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Here's the text of the the DFG Release. It should tell you most of what you need to know:
Department of Fish and Game NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 02:078 June 21, 2002
Contact(s): Chamois Andersen, Information Officer, (916) 657-4132 Marija Vojkovich, Marine Region, (805) 568-1246
In-Season Fishing Closure for Rockfish and Lingcod Will Take Effect July 1
Following federal action taken Thursday by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, effective July 1, California's recreational fishery for shelf rockfish and lingcod will be closed in ocean waters 20 fathoms (120 feet) and deeper south of Cape Mendocino (Humboldt County).
The closure will be in effect for the remainder of the fishing season and resulted from in-season fishing adjustments adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council at its meeting in Foster City. The closure prohibits the take of rockfish, lingcod, ocean whitefish and California scorpionfish (sculpin) in waters 20 fathoms and greater in depth. In waters less than 20 fathoms, recreational anglers may continue to take "nearshore" species of rockfish and lingcod, and retain two "shelf' rockfish (not including bocaccio, cowcod, canary, and yelloweye), if they are taken incidentally while fishing in waters less than 20 fathoms in depth.
For a listing and descriptions of both shelf and nearshore rockfish species, refer to California's ocean sport fishing regulations booklet, including section 1.90 and color pullouts. The booklet is also available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/regs.html.
The emergency closure is needed because the annual harvest limits for bocaccio, established by the Council each year, have been met for the 2002 fishing season. The Council determined that the recreational take for bocaccio had already exceeded the annual sport harvest limit of 56 metric tons. By the end of April, recreational anglers had taken 60 metric tons. Allowing for continued catches of bocaccio, in excess of specified harvest levels for both sport and commercial fisheries, could prompt additional federal action including further reduction in fishing opportunity in future years.
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will implement the closure in state waters 20 fathoms or greater in depth to comply with the new federal rules. The closure area specifically includes waters south of a line extending due west from a point on the mainland shore (40 degrees, 10 minutes north latitude) near Cape Mendocino.
Allowing for the continued take of shelf rockfish and lingcod would pose a threat to bocaccio rockfish because shelf rockfish typically occupy the same waters, between 20 and approximately 150 fathoms in depth. The Council requested the DFG close the state's shelf rockfish and lingcod fisheries (south of Cape Mendocino, waters 120 fathoms or deeper) because of the potential to incidentally catch boccacio while fishing for other species in those areas. The Council took similar action for commercial fishing in federal waters.
Bocaccio has been declared "overfished" by the Council and is being managed under stringent rebuilding plans set forth by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. According to federal assessments, bocaccio have declined to about 5 percent of their original abundance.
The Council met this week to assess the current status of all groundfish resources. The Council's Groundfish Management Team released new scientific evidence suggesting that rebuilding requirements for bocaccio, canary and yelloweye rockfish species need to be stronger for full recovery to be achieved.
In September the Council may consider additional management measures for both sport and commercial groundfish fisheries for the remainder of 2002 and for 2003 to help restore overfished rockfish populations.
This action does not affect fishing for species other than rockfish, lingcod, ocean whitefish , and California scorpionfish. Species that are unaffected by the closure include salmon, striped bass, halibut, albacore, barracuda, white seabass, and others that may be taken in waters greater than 20 fathoms.
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