AWESOME News!

OceanBlue · 09-19-2002, 12:19 PM

Hey folks! We've been heard!

Remember the 2003 groundfish issue? Remember how many said, 'the government agencies won't listen'?

Well, we won a battle, but there's still the rest of the war to fight - Nearshore management. The good news is that recreational fishers are being recognized as a separate industry from commercials

See below:

ODFW Notice
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Newport, Oregon September 19, 2002

PFMC Adopts 2003 Oregon Recreational Groundfish Fishery Regulations

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), at their September 10 through 13, 2002 meeting, adopted changes to the Oregon ocean recreational groundfish fishery for the 2003 season. These regulations must be confirmed by both the Secretary of Commerce and the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. The PFMC adopted the following regulations:

� The Oregon recreational groundfish fishery will open January 1, 2003 and continue through December 31, 2003. Inseason changes to the regulations may occur if landings exceed preseason expectations.

� The bag limit for lingcod is two fish at a 24-inch minimum length.

� The bag limit for other marine finfish is ten, which excludes salmon, tuna, surfperch, sanddab, lingcod and bait fish (herring, anchovy, smelt and sardine). The bag limit for these excluded species, other than lingcod, remains the same as in 2002 (see 2002 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations). Included in the ten marine fish limit are sublimits of 1 canary rockfish, 1 yelloweye rockfish, and the first Pacific halibut taken 32-inches or longer during authorized seasons.

� The minimum length for cabezon is 15-inches.

� Retention of yelloweye and canary rockfish is prohibited during the all-depth Pacific halibut fishery if halibut are on board the vessel.

[ 09-19-2002, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: Pilar's Mate ]

Pilar · 09-19-2002, 01:30 PM

"Feel the force Luke ........."

Nothing like a little political activism to get the government of the people, by the people to be For the people.

Thank you all who sat in boring meetings and wrote letters and just generally gave a damn. Huge thanks to my mate for her unflagging belief that the little people matter and that the world can be changed for the better.

Stay tuned as the work has only begun. We have been granted a stay and now we must make this fishery sustainable.

Whew ... Where do we start. Every journey begins with one smal step.

Miss B Haven · 09-19-2002, 01:33 PM

Thanks guys - Nugh Said ! :smile:

OceanBlue · 09-19-2002, 01:42 PM

Commissioner's meeting October 11 - Check out the agenda (updated as of today)

We need to be there, folks. We really need to support the ODFW in their endeavor to protect our nearshore.

Exhibit Items

Lower Columbia River Recovery Plan (Informational briefing)
Native Fish Conservation Policy
Nearshore Moratorium (Rule making)
Commercial fishing in bays and around jetties

Developmental fisheries: Harvest regulations for Asian clams and zebra mussels

Sturgeon regulations

2003 Big Game Hunting Regulations (Rule making)

Permanent rules on the importation of live elk (Rule making)

Mechanical decoys (Rule making) (pdf)

Fish Passage Proposal for Marmot Dam on Sandy River (Informational briefing)

Location: U.S. Forest Service, Mt. Hood National Forest, 16400 Champion Way, Sandy, Oregon

Time: 8am

[ 09-19-2002, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: Pilar's Mate ]

Deepslayer · 09-19-2002, 01:53 PM

thanks for keeping us updated, so some of us could attend some of the meetings. I wonder why the commiccion meeting is out --- there?
,Ed

seasquid · 09-19-2002, 01:58 PM

Excellent News!

Thanks to everybody who made an effort....

I sure wish that ocean would be flat this weekend, but no dice. Hey, just read an article in the San Diego paper about Bluefin Tuna.....

You folks might find in interesting...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...1outdoors.html

ss

OceanBlue · 09-19-2002, 02:06 PM

Y'know, I really don't know why they would have the Oct 11 meeting in Sandy. It seems to me that it would make sense to have the Wolf Workshop (which is being held the day before) at the USFS, but not the regular commission meeting.

Hmmm... Maybe I'll do some poking around and make sure they didn't flip those two locations.

black magic · 09-19-2002, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pilar:

Stay tuned as the work has only begun. We have been granted a stay and now we must make this fishery sustainable.

[/QB]

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">The proposal for a nearshore moratorium is to reduce live fishery effort by 50%. This means half of the current participants will be cut out of the fishery. This will undoubtedly create a response from some live fishery people at the meeting. I believe that this reduction is a step in the right direction as no stock assessments have been done for most of the nearshore fish in this fishery and therefore little is known about what a sustainable harvest rate would be. There is great risk that a stock could become 'overfished' possibly leading to nearshore closures in the future.

ALL SPORTFISHERS, PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING AND TESTIFY AS TO YOUR DESIRE TO AVOID NEARSHORE CLOSURES IN THE FUTURE

skein · 09-19-2002, 02:55 PM

....And we still have the fish-farming battle to fight.

It's sooooo hard for me to get free on a weekday to attend a meeting. Does a written statement delivered by a live person hold any weight at these things?

But in the meantime - CONGRATS everybody! Our waves are making them think twice before just heading out "over the bar."

Skein

OceanBlue · 09-19-2002, 03:00 PM

Skein/All: If you want to submit written comments, they'll take the documents and read them later. Feel free to email me a Word document. I'll print the copies and deliver them at the meeting.

GutshotApe · 09-19-2002, 03:41 PM

Deepsleeper - Each year the commission holds 3 or 4 of its monthly meetings in locations other than ODFW HQ in order to improve public access, etc. They've been to most county seats and some metro-area suburban cities. It costs $8 to park all day at the Ptld HQ lot. I bet parking is free out at Mt. Hood N.F. in Sandy.

Snakebite · 09-19-2002, 04:00 PM

Trust me, You folks were the squeakiest wheel there. You deserved what you got. Now it remains to be seen if NMFS is going to buy off on the council decision. I can't say anymore.

Fishplay · 09-19-2002, 08:23 PM

HOOOOOOYAAAAAAAA!!!

Time to start shopping for that replacement boat.
Thank you to everyone that got involved.
And a special thank you to John and Jennifer.

wak'm&stak'm · 09-19-2002, 09:02 PM

Right On.. and thanks to all...

Orca · 09-20-2002, 12:03 PM

Awesome indeed!

But, there sure will be more work to be done. Check here for a place to start right now: http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb....;f=21;t=000573

[ 09-20-2002, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Orca ]