spectr17
12-28-2002, 02:17 AM
ODFW News Release
For Immediate Release
December 13, 2002
Commission Adopts 2003 Groundfish, Halibut and Sardine Fishing Seasons and Regulations
EUGENE — The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday adopted sport and commercial rules for 2003 for groundfish, halibut and sardine fishing seasons within state waters that are slightly more restrictive than 2002 regulations. However, the Commission may make harvest reductions in March based on the results of public input.
The rules mimic those adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council in November for the area between three and 200 miles off shore. PFMC rules are implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) via federal rules. The decision to limit the harvest was based on an earlier designation by NMFS that canary, yelloweye and darkblotched rockfish are overfished. Commercial harvest of fresh and live rockfish, cabezon and greenling has increased in recent years due to market demand. Complicating matters is the lack of biological data on many groundfish species, some of which have life spans up to 100 years and older.
The Commission is the rule-making body for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Commission adopted Friday a 2004 commercial and recreational nearshore harvest cap at the level of harvest recorded in the year 2000. The Commission will revisit issues related to nearshore groundfish harvest caps in February, 2003, when the seven-member panel takes public testimony on proposals to reduce harvest levels beyond those adopted Friday. The reduction being considered is to reduce the harvest beyond the year 2000 harvest levels. The Commission asked ODFW staff to review options for a 20 percent reduction from the levels adopted Friday. A decision is expected in March, 2003.
The Commission adopted the following rules:
2003 Sport Groundfish and Halibut Rules:
Lingcod: Increased the daily bag limit to two fish with a minimum size of 24 inches.
Other marine finfish: Ten fish daily bag limit (which includes cabezon and greenling), which may include no more than one canary rockfish, one yelloweye rockfish and one halibut 32 inches or longer.
Cabezon: Minimum size for recreational catches is 15 inches. The Commission intends to increase this to 16 inches for the 2004 season to match the 16-inch commercial minimum size adopted for the 2003 season. The recreational size increase was delayed because the 2003 sport regulation books have been printed.
Halibut: Must be harvested during authorized seasons. Flexibility was added to pre-season and in-season quota transfers to allow more uniform seasons coast wide. Anglers must harvest the first halibut landed longer than 32 inches. In addition, anglers may not retain yelloweye or canary rockfish during the all-depth Pacific halibut seasons if halibut are on board the vessel.
Other than halibut, the sport season is Jan. 1 — Dec. 31, 2003.
2003 Commercial Rules:
Adopted PFMC’s rules for trip limits, gear restrictions and fish size limits.
Fixed-gear must fish deeper than 100 fathoms.
On-bottom groundfish trawl gear (foot-ropes) are banned from restricted fishing areas during specific time periods. In most months, boats are restricted to trawl outside of 100 to 250 fathoms. In July and August, groundfish may only be harvested outside of 75 and 250 fathoms. Petrale sole harvest is allowed in some designated areas of the restricted area January-February and November-December.
In mid-year, a federal vessel monitoring system requirement is scheduled to be implemented by the federal government to track vessel activity in restricted areas.
The harvest of sardines will be limited to 110,908 from the California to Washington coasts in 2003 metric tons compared to 118,442 metric tons in 2004. The Oregon sardine fishery has increased drastically since 1999 from 775 metric tons to about 22,700 metric tons in 2002.
Options for 2003 Sport Sturgeon Season Outlined; Decision Due in January
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission heard Friday the specifics of five options to govern sport sturgeon season in the Columbia River for 2003-2005. A final decision is expected January at a meeting of the Columbia River Compact.
Each of the options were created to meet three objectives: 1) Minimize the need for in-season action, 2) Balance the catch between the estuary and non-estuary (Longview to Bonneville Dam) fisheries, and 3) Maintain fishery monitoring and management capabilities.
Fishery research indicates that the lower Columbia River legal size white sturgeon population experienced an annual 4 percent decline from 1996 to 2001 due to an overestimate of fish abundance levels and an unforeseen drop in recruitment to the population. As a result, the allowed harvest guideline was set too high and the allowed sport harvest for 2003 must drop from last year’s 40,000 fish total harvest to 32,000.
Commission members said they were favoring option two or three, based on public testimony. However, the Commission delegated final negotiation and rule-making authority to the ODFW director.
