Status of quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) in U.S. waters off the coast of Oregon in 2021 using catch and length data

This assessment reports the status of quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) off the Oregon coast using data through 2020. The stock off the Oregon coast was assessed as a separate stock from other populations off the U.S. West Coast based on the fairly sedentary nature of quillback rockfish (Hannah and Rankin 2011; Tolimieri et al. 2009), which likely limits movement of fish between Oregon and California and Oregon and Washington. The substrate of the southern Washington coast is typically sandy bottom, a poor substrate for quillback rockfish, which creates a natural separation between the Oregon and Washington populations. Additionally, the exploitation history and magnitude of removals off the Oregon coast differ from those in Washington and California.