CDFW News

Fish and Wildlife Closes Nearshore Groundfish Fishery in Northern Management Area

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:05:30 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that as of 12:01 a.m. Monday Aug. 21, 2023, the 50 fathom Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line for the Northern Groundfish Management Area (GMA), from the California/Oregon state line to Cape Mendocino, will take effect. This will be the first ‘offshore only’ fishery in the Northern GMA. In the Northern GMA, recreational boat-based groundfish fishing will only be allowed seaward (away from land) of the boundary line. The 50-fathom RCA boundary line is defined by straight lines connecting a set of waypoints as adopted in federal regulations (50 CFR Part 660, Subpart G). With the exception of sablefish and flatfish as described below, only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish and lingcod may be taken or possessed. It shall be unlawful to take or possess nearshore species (shallow and deeper nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenlings) in the Northern GMA.

Fishing for and retention of sablefish and flatfish are not affected by this action and may be targeted, taken and possessed year-round in all depths. However, no gear may be deployed shoreward of the 50-fathom RCA boundary line when shelf rockfish, slope rockfish or lingcod are possessed onboard the vessel. Vessels may transit shoreward of the 50-fathom RCA boundary line with shelf rockfish, slope rockfish or lingcod in possession if no gear is deployed. Additionally, vessels fishing in the adjacent Mendocino GMA and transiting back to the Northern GMA must adhere to the ‘offshore only’ provisions effective in the Northern GMA and may not return with nearshore species aboard. Changes in retention allowances described here for boat-based modes do not apply to shore-based anglers or divers.

CDFW is carefully monitoring the harvest of quillback rockfish from both the recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the state. The quillback rockfish harvest limit specified in federal regulation for 2023 has been exceeded in the Northern GMA, and additional in-season action authorized by Title 14, Section 27.20 (e) to adjust the fishing depth is necessary to prevent further overage.

CDFW took in-season action on Aug. 7 to prohibit retention of quillback rockfish, the first in what is likely to be a series of steps to reduce the total impacts to quillback rockfish. CDFW anticipates that additional action(s) may be needed for this and other GMAs in the remainder of 2023 and in 2024, in response to the most recent quillback rockfish stock assessment indicating the population is in severe decline.

CDFW urges anglers to use best fishing practices to reduce impacts to quillback rockfish and other prohibited groundfish species. These include reducing mortality when releasing fish by utilizing a descending device (PDF) and relocating to different fishing grounds or switching targets if quillback rockfish or other prohibited species are encountered.

CDFW recommends reviewing the Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations page before each trip to ensure anglers are up to date on the most recent groundfish regulations.

For information on groundfish visit CDFW’s Marine Region Groundfish page.

Pursuant to California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 27.20(e), when federal harvest limits are exceeded or projected to be exceeded, CDFW has authority to make in-season changes, including adjustments to bag and sub-bag limits, seasons and depths.

Media contacts:
Caroline McKnight, CDFW Marine Region, (831) 277-7683
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

San Francisco and Mendocino California Recreational Groundfish ‘Offshore-Only’ Season and Northern ‘All-Depth’ Season Opens May 15

Fri, 12 May 2023 16:40:13 GMT

The recreational groundfish “offshore-only” season will open on May 15, 2023 in the San Francisco (Point Arena to Pigeon Point) and Mendocino (Cape Mendocino to Point Arena) Groundfish Management Areas (GMA) where, for the first time in over two decades, anglers can enjoy fishing for groundfish in deeper offshore waters. The new “offshore-only” season will be in effect seaward (away from land) of the 50 fathom (300 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line, defined by a series of straight lines connecting specific coordinates. This change will provide access to healthy deeper water shelf (PDF) and slope (PDF) rockfish species and lingcod while prohibiting the take and/or possession of nearshore rockfish species (PDF), cabezon and greenlings.

Anglers are encouraged to learn nearshore rockfish species (PDF) and groundfish identification skills as retention or possession of nearshore rockfish species during the “offshore-only” season is prohibited. Take of bronzespotted rockfish, cowcod and yelloweye rockfish continues to be prohibited year-round in all areas and depths.

