Abalone daily bag limit

I've been looking to see if the daily bag limit for this year has changed.ive been looking but havnt found anything on it.can anyone shed any light

3 is the daily limit and 18 for the season

Copied off the DFW site, the regs aren't quoted, but the questions and answers makes it pretty clear as to what they are.

Red Abalone


Q. Why were regulation changes made for 2014?

A. The regulations were changed because dive surveys conducted by CDFW found abalone densities had dropped below trigger levels in the CDFW Abalone Recovery and Management Plan (ARMP). ARMP guidelines call for a reduction in catch if the average density of abalone at eight index sites in Sonoma and Mendocino counties falls below one-half abalone per square meter. The ARMP also mandates closure of individual sites which have fallen below one-quarter abalone per square meter. Abalone densities declined dramatically in Sonoma County due to fishing pressure and a harmful algal bloom which resulted in a large die-off of abalone at the end of August 2011. In 2012, average abalone density across index sites was below one-half abalone per square meter, and density at Fort Ross was below one-quarter abalone per square meter (see the 2012 fishery status update. On June 26, 2013, the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) decided to reduce the abalone catch according to ARMP guidelines and close the Fort Ross area. Details are available on the FGC website.

Q. What is the reason the start time was changed to 8:00 a.m.?

A. The 8:00 a.m. start time reduces the number of low-tide days people will be able to take abalone by rock picking (searching amongst rocks for abalone at low tide); a number of low tides in the spring are much earlier than 8:00 a.m. This regulation change originated from the concerns of wardens who were witnessing large numbers of fishermen coming each and every low tide and taking large numbers of abalone. People were removing numerous undersized abalone while trying to find legal ones. Because undersized abalone often do not survive being removed and returned, they are likely to die and the impact on the fishery is probably much greater than the estimated legal catch (over 200,000 abalone annually in recent years). Some people were also using the dim light before dawn to hide illegal activities. Wardens believe a later start time will ease their biggest concerns and the FGC decided to choose that option.

Q. Does the new rule mean that divers cannot enter the water prior to 8 a.m. if they are planning to take abalone?

A. The new 8 a.m. start rule means divers cannot enter the water with the implements to take abalone and start searching for or taking abalone before 8 a.m. They can enter the water early and wait without searching for or taking abalone until 8 a.m. For example, if it takes a diver 30 minutes to swim to a dive spot, he or she could enter the water with the implements to take abalone, swim to the dive site and wait until 8 a.m. before searching for or taking abalone. Rock pickers have similar restrictions; they can walk to the spot before 8:00 a.m. but they cannot search for or take abalone before 8:00 a.m.

Q. Can divers go spear fishing at the normal legal start time or take early morning photos, then switch over to abalone diving at 8 a.m.?

A. Yes, as long as they don’t have the means of taking abalone or are searching for abalone before 8 a.m. If their activities appear to a warden to be taking or searching for abalone before 8 a.m., they could be cited.

Q. Will the 8 a.m. start time prevent rock pickers from getting any abalone?

A. No, but the actual effect will vary each year because the timing of the tides changes each year. A number of good low tides will be too early in the morning to be useful for rock pickers but there will still be some good opportunities. For example, in 2014 there are several days with tides below -1.0 ft. after 8:00 a.m. in May and June.

Q. Why was the annual limit lowered to 18?

A. The lower annual limit was combined with the 8:00 a.m. start time by the Fish and Game Commission to reduce the abalone take to levels prescribed in the ARMP. Since the increased restrictions in Sonoma and Marin counties will likely cause a shift in fishing effort to Mendocino County, the lower annual limit will also help keep the overall catch from increasing in Mendocino County.

Q. Why are the annual limits lower in Sonoma and Marin counties?

A. Sonoma County sites which have been surveyed over the years have shown a greater decline in abalone density than Mendocino County sites. Lower annual limits were implemented for Sonoma and Marin counties to help prevent densities at those sites from further declines which could result in the sites being closed in the future.

Q. How far north does the Sonoma-Marin annual limit of 9 apply?

A. The Sonoma-Marin annual limit extends to the Gualala River, located between the community of Sea Ranch to the south (Sonoma County) and the town of Gualala to the north (Mendocino County).

Q. How will the Sonoma-Marin annual limit of 9 be enforced?
 
A. The site codes used on previous versions of the abalone card have been modified by adding a letter before the code numbers. All site codes within Sonoma and Marin counties now begin with the letter "S" and site codes within Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties begin with the letter "N". Fishermen are required to include the "S" or "N" along with the number when recording the location code. An abalone card can have a mix of "N" and "S" records as long as there are no more than 9 "S" records and the total take does not exceed 18 abalone, the total number allowed per card starting in 2014.

Q. I was not aware of abalone regulation changes for 2014 until recently. How can I be notified in advance of possible regulation changes in the future?
 
A. Go to the FGC website and request to be put on the list to receive regulation notices for abalone.

Q. Where do I send my Abalone Report Card after the season ends, or after I am finished taking abalone for the season?

A. Please send your completed Abalone Report Cards to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
 32330 N. Harbor Drive
 Fort Bragg, CA 95437

You can also enter your report card data online. Cards or card data must be submitted to CDFW, even if the card holder did not take or even try to take abalone. All card data provides information necessary for annual take estimates.

Q. Are marine protected areas along the northern California coast closed to abalone fishing?

A. Some marine protected areas restrict the take of red abalone. All MPAs located north of the mouth of San Francisco Bay that allow the take of abalone are listed below:

MPAs That Allow Recreational Take of Red Abalone
MacKerricher State Marine Conservation Area
Russian Gulch State Marine Conservation Area
Van Damme State Marine Conservation Area
Salt Point State Marine Conservation Area
Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area
Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area

For more information about California's marine protected areas, please visit the Marine Protected Area website.

Q. Why are tags now required for abalone?

A. The tags allow wardens to easily see that an abalone was taken legally and identify the abalone cardholder who took the abalone. This regulation will help to ensure that all abalone are taken within daily bag and annual limits and to show abalone were taken legally even in cases when they are given away. An instructional video on the new tagging and reporting requirements is accessible online.

Q. Can I give abalone to a traveling companion who does not have an abalone card and then take more abalone?

A. You can take up to three abalone in a single day but cannot possess more than three abalone at a time. If you eat or give away (also called "gifting") any of your three abalone, you can take more abalone the following day as long as the daily bag limit and possession limit of three abalone per person and the annual limit of 24 abalone per year are not exceeded. People who receive abalone as gifts are not required to have abalone report cards but the abalone must remain in the shell and tagged until being prepared for immediate consumption.

Q. Does everyone taking abalone now need to have an abalone report card?

A. Abalone report cards are required for everyone taking or attempting to take abalone. Abalone report cards (but not fishing licenses) are now required for people under 16 years of age and for those taking abalone on free fishing days. This regulation change will improve CDFW's accounting of abalone taken in the fishery.

Q. When must abalone tags be detached from cards and attached to an abalone, and must the abalone card be filled out at the same time?

A. For each abalone retained, the cardholder must record the date, time, and location of catch on both the tag and the card immediately after exiting the water or immediately upon boarding a vessel, whichever comes first. Persons using a non-motorized vessel such as a kayak or a float tube may wait until reaching shore to tag their abalone and record catch information on their abalone report cards. Tags must remain attached to abalone report cards until an abalone is being tagged. Tags separated from abalone report cards prior to immediate use are invalid. All tags that are not in possession must be accounted for by entry of a record on the abalone report card. Any tag that was lost or destroyed shall be recorded as such on the corresponding line on the abalone report card. Any tag that was inadvertently removed and is still in possession shall be recorded as void on both the tag and the corresponding line on the abalone report card.

Q. If I am diving, do I need to take the card with me on my dive?

A. Abalone report cards must be in the immediate possession of any person who is taking or attempting to take abalone, including divers.

Q. What can fishermen do to protect abalone populations?
Report illegal activities - call CalTIP (888) 334-2258.
Reduce fishing mortality (see below) Detach only legal-sized abalone
Stop detaching when bag limit is reached
Avoid cutting abalone
Take care in returning undersized abalone - return it to the rock surface it was removed from

Know and follow all regulations
Take only what you need

Q. How do abalone reproduce?

A. The sexes are separate but have similar external appearance. The gonads are the prominent, crescent-shaped end of the internal organs. Ovaries are dark green and testes can be cream, light brown, light green or pinkish in color. Abalone release eggs or sperm through the open holes in their shells. For effective fertilization, abalone need to be within a meter of each other. When abalone are too far apart, their eggs do not become fertilized. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae which can be carried by currents for about a week. The larvae settle to the bottom and develop into very small versions of adults.

Most male red abalone start to reproduce when they are 4 inches in length and 5 years in age. Most females are reproducing at 5 inches in length and 6 years of age. Small females produce far fewer eggs than larger females; a 5 inch female produces about 300,000 eggs while females larger than 7 inches produce about 2,500,000 eggs. Although abalone produce large numbers of eggs and sperm, reproductive success is very sporadic. The last major successful reproductive period for northern California red abalone was probably in the late 1980's.

