ODFW News: Nearshore Groundfish Rules

Pete · 12-17-2003, 09:55 AM

For Immediate Release Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003

Harvest rules adopted for nearshore groundfish, halibut and sardines

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday adopted commercial and sport marine nearshore groundfish fishing regulations and seasons for 2004. The rules govern the area from shore outward three miles and mirror those adopted earlier this year by the federal government for the area from three miles to 200 miles offshore.

The adopted commercial regulations are similar to those from the 2003 season with adjustment of the width and location of the closed "rockfish conservation area" for different two-month catch periods. A new vessel monitoring system to track the location of vessels is being implemented January 1, 2004.

Nearshore commercial and recreational caps and trip limits were established Friday. The commercial black rockfish harvest cap decreased slightly from 2003 to 111.9 metric tons. The nearshore rockfish complex of 13 species had the harvest cap reduced from 21.3 metric tons to 16. metric tons, an increase in commercial greenling harvest cap of 20 percent was approved and the harvest cap for cabezon remained at 31.3 metric tons. In addition, commercial trip limits imposed in 2003 will be re-instated for 2004 in an effort to stretch the fishery out for most months of the year.

For nearshore recreational harvest, most 2003 harvest caps remained the same for 2004. Black rockfish/blue rockfish caps are reduced slightly. Sport groundfish regulations for 2004 also include a closure outside of a 40-fathom line June 1 - Sept. 30. Harvested cabezon must be at least 16 inches long, lingcod must be at least 24 inches and greenling must be at least 10 inches long. Daily bag limits will be the same as 2003, with the exception that there is no allowed retention of canary or yelloweye rockfish.

The sport halibut seasons adopted Friday adjust the method of setting dates pre-season to allow for more predictability if or when quota is available in the spring and summer fisheries. The season dates will allow for poor tidal conditions. Exact dates will be set in 2004. The nearshore fishery depth limit will be increased to 40 fathoms and retention of halibut taken in the nearshore fishery will be prohibited outside of the open area.

The Commission Friday also adopted rules for the commercial Pacific sardine fishery and the at-sea observer program.

corrirod · 12-17-2003, 10:20 AM

Thanks for the info Pete.

I wish we didn't have to leave the orange floaty things (Canary, Yelloweye) but I don't have the answer.

kenai · 12-17-2003, 10:29 AM

4 prime months of no rockpile bottom fishing. That hurts. Hope we get some weather before June.

corrirod · 12-17-2003, 07:37 PM

I hear ya Kenai. But lets think of this from a glass is half full kind of view for a moment.

Yeah, we lose 4 months of prime Rockpile fishing but gain 4 months of devastating depletion of the inshore rockfish...........oh wait, I guess we're still half empty.

:depressed:

skein · 12-17-2003, 08:01 PM

Man, that pretty well rains on the parade, doesn't it. Looks like I got my boat about a year too late. :depressed:

Skein

Mark Mc · 12-17-2003, 08:23 PM

Skein, don't worry about it. There's plenty of good rockfishing in 39 fathoms!!!

skein · 12-17-2003, 08:43 PM

Mark,

But the math is so much easier to do when you round it off to 40. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Actually, I don't want to take a detour by being clever. This is a pretty important thread and even though we were sure it was coming, it still seems to blow a hole in our next season. I need to go back and reread the original thread on the pending closure.

Skein

tailchaser · 12-18-2003, 06:45 AM

I can't wait to hear in two years that the nearshore fishery is depleted and that restrictions will take place there also. It's frustrating to see that ODFW can't realize that cutting off one arm won't have an effect on the other. I guess when we go bottomfishing now and bring back 5 blacks in a boat they'll see what's going to happen. Pretty sad.

tc

Albacore Tuna Captain · 12-18-2003, 07:46 AM

The concern is primarily for the yellow eye and canaries. THe summer months closures of the rockpile is the prime breeding area for the canaries. The near shore rockfish complex is not in trouble. ODFW has been doing black rockfish studies for the past several years because of the concern we were overfishing them. Especially during the years we had no salmon to fish for. I think the results they have on the black rockfish is very encouraging.

But do not dispare Skien, we have TUNA fish available to us from July til October

Man, I love to hear that sound, "HOOK UP huh huh, reel, huh huh, pant pant, REEL! Thumpity thump thump thump thump.

Pilar · 12-18-2003, 10:07 AM

Mike, are you not concerned about the possible concentration of recreational bottomfish effort nearshore? Surely as a charter skipper you know firsthand about how the close in reefs decline quickly every year as the weather gets better.

What will happen when that is the only area open?

Salmon fishing and Halibut fishing on the rockpile is still allowed and this will result in incidental (and wasted) catch of red bottom fish. They are 100% dead when caught in 30+ fathoms.

Maybe not as many red fish will get killed but both things are a negative. You can't keep a Canary or Yelloweye so they all become floaters and any bottom fishing that goes on is concentrated near the beach.

Can someone explain to me how that produces a good result for bottom fish?

Crazy Fisherman · 12-19-2003, 08:38 PM

Hi guys, I`m new to Ifish so this will be my first real posting. One thing I`m not new to is ocean fishing. I just don`t know what the ODFW is thinking here. You can`t keep Yelloweye or Canarys? I guess we will be letting them float away. I for one don`t think this is a way to manage a fishery. When you are halibut fishing on the rockpile or any other kind of fishing for that matter, you don`t know what you are going to catch. I don`t want to waste a good eating fish like they are, so I guess I wont go out there this year. Just my 2 sence.
Crazy fish

king wacker · 12-20-2003, 06:32 AM

Hi everyone ,I just wanted to clear the air on this subject. ODFW had absolutly nothing to do with the no retention sceniario. Matter of fact the f/w commision sent their deligation to the pfmc meetings saying to avoid nonretention. but as you know the council is made up of 4 states. this was forced on us by washington and ,calif,with all oregon deligates voting no on this issue. The biggest problem being that once this was adopted at the federal level it is against the law for the state to pass regulations that are less constraining then the federal level. so they were pushed into it with no choice in the matter.

BOTTOM TIME DIVER · 12-27-2003, 07:14 AM

would someone let me know when the rule makers get through their thick heads that hook and line/spear fishing is selective and trawl nets are ocean cleaners!

[ 12-27-2003, 08:15 AM: Message edited by: BOTTOM TIME DIVER ]