Document text
57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 19, 2004 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 How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People 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 August 31, 2004 Coast sport fishing to end early Oregon will close its season Friday to avoid exceeding quotas By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Sport fishing for most groundfish off Oregon waters will halt Friday for the remainder of the year under an unprecedented shutdown of recreational fishing in oceans and estuaries here. State fish managers Monday ordered the closure after recent catch assessments showed sport-anglers will hit their federally set Oregon quotas of black rockfish and lingcod — two of the most prized and common targets of thousands of saltwater anglers each summer. After a hastily assembled conference call Monday with charterboat operators and port officials, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife ordered the closure of black rockfish and lingcod and other species caught while fishing for them. The closure bans fishing from boats and from shore, and includes the ocean and estuaries. "We were dismayed we had to close it before Labor Day," said Brandon Ford, spokesman for the ODFW’s Marine Resources Program in Newport. "It would have been nice if we could have kept it open into October." Advertisement Good spring weather helped generate about 15 percent more ocean-fishing trips for anglers through July 31 than last year, Ford said. And this year’s black rockfish catch was also much larger than in recent years, Ford said. By Sunday, the black rockfish landings had hit 334 metric tons and lingcod landings were 108 metric tons. The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which sets groundfish seasons, had set this year’s quotas at 342 metric tons for black rockfish and 110 metric tons for lingcod. Oregon inched close to the quota last year, but sneaked out of September with enough poundage left to eke out the year, Bandon charter boat operator Wayne Butler said Monday. Though he said he was surprised by the quick shut-down, Butler said "the handwriting was on the wall" during the good season all year. The ODFW considered other options like catch-and-release fishing. But concerns about hooking mortality and enforcement led to the shut-down, Butler said. "I’m not sure what else they could have done," Butler said. The closure does not affect salmon, tuna and halibut fishing. They are managed under separate quotas. Ocean fishing also remains open for flounder, perch, sole, herring, anchovy, smelt, striped bass, sand dabs and sardines. A planned Oct. 1 opening for lingcod, cabezon and several rockfish species outside the 40-fathom curve will not occur. 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 © 1997-2004 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