Groundfish Closed Areas

	Groundfish Closed Areas West Coast groundfish fisheries, and fisheries that may take groundfish incidentally, are managed with a variety of closed areas intended to either minimize the bycatch of overfished groundfish species, or to protect groundfish habitat. Many of the closed areas are gear-specific, meaning that they are closed to some particular gear types, but not others. Detailed regulations for the closed area restrictions by fishery are specified at: §660.381 for limited entry trawl gear fisheries; §660.382 for limited entry fixed gear fisheries; §660.383 for open access fisheries; and §660.384 for recreational fisheries. This website provides information only on marine areas closed to fishing by federal regulation. The states of Washington, Oregon and California may also have marine areas closed to fishing that fishing vessel operators need to know about. Commercial Trawl Closed Areas: Commercial vessels fishing with trawl gear are prohibited from fishing in any of these areas: Trawl (Groundfish and Non-Groundfish) Rockfish Conservation Areas Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas Commercial Non-Trawl Closed Areas: Commercial vessels fishing with gear other than trawl gear are prohibited from fishing in any of these areas: Non-trawl Rockfish Conservation Areas Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas North Coast Commercial Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area Salmon Troll Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area North Coast Recreational Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area (voluntary closure) South Coast Recreational Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area (voluntary closure) Recreational Closed Areas: Recreational fishing vessels are prohibited from fishing in any of these areas: Recreational Rockfish Conservation Areas Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas North Coast Recreational Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area South Coast Recreational Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas
Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas	Rockfish Conservation Areas [up to top of page] Rockfish Conservation Areas, or RCAs, are large-scale closed areas that extend along the entire length of the U.S. West Coast. The RCA boundaries are lines that connect a series of latitude/longitude coordinates intended to approximate particular depth contours. RCA boundaries for particular gear types are likely to differ between the northern and southern areas of the coast. RCA boundaries are also likely to change at different times of the year. The locations of the RCA boundaries are set in order to minimize opportunities for vessels to incidentally take overfished rockfish by eliminating fishing in areas where and times when those overfished species are likely to co-occur with mores healthy stocks of groundfish. RCAs may change during the year. This website will be updated with any changes. Schedule of RCA boundaries: Trawl (Groundfish and Non-Groundfish) RCA boundaries (PDF 13.5KB) Non-Trawl RCA boundaries (PDF 8KB) Recreational RCA boundaries (PDF 12KB) Coordinates: Current coordinates for all of the RCA boundary lines are listed in federal regulations at 50 CFR 660.390 through 660.394, and are available by clicking on the appropriate links below: 660.390--Groundfish conservation areas. 660.391--lat./long. coordinates defining the 27 fm-40 fm depth contours. 660.392--lat./long. coordinates defining the 50 fm-75 fm depth contours. 660.393--lat./long. coordinates defining the 100 fm-150 fm depth contours. 660.394--lat./long. coordinates defining the 180 fm-250 fm depth contours. Coordinates for all of the potential 2007 RCA boundary lines are now available in CSV format (comma-delimited ASCII text format) so that the data may be more easily used in mapping and navigation software. CSV files do not allow for multiple worksheets within a single file; therefore each RCA boundary has its own separate file. All of the 2007 RCA coordinates can be easily downloaded and extracted using WinZip. Please review the Read Me file, then click here to download the WinZip file and select the desired RCA boundary by scrolling through the list. NOTE: If you downloaded the CSV RCA coordinates before Apr. 17, 2007, you received outdated coordinates. A correction was made to the 150 fm contour boundary line approximation off Washington (coordinate #76) for consistency with coordinates published in the Federal Register. RCAs extending along all or part of the West Coast have been in place since September 2002. Researchers interested in historical RCA boundaries can find them on the Groundfish RCA Archives page.
