This dataset is for the archival purpose of demonstrating the extent of the Cowcod Conservation Areas. In 2001, access to the continental shelf in the Southern California Bight was restricted by the implementation of the Cowcod Conservation Areas (CCAs) that prohibit most bottom fishing. The closed area includes a 4,200 square mile area (Area 1, or Western CCA) off the Palos Verdes Peninsula extending southwards about 90 miles and westward another 50 miles. A smaller area, the "43-fathom spot" (Area 2, or Eastern CCA), which lies 40 miles offshore of San Diego and extends northward and offshore to cover 100 square miles, was also designated a part of the closure area. Starting in 2024, CCA restrictions no longer apply to non-trawl commercial and recreational vessels fishing for groundfish. Attributes Area: ID for each CCA. Name: Informal Description of each area.
