Chapter 5 Commercial Fisheries
5.1 Catch Diversity
Santa Barbara is a well-diversified commercial fishing community, with no single species dominating revenue or volume.
This type of landings distribution can indicate resiliency of a fishery in the face of economic or environmental pressures. As fish abundance and market prices shift fishers can catch a variety of species and nimbly move from one fishery to the next.
Percent contribution of ex-vessel value and volume of landings for the top regional commercial fisheries landings in Santa Barbara Harbor, 2019.
5.2 Top Fisheries of 2019
The top fisheries (species-gear combinations; by rank) with the most pounds landed and highest ex-vessel value (with some fisheries occurring in both categories) included:
| Rank | species | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Spiny Lobster | $3,895,702 |
| 2 | Rock Crab | $1,438,084 |
| 3 | Rockfish | $1,355,752 |
| 4 | Red Sea Urchin | $1,278,560 |
| 5 | Sablefish | $1,256,312 |
| 6 | Spot Prawn | $418,747 |
| 7 | California Halibut | $331,112 |
| 8 | Sea Cucumber | $239,923 |
| 9 | Box Crab | $187,873 |
| 10 | Ridgeback Prawn | $79,674 |
California Spiny Lobster
The California Spiny Lobster Fishery was the highest valued fishery in Santa Barbara in 2019, at nearly $39 million. Lobster prices dropped to $14.20 per pound, a 17 percent drop from 2018, and is the lowest it has been in the last 10 years.
Rock Crab
Three distinct species of rock crab are found off the shores of California: Yellow (Cancer anthonyi), Red (Cancer producutus), and Brown (Cancer antennarius) rock crabs.
The price of Rock Crab has not changed much in the last 10 years, averaging $1.60 per pound.
Rockfish
***Note on Rockfish Rockfish Complex All genera and species of the family Scorpaenidae that occur off Washington, Oregon, and California are included, even if not listed below. The Scorpaenidae genera are Sebastes (the rockfish), Scorpaena, Scorpaenodes (the scorpionfish), and Sebastolobus (the thornyheads).
Red Sea Urchin
Sablefish
Spot Prawn
California Halibut
Sea Cucumber
Box Crab
The brown box crab, Lopholithodes foraminatus, is a king crab that lives from Prince William Sound, Alaska to San Diego, California, at depths of 0–547 metres (0–1,795 ft).
Once caught only as incidental catch, the box crab is now an “emerging fishery”.
Ridgeback Prawn