Rockfish Conservation Areas Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas	Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas [up to top of page] The Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas, or YRCAs, are various closed areas intended to protect yelloweye rockfish off the Pacific Coast. The North Coast Recreational YRCA is a C-shaped area off the northern Washington coast intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. The North Coast Recreational YRCA is closed to recreational fishing for groundfish and halibut and is designated as an area to be avoided (a voluntary closure) by commercial fixed gear fishers. The North Coast Recreational YRCA is defined by straight lines connecting the following coordinates in the order listed: 48°18.00' N. lat.; 125°18.00' W.long.; 48°18.00' N. lat.; 124°59.00' W.long.; 48°11.00' N. lat.; 124°59.00' W.long.; 48°11.00' N. lat.; 125°11.00' W.long.; 48°04.00' N. lat.; 125°11.00' W.long.; 48°04.00' N. lat.; 124°59.00' W.long.; 48°00.00' N. lat.; 124°59.00' W.long.; 48°00.00' N. lat.; 125°18.00' W.long.; and connecting back to 48°18.00' N.lat.; 125°18.00' W.long. This closed area was implemented in 1998 for the halibut sport fishery and was adopted for the groundfish fishery in January 2003. The name of this closed area changed from the YRCA to the North Coast Recreational YRCA in 2007. Researchers interested in historical boundaries of this closed area should review the Read Me file (PDF 7kb) and then click here (WinZip 6kb) to download an archive of CSV formatted coordinates. The North Coast Commercial YRCA is an area off the northern Washington coast, overlapping the northern part of North Coast Recreational YRCA, intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. The North Coast Commercial YRCA is closed to commercial fixed gear fishing (limited entry and open access fixed gear). The North Coast Commercial YRCA is defined by straight lines connecting the following specific latitude and longitude coordinates in the order listed: 48°11.77' N. lat., 125°13.03' W. long.; 48°16.43' N. lat., 125°07.55' W. long.; 48°14.72' N. lat., 125°01.84' W. long.; 48°13.36' N. lat., 125°03.20' W. long.; 48°12.74' N. lat., 125°05.83' W. long.; 48°11.55' N. lat., 125°04.99' W. long.; 48°09.96' N. lat., 125°06.63' W. long.; 48°09.68' N. lat., 125°08.75' W. long.; and connecting back to 48°11.77' N. lat., 125°13.03' W. long. This closed area was implemented in 2007. The Salmon Troll YRCA is an area off the northern Washington coast, overlapping the southern part of North Coast Recreational YRCA, intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. The Salmon Troll YRCA is closed to fishing with salmon troll gear. The Salmon Troll YRCA is defined by straight lines connecting the following specific latitude and longitude coordinates in the order listed: 48°00.00' N. lat., 125°14.00' W. long.; 48°02.00' N. lat., 125°14.00' W. long.; 48°02.00' N. lat., 125°16.50' W. long.; 48°00.00' N. lat., 125°16.50' W. long.; and connecting back to 48°00.00' N. lat., 125°14.00' W. long. This closed area was implemented in 2007. The South Coast Recreational YRCA is an area off the southern Washington coast intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. The South Coast Recreational YRCA is closed to recreational fishing for groundfish and halibut and is designated as an area to be avoided (a voluntary closure) by commercial fixed gear fishers. The South Coast Recreational YRCA is defined by straight lines connecting the following specific latitude and longitude coordinates in the order listed: 46°58.00' N. lat., 124°48.00' W. long.; 46°55.00' N. lat., 124°48.00' W. long.; 46°55.00' N. lat., 124°49.00' W. long.; 46°58.00' N. lat., 124°49.00' W. long.; and connecting back to 46°58.00' N. lat., 124°48.00' W. long. This closed area was implemented in 2007. The Stonewall Bank YRCA is an area off central Oregon, near Stonewall Bank, intended to protect yelloweye rockfish. The Stonewall Bank YRCA is closed to recreational fishing for groundfish and halibut. The Stonewall Bank YRCA is defined by straight lines connecting the following specific latitude and longitude coordinates in the order listed: 44°37.46' N. lat.; 124°24.92' W. long.; 44°37.46' N. lat.; 124°23.63' W. long.; 44°28.71' N. lat.; 124°21.80' W. long.; 44°28.71' N. lat.; 124°24.10' W. long.; 44°31.42' N. lat.; 124°25.47' W. long.; and connecting back to 44°37.46' N. lat.; 124°24.92' W. long. This closed area was implemented in 2005 for the halibut sport fishery and was adopted for the groundfish fishery in 2007. A depiction of overlapping commercial nontrawl and recreational fisheries closed areas -- YRCAs and RCAs -- off Washington State is provided here.
