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47 °F 5 Day Forecast Sunday, November 30, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental 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 Email Story to a Friend November 15, 2003 Bottomfish anglers forced to pull lines after state decision By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Oregon will ban all lingcod and canary rockfish fishing and restrict recreational fishing to near-shore waters beginning Friday under unprecedented plans to stop their over-harvest for the rest of the year. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday afternoon ordered the closure effective next Friday after federal biologists last week declared the two species over-fished. Oregon’s year-round recreational bottomfish season never has been shut down during the season. "We’ve had in-season actions for halibut and salmon, but I’m not aware of any for (bottomfish)," said Don Bodenmiller, the ODFW’s project leader for marine recreational fisheries. "Hopefully, this will be the last. But I’m afraid it probably won’t be." Advertisement Beginning Friday and running through December, Oregon’s bottomfishers must stay within the 27-fathom curve, where water depths are 162 feet or less. Also, canary rockfish and lingcod — two species prized for their tasty flesh — cannot be kept anywhere, including those caught while fishing off the shore or jetties. California also will shut its entire recreational ocean fishery on Friday for all but sanddab, and Washington banned all recreational bottomfishing outside of three miles from the shoreline effective last Thursday. All three states could have waited until NOAA-Fisheries issued a federal rule that would mimic the state rule. But knowing the changes were inevitable, biologists in the three states opted to declare the closure now. "If we wait for the feds, we’ll likely have hours or a couple days’ notice," said Bodenmiller, based in Newport. "We wanted the feds to take the lead, but we want to give the public more (notice) than that." The pending closure means a lean Christmas for charterboat operators like Scott Howard of Winchester Bay, where the 10-charter fleet relies solely on deep-water fishing for bottomfish during winter months when good weather allows. "It basically puts me out of business" for now, said Howard, who owns three boats in the bay’s fleet. "I have clients who want to go out when the weather’s good, but this gives me no options. I’m off the water until 2004." Even though recreational anglers can still fish in near-shore waters off popular ports like Brookings and Charleston, captains could have a tough time selling $60 trips without the allure of possibly catching and keeping two lingcod. "The number-one question asked when people get into the boat is, ‘Are you catching any lings,’ " said Wayne Butler, a charterboat captain in Bandon. "Lingcod are their focus." California anglers’ focus on lingcod and canary rockfish last summer triggered the closure. Sport-anglers there caught an estimated 500 metric tons, or 1 million pounds, of lingcod last July and August, and the total over-shot the catch limit allowed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which helps set ocean seasons. Oregonians, by contrast, have caught 90 metric tons of lingcod in 2003. Since the two species are managed as a single unit coast-wide, any in-season changes affect anglers in all three states. "People need to be aware that the decisions being made are because of people over-fishing outside of my area," Howard said. "It seems like my area of the coast always takes it in the shorts." When the closure ends Jan. 1, sport-anglers will be under a series of tight seasons adopted this fall by the PFMC. From June 1 through Sept. 30, anglers will be kept inside the 40-fathom curve for anything but tuna and halibut. The move is meant to curb the catch of canary and yelloweye rockfish, which must be released unharmed next year. Next year also brings new size restrictions for greenling and cabezon, which are caught frequently in Oregon. 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 © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times