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DFG News Release
December 3, 2002
New Emergency Commercial Fishing Trip Limit Regulations Proposed for Cabezon, and Greenlings, and California Sheephead
Contact(s): Fred Wendell, Marine Region, (831) 649-2893; Carrie Wilson, Marine Region, (831) 649-7191
In an effort to curtail anticipated unusually high commercial harvest of cabezon, greenlings, and California sheephead (CGS) during early 2003, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will recommend to the Fish and Game Commission at its meeting on Friday emergency regulations that would establish interim two-month trip limits effective Jan. 1, 2003.
The proposed action affects Section 150.16, Title 14, California Code of Regulations.
The Commission meeting is scheduled to begin on Dec. 6 at 8:30 a.m. at the Monterey Beach Resort Hotel, 2600 Sand Dunes Drive and Highway 1 in Monterey. This emergency regulation would establish a two-month cumulative trip limit to reduce incentives to fish intensively prior to the implementation of a pending nearshore fishery Restricted Access Program.
The Commission will be considering adoption of a Restricted Access Program at their December meeting which may significantly limit the number of participants fishing for the 10 species requiring a nearshore finfish permit including cabezon, greenlings and California sheephead. If adopted, the number of participants will not be reduced until April 2003, the new commercial fishing license year. During the open fishing period prior to April, all current participants, including those individuals that will not be able to fish when the Restricted Access Program is implemented, will continue to fish. Absent trip limits adopted under emergency regulations, the timing of this regulatory action provides an unusual incentive to fish at a high level of effort while the opportunity lasts.
A high-volume CGS fishery may also result in significant discard of rockfish which reside in similar habitats and are frequently caught in conjunction with the CGS fishery. The rockfish fishery now operates under a recently imposed and very small cumulative trip limit during that two-month period. The proposed emergency regulation would establish similar catch levels for CGS to prevent this discard problem.
Recently, over 37 percent of the total commercial catch of cabezon, greenlings and California sheephead have been made between January and April. Existing regulations, implemented in 2000, have not prevented a "derby style" commercial fishery with closures as early as June. Trip limits are another management tool that can help achieve the goal of an extended commercial season by limiting the catch earlier in the year.
The individual trip limits being considered by the Commission under emergency regulation are similar to those being developed under the guidance of the recently adopted nearshore Fishery Management Plan. However, those regulations will not be considered by the Commission until May 2003.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Conservation Education;
Press & Media Relations
Phone: 916-653-7664
Media Relations Office
State of California
Dept. of Fish & Game
1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento, California 95814
December 3, 2002
New Emergency Commercial Fishing Trip Limit Regulations Proposed for Cabezon, and Greenlings, and California Sheephead
Contact(s): Fred Wendell, Marine Region, (831) 649-2893; Carrie Wilson, Marine Region, (831) 649-7191
In an effort to curtail anticipated unusually high commercial harvest of cabezon, greenlings, and California sheephead (CGS) during early 2003, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will recommend to the Fish and Game Commission at its meeting on Friday emergency regulations that would establish interim two-month trip limits effective Jan. 1, 2003.
The proposed action affects Section 150.16, Title 14, California Code of Regulations.
The Commission meeting is scheduled to begin on Dec. 6 at 8:30 a.m. at the Monterey Beach Resort Hotel, 2600 Sand Dunes Drive and Highway 1 in Monterey. This emergency regulation would establish a two-month cumulative trip limit to reduce incentives to fish intensively prior to the implementation of a pending nearshore fishery Restricted Access Program.
The Commission will be considering adoption of a Restricted Access Program at their December meeting which may significantly limit the number of participants fishing for the 10 species requiring a nearshore finfish permit including cabezon, greenlings and California sheephead. If adopted, the number of participants will not be reduced until April 2003, the new commercial fishing license year. During the open fishing period prior to April, all current participants, including those individuals that will not be able to fish when the Restricted Access Program is implemented, will continue to fish. Absent trip limits adopted under emergency regulations, the timing of this regulatory action provides an unusual incentive to fish at a high level of effort while the opportunity lasts.
A high-volume CGS fishery may also result in significant discard of rockfish which reside in similar habitats and are frequently caught in conjunction with the CGS fishery. The rockfish fishery now operates under a recently imposed and very small cumulative trip limit during that two-month period. The proposed emergency regulation would establish similar catch levels for CGS to prevent this discard problem.
Recently, over 37 percent of the total commercial catch of cabezon, greenlings and California sheephead have been made between January and April. Existing regulations, implemented in 2000, have not prevented a "derby style" commercial fishery with closures as early as June. Trip limits are another management tool that can help achieve the goal of an extended commercial season by limiting the catch earlier in the year.
The individual trip limits being considered by the Commission under emergency regulation are similar to those being developed under the guidance of the recently adopted nearshore Fishery Management Plan. However, those regulations will not be considered by the Commission until May 2003.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Conservation Education;
Press & Media Relations
Phone: 916-653-7664
Media Relations Office
State of California
Dept. of Fish & Game
1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento, California 95814