In the Northern GMA (California-Oregon state line to Cape Mendocino), the recreational groundfish “all-depth" season will be open from May 15 through Oct. 15 and will allow access to nearshore rockfish (PDF), cabezon, and greenling along with deeper shelf (PDF) and slope (PDF) rockfish species and lingcod. From July 16 through Dec. 31 the San Francisco and Mendocino GMAs will change to an “all-depth” season as well. The authorization to fish for groundfish in the offshore or “all-depth” seasons do not supersede state and federal marine protected areas or other special area closures. Anglers can view closed areas utilizing CDFW’s Ocean Sport Fishing Interactive Web Map.

Note that if you are leaving from a port in a closed or partially closed GMA, you may not be able to transit back with fish taken in an adjacent GMA. Per CCR T14 §27.20(b)(1)(A) and §27.20(c), when a species or species group is closed to take and/or possession in part of a GMA, that species or species group may be possessed aboard a vessel in transit through the part of the GMA that is closed if there is no fishing gear deployed in the water. However, that vessel cannot transit into another GMA if that entire GMA is closed to the take of the species or species groups that are in possession onboard the vessel, regardless of where the fish were taken or if fishing gear was deployed or not. For example, the Central GMA is open in all depths and all groundfish species may be taken and possessed in the area from May 1 through Sept. 30. From May 15 through July 15, the San Francisco GMA is open only seaward of 50 fathoms and per CCR T14 §27.35(b)(2)(B) the take and/or possession of nearshore rockfish, cabezon or greenlings is prohibited in the entire GMA. An angler may not legally take and retain nearshore rockfish, cabezon or greenlings onboard a vessel in the open Central GMA and then transit into the San Francisco GMA during this time. However, they can legally take and retain shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod in the Central GMA and then transit into the San Francisco GMA during this time. Between July 16 and Sept. 30, when both the San Francisco and Central GMAs have the same all-depth and groundfish regulations, anglers may fish and transit between GMAs.

Similarly, anglers should exercise caution if transiting between the Northern and Mendocino GMA. The Northern GMA is open in all depths and all groundfish species may be taken and possessed in the area from May 15 through Oct. 15. From May 15 through July 15, the Mendocino GMA is open only seaward of 50 fathoms and per CCR T14 §27.30(b)(2)(B) the take and/or possession of nearshore rockfish, cabezon or greenlings is prohibited in the entire GMA. An angler may not legally take and retain nearshore rockfish, cabezon or greenlings onboard a vessel in the open Northern GMA and then transit into the Mendocino GMA during this time. Between July 16 and Oct. 15, when both the Northern and Mendocino GMAs have the same “all-depth” and groundfish regulations, anglers may fish and transit between GMAs.

Regulations provide an exemption for divers and shore-based anglers from the boat-based season restrictions affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish and allows for year-round diving and shore-based angling.

All recreational GMAs in California are scheduled for up to five and a half months of “all-depth” fishing time in 2023. The 2023 fishing seasons for the GMAs are:

Southern Groundfish Management Area (PDF): Closed January 1 - March 31; “All-Depth” Season April 1 - Sept. 15; “Offshore-only” Season Sept. 16 - Dec. 31
Central Groundfish Management Area (PDF): Closed January 1 - April 30; “All-Depth” Season May 1 - Sept. 30; “Offshore-only” Season: Oct. 1 - Dec. 31
San Francisco Groundfish Management Area (PDF): Closed January 1 - May 14; “Offshore-only” Season May 15 - July 15; “All-Depth” Season July 16 - Dec. 31
Mendocino Groundfish Management Area (PDF): Closed Jan. 1 - May 14; “Offshore-only” Season May 15 - July 15; “All-Depth” Season July 16 - Dec. 31
Northern Groundfish Management Area (PDF): Closed Jan. 1 - May 14; “All-Depth” Season May 15 - Oct. 15; Closed Oct. 16 - Dec. 31

For more detailed information on the new 2023 recreational groundfish regulations visit CDFW’s 2023 Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations web page. For information on groundfish fishery science, management and other frequently asked questions, please visit CDFW’s Marine Region Groundfish web page.

CDFW photo by Edgar W. Roberts III.

###

Media Contacts:
James Phillips, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 576-2893
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

New Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations Coming in the New Year

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 09:51:33 GMT

Changes to recreational fishing seasons, depth limits and bag limits for a variety of groundfish species will be implemented in 2023.

The new regulations were adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council in June 2022 and the California Fish and Game Commission in November 2022 and are expected to take effect on or around Jan. 1, 2023. As in previous years, the boat-based fishery for most groundfish species will be closed statewide beginning Jan. 1, while spear divers and shore-based anglers will continue to have year-round fishing opportunities for groundfish.

