Using OMEGA to model risks of escaped fish associated with offshore finfish culture in Southern California: an evaluation of proposed Pacific Ocean AquaFarms operations

Pacific Ocean Aquaculture (POA) proposes to begin operation of a new aquaculture facility to cultivate California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) within a moored net pen system in Southern California. Two location alternatives are being considered: 1) four nautical miles off the coast of San Diego, and 2) four nautical miles off the coast of Huntington Beach. The purpose of this report is to evaluate ways fish may escape from the net pen system, the magnitude and age distributions of escaped fish under different production and escape scenarios, and the potential consequences of escapes surviving in the wild. The analysis in this report focused on potential magnitude of escape levels and consequences related to within-population genetic diversity and reproductive fitness of wild conspecifics.