Option 2:
Shifts season accounting from the calendar year to Oct. 1-Sept. 30.
Retention prohibited Sundays and Mondays in October through mid July.
Allows a 9.5-month continuous retention season.
Projected catch split 51 percent (16,400 fish) to estuary harvest and 49 percent (15,600) to non-estuary, which does not maintain the fishery sharing average of the 1990s.
Implements a block closure during popular salmon season.
Increases sampling costs and management requirements.
Option 3:
Shifts season accounting from the calendar year to Oct. 1-Sept. 30.
Retention prohibited Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in October through early August.
Allows a 10-month continuous retention season.
Projected catch split 56 percent (17,800 fish) to estuary harvest and 44 percent (14,200) to non-estuary, which approximates the fishery sharing average of the 1990s.
Implements a block closure during popular salmon fishing period.
Increases sampling costs and management requirements.
New Member Appointed to Fish Screening Task Force
The Commission appointed Carol Bradford of Medford to the Fish Screening Task Force as the agricultural representative.
Commission to ask Legislature to Remove Sunset Clause for Access and Habitat Program
The Commission decided Friday to ask the 2003 Oregon State Legislature to remove a legal clause that calls for the ending of a 10-year popular and successful program that provides public hunting access and pays for wildlife habitat improvements.
In 1993, the Oregon Legislature created the Access and Habitat Program to generate revenue for private land projects to improve habitat, reduce damage to agricultural crops and increase hunter access. Most revenue is generated from a surcharge on hunting licenses. Private landowners apply for funds and approved projects receive grants.
Since 1993, 245 projects have been completed. During the 1999-2001 biennium, the A&H program created 3.7 million acres of new hunting opportunities on private lands and more than 400,000 acres of private lands were improved to benefit fish, wildlife and watershed health. The two-year budget is about $1.2 million.
Legally, the program will end on Dec. 31, 2003, unless the Legislature takes action.
When first approved in 1993, the A&H program was slated to sunset in 1997. In 1997, the Legislature re-authorized the program through 2003. The Commission’s action today requests the Legislature to remove any sunset clause from Oregon Revised Statutes.
For Immediate Release
December 13, 2002
Commission Adopts 2003 Groundfish, Halibut and Sardine Fishing Seasons and Regulations
EUGENE — The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday adopted sport and commercial rules for 2003 for groundfish, halibut and sardine fishing seasons within state waters that are slightly more restrictive than 2002 regulations. However, the Commission may make harvest reductions in March based on the results of public input.
The rules mimic those adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council in November for the area between three and 200 miles off shore. PFMC rules are implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) via federal rules. The decision to limit the harvest was based on an earlier designation by NMFS that canary, yelloweye and darkblotched rockfish are overfished. Commercial harvest of fresh and live rockfish, cabezon and greenling has increased in recent years due to market demand. Complicating matters is the lack of biological data on many groundfish species, some of which have life spans up to 100 years and older.
The Commission is the rule-making body for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Commission adopted Friday a 2004 commercial and recreational nearshore harvest cap at the level of harvest recorded in the year 2000. The Commission will revisit issues related to nearshore groundfish harvest caps in February, 2003, when the seven-member panel takes public testimony on proposals to reduce harvest levels beyond those adopted Friday. The reduction being considered is to reduce the harvest beyond the year 2000 harvest levels. The Commission asked ODFW staff to review options for a 20 percent reduction from the levels adopted Friday. A decision is expected in March, 2003.
The Commission adopted the following rules:
2003 Sport Groundfish and Halibut Rules:
Lingcod: Increased the daily bag limit to two fish with a minimum size of 24 inches.
Other marine finfish: Ten fish daily bag limit (which includes cabezon and greenling), which may include no more than one canary rockfish, one yelloweye rockfish and one halibut 32 inches or longer.
Cabezon: Minimum size for recreational catches is 15 inches. The Commission intends to increase this to 16 inches for the 2004 season to match the 16-inch commercial minimum size adopted for the 2003 season. The recreational size increase was delayed because the 2003 sport regulation books have been printed.
