West Coast Entanglement Science Workshop

A 5-PART VIRTUAL SERIES | AUGUST 25-SEPT 3 

The Entanglement Science Workshop will inform development of management strategies to reduce whale and sea turtle entanglement risk within US West Coast fixed-gear fisheries. The event is being co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy and the California Ocean Protection Council, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and state fishery managers from California, Oregon and Washington.

The workshop will feature presentations by researchers and targeted discussions with invited fishery managers and fishing industry and NGO stakeholders actively working to reduce risk of entanglement in West Coast fisheries. The workshop will be held as a 5-part series of virtual modules over the course of two weeks, August 25th-September 3rd. Participation in all modules is encouraged, but not mandatory.

Through a combination of presentations and discussions, workshop participants will:

⇒ Review and preview the best available science on understanding, preventing, and reducing entanglement risk in West Coast fixed-gear fisheries. This research spans the range of marine species of management concern (humpback whales, blue whales, leatherback sea turtles), including monitoring and forecasting species movements, oceanographic and forage conditions, socioeconomics, fishing dynamics, and management strategy evaluation.

⇒ Identify near-term opportunities to apply best available science to management frameworks, including Conservation Plans in Dungeness crab fisheries, as well as possible use in additional West Coast fixed-gear fisheries.

⇒ Identify research needs to improve application of available science to management frameworks and opportunities for improved coordination and collaboration amongst researchers, managers, fishing industry and NGOs, across West Coast states

⇒ Discuss opportunities to overcome barriers to gear innovation through a special session on gear innovation. The recorded workshop will result in a public report featuring presentation summaries, discussion highlights & outcomes.

West Coast Entanglement Science Workshop

West Coast Entanglement Science Workshop Report

MODULE 1: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Management frameworks for entanglement risk 
• Forecasting and monitoring marine species dynamics (Part I)

⇒ Module 1 Agenda

⇒ Module 1 Presentation Abstracts

⇒ Workshop Agenda at a Glance

Presentations

• Dan Lawson, NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Regional Office
• Heather Hall, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Caren Braby, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Sonke Mastrup, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research Collective
• Karen Lohman and Scott Baker, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University
• Daniel Palacios, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University
• Leigh Torres, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University
• Scott Benson, NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Module 1 Presentations Recording

• Module 1, Session 1: Management Frameworks For Entanglement Risk
• Module 1, Session 2: Forecasting And Monitoring Marine Species Dynamics Part I

MODULE 2: THURSDAY, AUGUST 27TH | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Forecasting and monitoring marine species dynamics (Part II)
• Understanding fishing dynamics

⇒ Module 2 Agenda

⇒ Module 2 Presentation Abstracts

⇒ Workshop Agenda at a Glance

Module 2 Presentations Recording

• Module 2, Session 1: Forecasting And Monitoring Marine Species Dynamics Part II
• Module 2, Session 2: Understanding Fishing Dynamics

Presentations

• Jaime Jahncke, Point Blue Conservation Science
• Karin Forney, NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
• Briana Abrahms, NOAA Fisheries / University of Washington
• Jarrod Santora, NOAA Fisheries / UC Santa Cruz
• Blake Feist, NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
• Owen Liu, NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
• Cotton Rockwood, Point Blue Conservation Science
• Kathi George, The Marine Mammal Center

MODULE 3: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Understanding metrics for entanglement science
• Social and economic dimensions of managing entanglements

⇒ Module 3 Agenda

⇒ Module 3 Presentation Abstracts

⇒ Workshop Agenda at a Glance

Presentations

• Doug Sandilands, SR3 Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research
• Jenn Tackaberry, Cascadia Research Collective
• Dan Lawson, NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Regional Office
• Carrie Pomeroy, Introduction to Session, UC Santa Cruz
• Shannon Davis, The Research Group and Gil Sylvia, Oregon State University
• Rachel Seary, NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
• Carrie Pomeroy, University of California at Santa Cruz

Module 3 Presentations Recording

• Module 3, Session 1: Understanding The Metrics For Entanglement
• Module 3, Session 2: Social And Economic Dimensions Of Entanglements

MODULE 4: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

• Special Topic: Overcoming barriers to gear innovations

⇒ Module 4 Agenda

⇒ Workshop Agenda at a Glance

Presentations

• Dan Lawson, NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Regional Office
• Fran Recht, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Module 4 Presentations Recording

No presentations will be shared from the gear innovations module

MODULE 5: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• Understanding and framing risk and tradeoff decisions
• Synthesis and next steps

⇒ Module 5 Agenda

⇒ Module 5 Presentation Abstracts

⇒ Workshop Agenda at a Glance

Presentations

• Karin Forney, NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center
• Jameal Samhouri, NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
• Chris Free, University of California Santa Barbara
• Burton Shank, NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Module 5 Presentations Recording

Note: Oceanographic and forage research included in ‘forecasting and monitoring marine species dynamics’.

• Module 5, Session 1: Understanding And Framing Risk And Tradeoff Decisions
• No presentations will be shared from the panel discussion in Session 2

Entanglement Science Workshop Resources

• Workshop Agenda at a Glance
• Save the Date Invitation

Please contact the Workshop Planning Team with any questions at entanglementscience@gmail.com. 

Return to OPC’s Enhancing Biodiversity: Sustainable Fisheries & Thriving Marine Ecosystems homepage.

OPC Staff Contact: Paige Berube; paige.berube@resources.ca.gov