October 31, 2022
A recent collaboration between PIER and researchers from the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and CICESE seeks to learn more about an important but poorly understood species that commonly occurs off the coast of California.
READ MORE May 9, 2022
In the 2019 Deep-set buoy gear season, a few fishers were surprised to discover Pacific Sleeper sharks come up on their lines. This rare species of shark has been documented in several areas of the
READ MORE November 2, 2021
Commercial fishing for swordfish in Southern California is experiencing a period of transition, and it is in these periods of flux that opportunities for modernization and innovation can arise and take hold. The recent recommendation
READ MORE November 2, 2021
In August, the West Coast Region branch of the National Marine Fisheries Service announced a move to allow deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) for swordfish in federal waters offshore of California and Oregon. It’s a step
READ MORE June 3, 2020
More recreational anglers turning to catch-and-release as swordfish catches increase. Recreational fishing for swordfish off southern California has surged over the last year. Fishermen have started borrowing a strategy from East Coast anglers and the
READ MORE May 4, 2020
For over 10 years, researchers at the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER) have used Loggerhead products to study white seabass. Using the acoustic data they collected, the team identified spawning-related sounds (chants) the fish
READ MORE October 8, 2018
With the scrawl of Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature and the unanimous backing of both the California State Senate and Assembly, California has officially banned the controversial drift gillnets used to catch swordfish.
READ MORE January 8, 2018
Cold-blooded vertebrates, such as fish, are extremely susceptible to changes in the temperature of their surroundings. Yet one successful ocean predator, the swordfish, migrates from tropical to temperate seas, and dives daily from warm surface
READ MORE February 6, 2017
A new method of fishing for Pacific swordfish off the West Coast is proving its value to both fishermen and protected species. As part of its effort to maximize economic benefits while minimizing non-target catch,
READ MORE January 5, 2015
The PIER team petitions an Exempted Fishery Permit (EFP) from the Pacific Council for deepset buoy gear (DSBG). In early 2015 the PIER team submitted an EFP application for five vessels to fish DSBG off California. The EFP trials are
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