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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 16, 2004 Ocean anglers see daily rockfish limit drop by two By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Oregon’s recreational ocean anglers will have their daily rockfish limit drop from 10 to eight as part of an effort to keep a year-round season in the face of dwindling federal catch limits. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday adopted the new limits for 2005, which include a two-fish daily limit on lingcod. The changes follow recommendations by a state groundfish advisory committee, which concluded that the eight-fish limit for 2005 provides the best chance for not repeating this year’s unprecedented August groundfish closure. Oregon anglers this year gobbled up their quota of rockfish faster than ever recorded. The eight-fish limit also has the endorsement of the Oregon State Police, which enforces ocean-fishing rules. Advertisement Black rockfish account for the lion’s share of the recreational catch under Oregon’s "marine fish bag limit" that covers rockfish, greenling, cabezon and other species. It is separate from the lingcod limit. Next year’s allowable catch for black rockfish is 332 metric tons, 10 metric tons less than this year. Alterations in the bag limit or season dates are considered necessary to create the best chance for a year-round sport season. Oregon’s rockfish quota is established by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Actual seasons and limits are controlled by the states. Other options considered by the commission Friday were keeping this year’s 10-fish limit, using mid-season bag-limit changes and even banning recreational rockfish angling in the winter — a move that would protect more rockfish during nesting seasons. Also new for next year is what amounts to a separate sub-quota for black rockfish and lingcod caught from anglers casting from Oregon’s rocky shores and jetties. The commission set what they hope to be a year-round season for shore anglers, who will fish under the same limits as boat anglers, who historically catch the vast majority of these species. From 1998 through 2002, shore-casters catch an average of 8-10 metric tons of black rockfish and 5-10 metric tons of lingcod. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will set aside those amounts as a sub-quota, subtracting it from the tonnage of quota assigned to the recreational boat anglers. "We heard a lot of complaints from people saying the catch isn’t so great, so give us a chance to fish from shore," says Don Bodenmiller, the ODFW marine fishery program manager. "So we recommended it, and the commission agreed." However, the year-round fishery is not guaranteed. If boat and bank anglers collectively hit the 332 metric ton quota imposed by the PFMC, federal rules require the shore fishery to close as well, Bodenmiller says. "Hopefully, the eight-fish bag limit will keep us under the quota and this will all be a moot point," Bodenmiller says. "But that remains to be seen." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers