Groundfish Management: Inseason Adjustments - Pacific Fishery Management Council

Groundfish Management: Inseason Adjustments - Pacific Fishery Management Council - March 2024 Council Meeting Comment

F. GROUNDFISH 8. Inseason Adjustments (2 hr 30 min) on Sunday, March 10

You can comment on the following link until March 1st:
https://pfmc.psmfc.org/Meeting/Details/3034

Select F8 – Comment Now
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Paul

I believe with the 20 fathom depth restriction combined with the use of descenders and zero retention of Quillback, that they should eliminate any in-season adjustments or changes, which are very disruptive.

My fear is that the 20 fathom boundary, in addition to other seasonal restrictions, translates into nothing more than a game of musical chairs. Increased fishing effort within a smaller area on a relatively shorter time frame can result in the serial depletion of the remaining fish species which are still legal to take. Essentially, the State has circumvented the process of developing a new MPA by establishing the 20 fathom boundary WHICH is not currently a designated Federal management area such as YRCAs. The California 30 by 30 agenda will not suddenly occur overnight after 12/31/2029...it's slowly happening now.

So the 20 fathom = (120ft) boundary you speak of is that inside 20 fathoms or outside ?

Like last year they opened for what 6 weeks they don't seam to realize in throes 6 weeks we "maybe" can go ocean fishing what maybe 2 times if your a working man. They don't seem to realize weather is a big factor if we can even go fishing.
Lets face it these regulations are all about the party boats if they were serious about really reducing the rockfish take they would drop the limit to 6 fish and 1 lingcod. Make Blue and Black rockfish and other species that you can throw back easy "size limits" for inshore fishing, including shore fishing any rockfing from shore can be tossed back. Descender for any boat and kayak would help too.
There is so much they could do but for some reason they never drop the whole bag limit and mandatory size for rockfish I have no idea why. They could make a different bag and size for party boats ouside the 20 or 30 fathom limit and not let the party boats fish inside.
Together were all competing for the same fish in the same waters they need to seprtate party/commercial from recreation and kayak fishing.
IDK guys Im a really old fishing dude I could be talking out my but this is just my take after fish out coast for 70+years sorry !

The 20 fathom boundary line is a boundary delineated by a series of lat/long coordinates which represent the conservation area. In reality, some of the individual coordinates are either deeper or shallower than 20 fathoms however most are close to the mark.

So the 20 fathom = (120ft) boundary you speak of is that inside 20 fathoms or outside ?

Like last year they opened for what 6 weeks they don't seam to realize in throes 6 weeks we "maybe" can go ocean fishing what maybe 2 times if your a working man. They don't seem to realize weather is a big factor if we can even go fishing.
Lets face it these regulations are all about the party boats if they were serious about really reducing the rockfish take they would drop the limit to 6 fish and 1 lingcod. Make Blue and Black rockfish and other species that you can throw back easy "size limits" for inshore fishing, including shore fishing any rockfing from shore can be tossed back. Descender for any boat and kayak would help too.
There is so much they could do but for some reason they never drop the whole bag limit and mandatory size for rockfish I have no idea why. They could make a different bag and size for party boats ouside the 20 or 30 fathom limit and not let the party boats fish inside.
Together were all competing for the same fish in the same waters they need to seprtate party/commercial from recreation and kayak fishing.
IDK guys Im a really old fishing dude I could be talking out my but this is just my take after fish out coast for 70+years sorry !
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They should make the fish limits on PBs 6 bottom fish, 1 ling and must fish outside the 20 fathom line. Then let private boats and kayakers alone. Also make it a requirement for all boats that are fishing to have and use fish descenders.

"They should make the fish limits on PBs 6 bottom fish"

I think it should be 5 rockfish for everyone.  Unfortunately, the large rockfish limit seems to favor PB's as it becomes less viable for someone to pay hundreds of $ to go out on a PB for a much smaller number of fish. 

Could not agree more cut the limits in half and separate PB and commercial fishermen from private boaters and kayakers.
How about size limits for inshore and even shore and pier fishermen I see folks keeping little tiny blues and blacks that can easily be thrown back. A lot of the coastal states back east have a ton of size limits we could surly do it to at least some of the other rockfish.

What does any of that have to do with Quillback?  And why the negativity towards charter boats?

-Allen

Commercial fishing is the one caught all the fish. They fish all year long with no breaks

Remember that the people proposing the new MPAs will need a project next year, and the year after that, etc. Their projects will not involve adding fishing opportunities. Only mother nature can do that. The quillbacks are fine, rockfish and lings are abundant, and there's no actual problem for these clowns to address, but they've become more aggressive about restricting fishing and crabbing anyway.

These people are either politically compromised, easily manipulated by pressure, or true believers raised on every nature show telling them the ocean is dying because of fisherman. If there are no "problems" for them to address, they'll make things up and that's exactly what the new MPAs are. It's just the latest made-up cause. They want to reduce fishing opportunities gradually while saying that's not what they are doing. If limits are cut, that's not coming back. If MPAs are established, the fishing opportunities aren't coming back.

Commercial fishing is the one caught all the fish. They fish all year long with no breaks

Do you have data to back up "caught all the fish"?  We've been over this and the data does not support that boogeyman.

Remember that the people proposing the new MPAs will need a project next year, and the year after that, etc. Their projects will not involve adding fishing opportunities. Only mother nature can do that. The quillbacks are fine, rockfish and lings are abundant, and there's no actual problem for these clowns to address, but they've become more aggressive about restricting fishing and crabbing anyway.

These people are either politically compromised, easily manipulated by pressure, or true believers raised on every nature show telling them the ocean is dying because of fisherman. If there are no "problems" for them to address, they'll make things up and that's exactly what the new MPAs are. It's just the latest made-up cause. They want to reduce fishing opportunities gradually while saying that's not what they are doing. If limits are cut, that's not coming back. If MPAs are established, the fishing opportunities aren't coming back.

And all the while we're throwing stones at the commercials, and the charterboat anglers, and any motorized anglers for that matter.  Sigh ...

-Allen

A rockfish trip on a party boat out of Half Moon Bay last year was ~$170. Add tips and rigs, fish cleaning, and it’s approaching $200. If party boat limits were cut to 5, that’s close to $40 per fish and hoping you get a ling or two. This expense is part of what drove lots of people from party boats and rentals to kayaks. Then the inshore closures screwed the kayak situation up. Curious what comes next

Commercial fishing is the one caught all the fish. They fish all year long with no breaks

Do you have data to back up "caught all the fish"?  We've been over this and the data does not support that boogeyman.

Go to Halfmoon pier, there are a lot of rock fish for sale. My wife and I used to buy rock fish from them because I did not caught fish when I gone fishing. They caught a lot of blacks and others.