Q. Why are there so many empty shells in some areas?

A. Although there are many possible causes of death for abalone, a likely cause is carelessness while removing abalone or returning undersized abalone. Any time an abalone is removed from the bottom, there is a chance it could be fatally injured or unable to reattach safely. Fishermen can help preserve abalone populations by removing abalone only after they have confirmed to the best of their ability that it is legal sized. Abalone irons are designed to reduce the chances of injuring abalone, but the irons can still cause fatal wounds if used improperly. Foot cuts deeper than a half-inch are likely to cause death since abalone have no blood clotting capabilities. Cuts around the head are often fatal.

When sliding an iron under an abalone, the iron should be kept as close to the rock as possible to avoid stabbing the foot. Even abalone that are not removed from the bottom can sustain fatal cuts. In prying abalone off rocks it is important that the abalone iron handle is lifted away from the rock so that the tip of the iron does not dig into the bottom of the foot. An uninjured abalone can easily be killed by predators if it is not carefully returned to suitable habitat. Abalone placed on sandy areas or seaweed-covered rock surfaces will not be able to clamp down sufficiently to protect themselves from predators. Fishing regulations require undersized abalone to be returned to the same rock surface from which it was detached. Experienced abalone pickers can distinguish undersized abalone and do not remove them from rocks.

Q. How fast do abalone grow?

A. Abalone are relatively slow growing. Tagging studies indicate northern California red abalone take about 12 years to reach 7 inches but growth rates are highly variable. Abalone grow nearly one inch per year for the first few years and much slower after that. It takes about 5 years for red abalone to grow from 7 inches to 8 inches. At 8 inches, growth rates are so slow it takes about 13 years to grow another inch. Slow growth makes abalone populations vulnerable to overfishing since many years are needed to replace each abalone taken.

Q. Isn't disease a large problem with abalone populations?

A. Withering Syndrome (WS) was very significant in reducing black abalone populations in southern California. WS affects all California abalone species but there were so few abalone left by the time WS became widespread that its impact on most species cannot be accurately assessed. CDFW has found a few abalone in northern California infected by the rickettsial bacteria that causes WS, but no abalone has been found with the disease in this area. Department biologists found that WS is much more pronounced at higher temperatures and might not develop in abalone living in cooler waters. The cold waters in northern California may help protect abalone from developing the disease but WS has been found in abalone as far north as San Mateo County and the potential impacts of global warming could make WS a threat for northern California red abalone in the future.

Q. Can hatcheries help increase abalone populations?

A. Abalone hatchery efforts in southern California were not economically feasible. Caring for young abalone is expensive and abalone released from hatcheries had very poor survival rates. Some studies indicated that hatchery-reared abalone did not develop behaviors needed to avoid predators. Abalone from hatcheries can also pose a danger by spreading diseases or parasites. Abalone hatcheries have had problems controlling infestations of several diseases (including WS) and parasites. There is also the possibility that abalone outplanted from hatcheries could spread disease and parasites to native populations.

Q. Are abalone vulnerable to overfishing?

A. Abalone are easily overfished as was seen in central and southern California. They have slow growth, infrequent reproductive success, vulnerability to fishery-related injuries and poaching, and high mortality of young. They also need relatively high densities for successful reproduction. These factors limit the ability of abalone to withstand heavy fishing pressure. Great care will be needed to prevent the northern California red abalone fishery from joining all the abalone fisheries that have collapsed throughout the world.

3 is the daily limit and 18 for the season

so the daily possession limit is the same.Only the yearly take.that's what I assumed just wanted to make sure.

3 is the daily limit and 18 for the season

so the daily possession limit is the same.Only the yearly take.that's what I assumed just wanted to make sure.

And this is new only 9 can be taken from the S group.

Q. How will the Sonoma-Marin annual limit of 9 be enforced?
 
A. The site codes used on previous versions of the abalone card have been modified by adding a letter before the code numbers. All site codes within Sonoma and Marin counties now begin with the letter "S" and site codes within Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties begin with the letter "N". Fishermen are required to include the "S" or "N" along with the number when recording the location code. An abalone card can have a mix of "N" and "S" records as long as there are no more than 9 "S" records and the total take does not exceed 18 abalone, the total number allowed per card starting in 2014.

Yeah I go up to Mendocino.dont know any spots in Sonoma.im really concerned that with these hew changes its just gonna drive up the price of the black market.which is gonna lead to more poaching which will lead to more site closure and more restrictions

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=53218.0