Summary of Recreational Fishing Regulations for Federal Groundfish

Summary of Recreational Fishing Regulations for Federal Groundfish

The full document can be downloaded from: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=219965&inline

We will likely get the information regarding the nearshore season after the March 5-11, 2024 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) Meeting.

The PFMC will recommend recreational fishing regulations for federally managed groundfish species for 2024 at its March 5-11, 2024 meeting. Based on these recommendations, federal regulations are expected to publish by early April 2024, requiring amendment of several state regulations to maintain consistency with and to complement the new federal regulations in state waters. The changes necessary to state recreational regulations include seasons, depth restrictions, and bag limit amendments for all Groundfish Management Areas (GMAs). Species-specific regulation changes for many or all federal groundfish species are necessary as well.

Proposed changes to regulations described are necessary to maintain consistency with and to complement the new federal regulations in state waters that are expected to become effective in early April 2024.

Proposed modifications to the regulations would allow, during different months of the year, in areas north of 36° N. lat. (near Point Lopez, Monterey County) (Figure 2), recreational fishing seasons that would be defined as either “nearshore only” or “offshore only.” For areas south of 36° N. lat., proposed modifications to regulations would allow during different months of the year fishing seasons that would be defined as “nearshore only,” “offshore only,” or “all depth.” Combining “nearshore only,” “offshore only,” and for areas south of 36° N. lat. “all depth” fisheries in different times of the year are expected to provide maximum fishing opportunities in each GMAs while minimizing impacts to quillback rockfish in the areas north of 36° N. lat. where quillback rockfish reside.

Major changes are:

•   Descending Devices: No person shall take or possess any federal groundfish as defined in Section 1.91 and all greenlings of the genus Hexagrammos from any boat or other floating device in ocean waters without having a descending device in possession and available for immediate use to assist in releasing rockfish to the depth of capture. (This was part of the Non-Motorized Vessel Petition)
•   (b) Seasons and depth constraint restrictions effective for all species of rockfish (except as specified in subsection 28.55(b)(1)), lingcod, cabezon and all greenlings of the genus Hexagrammos:  (1[1-7, as needed - following recommendations from the March 5-11, 2024 PFMC meeting]) January 1 through May 14: Closed. [varied dates within the range from January 1 through December 31, may include open or closed periods for full or partial months that may be open in non-concurrent depths defined as “nearshore only,” or “offshore only.” A “nearshore only” fishery authorizes take or possession of all species of rockfish (except as specified in subsection 28.55(b)(1)), lingcod, cabezon, and all greenlings of the genus Hexagrammos shoreward of the 20-fathomboundary line as defined in Section 35.00. An “offshore only” fishery is defined as
•   Catches of vermilion rockfish continue to be at or projected to exceed federally established harvest limits, and additional reduction to the vermilion rockfish sub-bag limit from 4 fish to 2 or 3 fish is expected to be necessary to further reduce mortality of this species in 2024.  [Following recommendations from the March 5-11, 2024 PFMC meeting]
•   Modified to repeal the Cowcod Conservation Area regulations and to add language for consistency with new regulations establishing Groundfish Exclusion Areas closed to all groundfish fishing.

Schedule
•   Feb. 14, 2024 FGC Meeting: Discussion
•   March 5-11, 2024 PFMC Meeting – Groundfish Management Inseason Adjustments
•   March 26, 2024 FGC Teleconference Meeting: Adaption Hearing

Paul

Thank you for sharing the update. Hope it’s a reasonable season

Thank you for sharing the update. Hope it’s a reasonable season

+1

Thanks for staying on top of things for us Paul.

ernest

Seems complicated, at least for now.

Seems complicated, at least for now.

Yes, I agree that it is very confusing at this time.  Hopefully, once CDFW publishes the final regulations, it will be much simpler to follow.
Between CDFW and PFMC, there is too much information to absorb.
Another item PFMC is reviewing is "Consideration of Additional California Quillback Rockfish Analyses and Adopt Rebuilding Analysis"

Paul

Wondering if we'll ever go back to a simple season with no depth restrictions, even if the quillback thing gets sorted.

Thanks for the update Paul. Is the meeting tomorrow something we should attend?

Thanks for the update Paul. Is the meeting tomorrow something we should attend?

I don't think you need to attend unless you want to make comments regarding MPA petition items.
I plan to attend the meeting in person to gather additional information.

The two agenda items you want to pay attention to are:

7. Recreational fishing regulations for federal groundfish
Discuss proposed amendments to (a) recreational fishing regulations for federal groundfish in state waters for consistency with federal rules in 2024, and (b) recreational groundfish seasons, bag and depth limits.
(Amend sections 27.20, 27.25, 27.30, 27.35, 27.40, 27.45, 27.50, 28.26, 28.27, 28.28, 28.29, 28.47, 28.48, 28.49, 28.55, and 28.56)

10. Regulation change petitions (marine) - Rick has coordinated this issue.
(B) Previously received petitions
Petition 2023-14MPA - 34MPA

Paul

Wondering if we'll ever go back to a simple season with no depth restrictions, even if the quillback thing gets sorted.

I think it is doubtful.  During our last meeting, I told CDFW staff that you need a PhD to understand the current fishing regulations.  The response I got was that they were trying to allow fishing with all the restrictions, and it got more complicated.

Paul

thank you Paul, I'll try to absorb these regulations, hope for a nice year, Ron.

Thanks for the update. Wish to get longer season this year.

Here is the link to the Recreational Fishing Regulations for Federal Groundfish: https://youtu.be/NIBLfzMrLpM?si=mSup6DdaO9HkspbG

CDFW (Dr. Craig Shuman) appreciates our participation and doing the nearshore season survey. (4:25 of the video)

On another note, the Northern California Halibut limit has been permanently reduced to 2.

Non-Motorized Petition Workgroup,

Paul

Are they going to make the regulations a little easier to understand ever?

Unlikely, during my conversation with Dr. Craig Shuman, I told him you need a PhD to understand the current regulation.
He responded that it got so complicated because CDFW is trying to keep the season open as much as they can with all the restrictions.
I agree that we need to make it simpler for people to follow.

One App I love to see is the Rockfish App (which works offline); if I take a photo of RF, it will tell me the species and all the regulations.  Based on the locations, it can tell me if I can keep the fish and how many.
I hope some smart people can develop one or give me an idea of how much it would cost to develop one.

Paul

This all gives me a terrible, depressing, sinking feeling. People like Craig Schuman, whose entire education and career are immersed in "progressive" "environmentalist" policies, assume that people like themselves should naturally and obviously be in control of other peoples' lives and opportunities. The "CDFW is trying to keep the season open..." nonsense gives it all away. The same type of fools who thought they could control mother nature during the covid times also think that the health of mother nature depends on their micromanagement and never-ending crusade against humans taking advantages of the natural resources around them.

The current fiasco that is the rockfish season has absolutely nothing to do with quillbacks. That's just their current BS excuse to reduce fishing opportunities and gradually (though it's faster lately) lock/ratchet in increasingly restrictive and complex policies.

The long-term goal of people like Dr Craig is to minimize fishing permanently while claiming to be "trying to keep things open." Quick clue to everyone who thinks we can bargain away this or that part of our opportunities in exchange for something in return.

These people need things to put on their resumes; they call them achievements. They have goals and initiatives every year whether "the environment" needs or will benefit in any way from their goals and initiatives. And every goal and "win" for these people involves a reduction in opportunities for us.

They'll reduce fishing and crabbing this year, next year, and the year after that. It has nothing to do with the health of our fisheries or environment; they just use BS "rationales" like the quillback nonsense as an excuse.

Sorry for the somewhat political rant, but you can't separate the management of west coast fisheries from the elected officials who hire and/or appoint the people in charge.

The rockfish restrictions completely suck for many people who will have exactly zero impact on quillbacks, whales, reefs, kelp, whatever. The crazy complicated rules won't make a difference, but the clowns who made the rules will take credit for any real or made-up variability in fish populations.