Rockfish Conservation Areas Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas	Cowcod Conservation Areas [up to top of page] There are two Cowcod Conservation Areas, or CCAs, off southern California, a Western and an Eastern CCA. The CCAs are closed to all commercial and recreational fishing for groundfish except: 1) "other flatfish" is permitted as specified at §§ 660.382 to 660.384; 2) recreational fishing is permitted shoreward of the 20 fm depth contour for minor nearshore rockfish, cabezon, all greenlings of the genus Hexagrammos, lingcod, and California scorpionfish; and 3) commercial fishing for rockfish and lingcod with limited entry fixed gear and open access non-trawl gear is permitted shoreward of the 20 fm depth contour. Commercial fishing vessels may transit through the Western CCA with their gear stowed and groundfish on board only in a corridor through the Western CCA bounded on the north by the latitude line at 33°00.50' N. lat., and bounded on the south by the latitude line at 32°59.50' N. lat. The Western CCA is an area south of Point Conception defined by straight lines connecting the following coordinates in the order listed: 33°50.00' N. lat.; 119°30.00' W. long.; 33°50.00' N. lat.; 118°50.00' W. long.; 32°20.00' N. lat.; 118°50.00' W. long.; 32°20.00' N. lat.; 119°37.00' W. long.; 33°00.00' N. lat.; 119°37.00' W. long.; 33°00.00' N. lat.; 119°53.00' W. long.; 33°33.00' N. lat.; 119°53.00' W. long.; 33°33.00' N. lat.; 119°30.00' W. long.; and connecting back to 33°50.00' N. lat.; 119°30.00' W. long. The Eastern CCA is an area west of San Diego defined by straight lines connecting the following coordinates in the order listed: 32°42.00' N. lat.; 118°02.00' W. long.; 32°42.00' N. lat.; 117°50.00' W. long.; 32°36.70' N. lat.; 117°50.00' W. long.; 32°30.00' N. lat.; 117°53.50' W. long.; 32°30.00' N. lat.; 118°02.00' W. long.; and connecting back to 32°42.00' N. lat.;118°02.00' W. long. The CCAs have been in place since January 2001. Researchers interested in historical boundaries of this closed area should review the Read Me file (PDF 7kb) and then click here (WinZip 7kb) to download an archive of CSV formatted coordinates.
Rockfish Conservation Areas Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area Cowcod Conservation Areas Farallon Islands Closed Areas Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas	Cordell Banks Closed Area [up to top of page] The Cordell Banks are located offshore of California's Marin County. Commercial and recreational fishing for groundfish, except "other flatfish" as specified at §§ 660.382 to 660.384, is prohibited inside the area around Cordell Banks defined by straight lines connecting the following coordinates in the order listed: 38°03.18' N. lat., 123°20.77' W. long.; 38°06.29' N. lat., 123°25.03' W. long.; 38°06.34' N. lat., 123°29.32' W. long.; 38°04.57' N. lat., 123°31.30' W. long.; 38°02.32' N. lat., 123°31.07' W. long.; 38°00.00' N. lat., 123°28.40' W. long.; 37°58.10' N. lat., 123°26.66' W. long.; 37°55.07' N. lat., 123°26.81' W. long.; 38°00.00' N. lat., 123°23.08' W. long.; and connecting back to 38°03.18' N. lat., 123°20.77' W. long. The Cordell Banks Closed Area has been in place since 2005. Coordinates designating its boundary were revised in 2007.
Rockfish Conservation Areas Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas	Farallon Islands Closed Areas [up to top of page] The Farallon Islands, off San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, include: Southeast Farallon Island, Middle Farallon Island, North Farallon Island and Noon Day Rock. The State of California prohibits commercial and recreational fishing for groundfish, except "other flatfish" as specified at §§ 660.382 to 660.384, between the shoreline and the 10 fm (18 m) depth contour around the Farallon Islands. The Farallon Islands Closed Areas have been in place since 2004. The boundaries of these closed areas have not changed over time.
Rockfish Conservation Areas Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas Cowcod Conservation Areas Cordell Banks Closed Area Farallon Islands Closed Areas	Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas [up to top of page] EFH protection measures will implement discrete area closures for specific gear types, effective June 12, 2006. These closed areas were identified by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and are intended to minimize to the extent practicable the adverse effects of fishing on groundfish EFH. Three types of areas are described in this section: EFH, HAPC, and EFH Conservation Areas. Only EFH Conservation Areas are closed to specific types of fishing. West Coast EFH Maps: EFH Conservation Area Maps (PDF 969KB) including: Coast wide map and detailed maps for areas off the coast of Washington, Oregon, North California, Central California, and Southern California Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (PDF 1.2MB) Coordinates: Current coordinates for all of the EFH boundary lines are listed in Federal Regulation at 50 CFR 660.395 through 660.399 and are available by clicking on the appropriate links below: 660.395 - EFH 660.396 - EFH Conservation Areas 660.397 - EFH Conservation Areas off the coast of Washington 660.398 - EFH conservation Areas off the coast of Oregon 660.399 - EFH Conservation Areas off the coast of California GIS and CSV Formatted Data: Data points for latitude and longitude coordinates available in additional formats. Please review the "Read Me" (PDF 10KB) before downloading these files. Shapefiles (WinZip File 2153KB) CSV Format - EFH designation (CSV File 17KB) CSV Format - EFH Conservation Areas (CSV File 46KB)