Halibut: Must be harvested during authorized seasons. Flexibility was added to pre-season and in-season quota transfers to allow more uniform seasons coast wide. Anglers must harvest the first halibut landed longer than 32 inches. In addition, anglers may not retain yelloweye or canary rockfish during the all-depth Pacific halibut seasons if halibut are on board the vessel.
Other than halibut, the sport season is Jan. 1 — Dec. 31, 2003.
2003 Commercial Rules:
Adopted PFMC’s rules for trip limits, gear restrictions and fish size limits.
Fixed-gear must fish deeper than 100 fathoms.
On-bottom groundfish trawl gear (foot-ropes) are banned from restricted fishing areas during specific time periods. In most months, boats are restricted to trawl outside of 100 to 250 fathoms. In July and August, groundfish may only be harvested outside of 75 and 250 fathoms. Petrale sole harvest is allowed in some designated areas of the restricted area January-February and November-December.
In mid-year, a federal vessel monitoring system requirement is scheduled to be implemented by the federal government to track vessel activity in restricted areas.
The harvest of sardines will be limited to 110,908 from the California to Washington coasts in 2003 metric tons compared to 118,442 metric tons in 2004. The Oregon sardine fishery has increased drastically since 1999 from 775 metric tons to about 22,700 metric tons in 2002.
Options for 2003 Sport Sturgeon Season Outlined; Decision Due in January
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission heard Friday the specifics of five options to govern sport sturgeon season in the Columbia River for 2003-2005. A final decision is expected January at a meeting of the Columbia River Compact.
Each of the options were created to meet three objectives: 1) Minimize the need for in-season action, 2) Balance the catch between the estuary and non-estuary (Longview to Bonneville Dam) fisheries, and 3) Maintain fishery monitoring and management capabilities.
Fishery research indicates that the lower Columbia River legal size white sturgeon population experienced an annual 4 percent decline from 1996 to 2001 due to an overestimate of fish abundance levels and an unforeseen drop in recruitment to the population. As a result, the allowed harvest guideline was set too high and the allowed sport harvest for 2003 must drop from last year’s 40,000 fish total harvest to 32,000.
Commission members said they were favoring option two or three, based on public testimony. However, the Commission delegated final negotiation and rule-making authority to the ODFW director.
Option 2:
Shifts season accounting from the calendar year to Oct. 1-Sept. 30.
Retention prohibited Sundays and Mondays in October through mid July.
Allows a 9.5-month continuous retention season.
Projected catch split 51 percent (16,400 fish) to estuary harvest and 49 percent (15,600) to non-estuary, which does not maintain the fishery sharing average of the 1990s.
Implements a block closure during popular salmon season.
Increases sampling costs and management requirements.
Option 3:
Shifts season accounting from the calendar year to Oct. 1-Sept. 30.
Retention prohibited Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in October through early August.
Allows a 10-month continuous retention season.
Projected catch split 56 percent (17,800 fish) to estuary harvest and 44 percent (14,200) to non-estuary, which approximates the fishery sharing average of the 1990s.
Implements a block closure during popular salmon fishing period.
Increases sampling costs and management requirements.
New Member Appointed to Fish Screening Task Force
The Commission appointed Carol Bradford of Medford to the Fish Screening Task Force as the agricultural representative.
Commission to ask Legislature to Remove Sunset Clause for Access and Habitat Program
The Commission decided Friday to ask the 2003 Oregon State Legislature to remove a legal clause that calls for the ending of a 10-year popular and successful program that provides public hunting access and pays for wildlife habitat improvements.
In 1993, the Oregon Legislature created the Access and Habitat Program to generate revenue for private land projects to improve habitat, reduce damage to agricultural crops and increase hunter access. Most revenue is generated from a surcharge on hunting licenses. Private landowners apply for funds and approved projects receive grants.
Since 1993, 245 projects have been completed. During the 1999-2001 biennium, the A&H program created 3.7 million acres of new hunting opportunities on private lands and more than 400,000 acres of private lands were improved to benefit fish, wildlife and watershed health. The two-year budget is about $1.2 million.
Legally, the program will end on Dec. 31, 2003, unless the Legislature takes action.
When first approved in 1993, the A&H program was slated to sunset in 1997. In 1997, the Legislature re-authorized the program through 2003. The Commission’s action today requests the Legislature to remove any sunset clause from Oregon Revised Statutes.