 2016 populations were catch for all 4 years robust with equal size distribution • 100 harvesters digging the first • 2017 showed a lack of recruitment 15 clams in October and a population skewed heavily to larger clams • Results were very similar to size frequencies • 2018 is highly skewed to smaller clams with very few moderate or • Harvest would be dominated by large clams 2-3 inch clams

How 2018 Stacks Up To r rec ecen ent m em em ory • Modeled a simulation of expected • 2015 and 2016 populations were catch for all 4 years robust with equal size distribution • 100 harvesters digging the first • 2017 showed a lack of recruitment 15 clams in October and a population skewed heavily to larger clams • Results were very similar to size frequencies • 2018 is highly skewed to smaller clams with very few moderate or • Harvest would be dominated by large clams 2-3 inch clams

Current Season Status for 2018 Managem em en ent st st ep eps • ODFW identified unusual size distribution • Population dominated by 2-3 inch clams • Analyzed data and modeled potential harvest • Estimated harvest was low vs. spring - but not insignificant

2018 Oct thru Dec Estimated Harvest Fishery Monitoring Recreational Commercial 2002-2018 Catch Catch Average Harvest 99,286 clams 2,385 lbs Average Effort 10,578 trips 197 landings

Current Season Status for 2018 Managem em en ent st st ep eps • ODFW identified unusual size distribution • Population dominated by 2-3 inch clams • Analyzed data and modeled potential harvest • Estimated harvest was low vs. spring – but not insignificant • Potential for wastage was very high

Current Season Status for 2018 Managem em en ent st st ep eps • ODFW identified unusual size distribution • Population dominated by 2-3 inch clams • Analyzed data and modeled potential harvest • Estimated harvest was low vs. spring – but not insignificant • Potential for wastage was very high • WDFW Long Beach fishery closed until late Dec 2018 Oct thru Dec Estimated Harvest • ODFW Enacted temporary rule to delay opening Fishery Monitoring Recreational Commercial 2002-2018 Catch Catch Season opening delayed until at least Nov 1 st , 2018 • • Meeting for feedback on how to proceed Average Harvest 99,286 clams 2,385 lbs Average Effort 10,578 trips 197 landings

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources Program Devising a Plan Est. Age (month) Shell Length (mm) Shell Length (in) What ’s s Nex ext ? 3 10-20 .4-.8 6 35 1.4 • Razor clams won’t be bigger by Nov. 1 12 90 3.5 • Most will still not be over 3.5 inches by 18 100 3.9 Jan. 1 24 110 4.3 30 115 4.5 • By Mar 1, most will be 3.5 inches 36 130 5.1 • By Apr 1, will be between 3.5-4 inches 48 135 5.3 60 140 5.5

The Future The w orld is o our c clam ! ODFW Temporary Rule Expires Open the season November 1 st Option 1: Further delay after November 1 st Option 2: I f so, for how long? St af aff Recom m endat at ion: Marc arch 1, 2019 2019 for bigger clam s Option 3: Other suggestions Plea ease se provide e your inp nput ut