[ODFW-News] Groundfish season set for 2006

[ODFW News]

For Immediate Release Friday, Dec. 02, 2005
 
Groundfish season set for 2006
 
SALEM - Citing the need to provide year-round angling opportunities
while adhering to federal guidelines for groundfish, the Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission today approved a six-fish ocean bag limit for 2006.
 
Nine sport groundfish species are managed through federal harvest caps,
forcing state fishery managers to adjust bag limits, season durations
and retention days in an effort to maximize angling opportunities. 
 
During the 2005 season, fishery managers were forced to make an
in-season adjustment from eight fish to five in July, in an effort to
remain under federal harvest caps for black rockfish. The reduction was
not enough, and managers closed the rockfish season when the federal
harvest cap for black rockfish was met in October. 
 
With the 2006 federal harvest cap for black rockfish 7.5 metric tons
lower than the 2005 threshold, managers proposed a six marine fish daily
bag limit, plus two lingcod. Lingcod stocks have been growing steadily
for several years. The 2006 federal harvest limit was increased 24
metric tons, to 175 metric tons. 
 
"The federal harvest caps provide important protection for sensitive
stocks, but they make season-setting a difficult challenge," said ODFW
Marine Resources Program Manager Patricia Burke. "Our goal is to
maximize angling opportunity by setting seasons that last throughout the
year. This conservative approach helps ensure angling opportunities for
all Oregon anglers throughout the year."
 
Pacific halibut anglers on the Columbia River will see increased
opportunity in 2006, with a plan to allow for a second season in August
based on additional fish allocations for that area. 
 
The halibut possession limit was increased from two to three daily
limits, to allow anglers to fish three-day openings and legally
transport their catch. 
 
The Commission approved use of a federal measure allowing a second fish
to be added to the daily limit later in the season if there is a
substantial percentage of the harvest allocation uncaught after Labor
Day.  
 
The next regular meeting of the OFWC is Jan. 5-6 in Salem. 
####
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/pipermail/odfw-news/attachments/20051202/3e7fba67/attachment.htm