[ODFW-News] Pacific halibut season could be best in 10 years

[ODFW News]

For Immediate Release Wednesday, April 19, 2006
 
Pacific halibut season could be best in 10 years

NEWPORT - Ocean sport anglers are gearing up for one of the best Pacific
halibut opportunities off the Oregon coast in the last decade.
 
Halibut season will open May 1 in near-shore waters (waters less than 40
fathoms). The all-depth halibut fishery for Oregon's central coast,
between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain, opens May 11. 

"This year's sport halibut quota is more than 276,400 pounds for
Oregon," said Don Bodenmiller, sport halibut project leader for ODFW.
"That's up about 4 percent from last year and is more than twice as much
halibut as 10 years ago."

The fishery north of Cape Falcon (north coast) to Leadbetter Point,
Wash., also will open May 1 in all-depth waters, seven days a week until
July 16 or until the quota of 14,819 pounds is met. The area reopens on
Aug. 4 and continues on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Sept. 30,
or until the combined quota for the spring and summer season of 21,170
lbs. is reached.

The area south of Humbug Mountain runs from May 1 through Oct. 31, seven
days a week.

The central coast, from Cape Falcon (30 miles south of the Columbia
River) south to Humbug Mountain (south of Port Orford) spring all-depth
season dates are May 11-13, 18-20, 25-27 and June 1-3 and 8-10. If quota
remains, the fishery may continue on June 22-24, July 6-8 and 20-22
until the 175,474-pound quota is taken. Open dates will be announced on
the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline (1-800-662-9825) and
posted on the ODFW Marine Resources Program Web site at:
www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/ <http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/> .

The high-relief area of Stonewall Bank is closed to halibut fishing to
reduce incidental catch of yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish. Both
species are considered over-fished and must be released immediately. The
closed area is defined by latitude and longitude waypoints, which are
available on the Marine Resources Program Web site. 

There is no minimum length for Pacific halibut. Sport anglers do not
have to keep the first fish they catch.

The central coast all-depth fishery also will be open on the following
dates until the combined quota for the spring and summer season of
233,965 is taken: Aug. 4-6, 18-20, 25-27 and Sept. 1-3, 15-17, 29-30 and
Oct. 1, 13-15 and 27-29. More days and possibly a second fish to the bag
limit will be added if the catch is low, Bodenmiller said.

Sport anglers are reminded possession of groundfish is not allowed north
of Humbug Mountain when a Pacific halibut is in possession on the vessel
during all-depth Pacific halibut dates. The exception is sablefish
(black cod), which may be retained with halibut between Humbug Mountain
and Cape Falcon. Both sablefish and Pacific cod may be retained north of
Cape Falcon. Other non-groundfish species, such as tuna and salmon
during authorized seasons, may be possessed with halibut on open
all-depth Pacific halibut days.
 
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