Problem Statement:
More than 180 species of fish have been identified in CBNMS. Commercial fisheries generally target rockfish, flatfish, salmonoids, and albacore tuna. Most of the private boats and charter vessels that fish CBNMS are from Bodega Bay. Rough ocean conditions often prevent smaller recreational boats from regularly accessing Cordell Bank. Gear types used in CBNMS include: hook and line, long lines, bottom trawl and mid-water trawl. Management of commercial and recreational fisheries in California is the responsibility of the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in State waters (0-3 nautical miles), and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC in Federal waters (3 to 200 miles) (CBNMS is entirely in Federal waters). The NMSP does not manage specific fisheries, but it does protect the entire sanctuary ecosystem and has the authority to manage human uses that may impact sanctuary resources.

The working group will review the NMSP policy regarding zoning and clarify when and how the program may consider the use of tools such as marine reserves to address specific resource management issues. The working group may determine if there is a need to address certain issues immediately or if additional site-specific working groups will be required, over a longer timeframe, to address specific local fishery issues.