hey guys,
theres an article on some rockfish closure thing. i didn't read the article yet but........ its on fridays los angeles times on the front cover on the bottom. the article title is "commercial rockfishing banned off california".

hope the info helps,
aaron

If I understand the new regulations correctly, recreational rockfishing (sebastes)is also banned deeper than 120' starting July 1st, while regulations for other species remain unchanged.

Does anyone know if reds may be kept if caught in waters shallower than 120" south of Point Conception?

hmmm....
im not really sure, i gotta do some reasearch on that, i'm not quite a rockfisherman....

aaron

Here's the text of the the DFG Release. It should tell you most of what you need to know:

Department of Fish and Game
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 02:078 June 21, 2002

Contact(s): Chamois Andersen, Information Officer, (916) 657-4132
Marija Vojkovich, Marine Region, (805) 568-1246

In-Season Fishing Closure for Rockfish and Lingcod Will Take Effect
July 1

Following federal action taken Thursday by the Pacific Fishery
Management Council, effective July 1, California's recreational fishery
for shelf rockfish and lingcod will be closed in ocean waters 20 fathoms
(120 feet) and deeper south of Cape Mendocino (Humboldt County).

The closure will be in effect for the remainder of the fishing season
and resulted from in-season fishing adjustments adopted by the Pacific
Fishery Management Council at its meeting in Foster City. The closure
prohibits the take of rockfish, lingcod, ocean whitefish and California
scorpionfish (sculpin) in waters 20 fathoms and greater in depth. In
waters less than 20 fathoms, recreational anglers may continue to take
"nearshore" species of rockfish and lingcod, and retain two "shelf'
rockfish (not including bocaccio, cowcod, canary, and yelloweye), if
they are taken incidentally while fishing in waters less than 20 fathoms
in depth.

For a listing and descriptions of both shelf and nearshore rockfish
species, refer to California's ocean sport fishing regulations booklet,
including section 1.90 and color pullouts. The booklet is also available
online at www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/regs.html.

The emergency closure is needed because the annual harvest limits for
bocaccio, established by the Council each year, have been met for the
2002 fishing season. The Council determined that the recreational take
for bocaccio had already exceeded the annual sport harvest limit of 56
metric tons. By the end of April, recreational anglers had taken 60
metric tons. Allowing for continued catches of bocaccio, in excess of
specified harvest levels for both sport and commercial fisheries, could
prompt additional federal action including further reduction in fishing
opportunity in future years.

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will implement the
closure in state waters 20 fathoms or greater in depth to comply with
the new federal rules. The closure area specifically includes waters
south of a line extending due west from a point on the mainland shore
(40 degrees, 10 minutes north latitude) near Cape Mendocino.

Allowing for the continued take of shelf rockfish and lingcod would
pose a threat to bocaccio rockfish because shelf rockfish typically
occupy the same waters, between 20 and approximately 150 fathoms in
depth. The Council requested the DFG close the state's shelf rockfish
and lingcod fisheries (south of Cape Mendocino, waters 120 fathoms or
deeper) because of the potential to incidentally catch boccacio while
fishing for other species in those areas. The Council took similar
action for commercial fishing in federal waters.

Bocaccio has been declared "overfished" by the Council and is being
managed under stringent rebuilding plans set forth by the
Magnuson-Stevens Act. According to federal assessments, bocaccio have
declined to about 5 percent of their original abundance.

The Council met this week to assess the current status of all
groundfish resources. The Council's Groundfish Management Team released
new scientific evidence suggesting that rebuilding requirements for
bocaccio, canary and yelloweye rockfish species need to be stronger for
full recovery to be achieved.

In September the Council may consider additional management measures
for both sport and commercial groundfish fisheries for the remainder of
2002 and for 2003 to help restore overfished rockfish populations.

This action does not affect fishing for species other than rockfish,
lingcod, ocean whitefish , and California scorpionfish. Species that are
unaffected by the closure include salmon, striped bass, halibut,
albacore, barracuda, white seabass, and others that may be taken in
waters greater than 20 fathoms.

Thank you for the news release. However, maybe I am missing it but I cannot find a list of "shelf" rockfish in section 1.90 or the color pullouts. I can only find a listing and illustrations of "nearshore" rockfishes. Do you know what the "shelf" rockfish, of which only two may be kept, are?

Thanks again.

Bob