For groundfish including Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenling (RCG) as well as lingcod, the boat-based seasons will bring a mix of increased and reduced fishing opportunities, depending on the species. Unlike prior years, all Groundfish Management Areas will have a portion of the season when ‘all-depth’ fishing is allowed and anglers are not subject to the Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) depth constraints. This allows new fishing opportunities for deeper-water shelf and slope rockfish, which are most abundant in areas that have been previously closed to recreational groundfish fishing. The following is a summary of the new boat-based regulations for RCG species and lingcod in each management area:

Southern Management Area between 34°27' N. latitude (Point Conception) and the U.S./Mexico border:

For nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenlings: closed Jan. 1 through March 31, open at all depths April 1 through Sept. 15, closed Sept. 16 through Dec. 31.
For all other rockfish (shelf and slope species) and lingcod: closed Jan. 1 through March 31, open at all depths April 1 through Sept. 15. From Sept. 16 through Dec. 31, take of shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod is open seaward of the 50 fathom RCA line. Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom RCA line.
Additional regulations still apply within the Cowcod Conservation Areas.

Central Management Area between 37°11' N. latitude (Pigeon Point) and 34°27' N. latitude (Point Conception):

For nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenlings: closed Jan. 1 through April 30, open at all depths May 1 through Sept. 30, closed Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.
For all other rockfish (shelf and slope species) and lingcod: closed Jan. 1 through April 30, open at all depths May 1 through Sept. 30. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, take of shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod is open seaward of the 50 fathom RCA line. Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom RCA line.

San Francisco Management Area between 38°57.5' N. latitude (Point Arena) and 37°11' N. latitude (Pigeon Point):

For nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenlings: closed Jan. 1 through July 15, open at all depths July 16 through Dec. 31.
For all other rockfish (shelf and slope species) and lingcod: closed Jan. 1 through May 14. From May 15 through July 15, take of shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod is open seaward of the 50 fathom RCA line. Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom RCA line. From July 16 through Dec. 31, open at all depths.

Mendocino Management Area between 40°10' N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino) and 38°57.5' N. latitude (Point Arena):

For nearshore rockfish, cabezon and greenlings: closed Jan. 1 through July 15, open at all depths July 16 through Dec. 31.
For all other rockfish (shelf and slope species) and lingcod: closed Jan. 1 through May 14. From May 15 through July 15, take of shelf and slope rockfish and lingcod is open seaward of the 50 fathom RCA line. Take is prohibited shoreward of the 50 fathom RCA line. From July 16 through Dec. 31, open at all depths.

Northern Management Area between the California/Oregon state line and 40°10' N. latitude (near Cape Mendocino):

For rockfish, cabezon, greenlings and lingcod: closed Jan. 1 through May 14, open at all depths May 15 through Oct. 15, closed Oct. 16 through Dec. 31.

Anglers will need to identify rockfish species they catch, and beginning in 2023, be able to determine if the fish is categorized as a nearshore (PDF), shelf (PDF) or slope (PDF) rockfish species, as different seasons and depths apply to each category depending on the Groundfish Management Area and month. The RCG bag limit will remain at 10 fish in combination of rockfish, cabezon and greenlings, with sub-bag limits of not more than four vermilion (PDF) rockfish, one copper (PDF) rockfish and one quillback (PDF) rockfish. Take and possession of cowcod, yelloweye and bronzespotted rockfish will remain prohibited.

The new groundfish regulations are a significant departure from the fishing seasons and depth limits that anglers are accustomed to and are necessary due to scientific information suggesting that copper rockfish and quillback rockfish populations are in severe decline. The season structures for each management area were developed in consultation with fishing industry representatives, non-governmental organizations and state, federal and tribal governments, and were designed to provide the greatest amount of groundfish fishing time and opportunity to anglers throughout the year.

“While recognizing there are concerns with copper and quillback rockfish that will reduce nearshore fishing time in the near-term, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is excited to offer recreational anglers new deeper-water and offshore bank and reef opportunities for groundfish that have been closed for more than two decades,” said CDFW Environmental Program Manager Marci Yaremko. “We look forward to seeing the diversity of healthy species come across the docks in the coming years as significant new fishing grounds will now be available to recreational angling.”

There are also changes for several species that have been subject to boat-based closures in the past, which may offer new alternatives for boat-based anglers as early as January. They include:

New year-round opportunities: ocean whitefish, California scorpionfish, leopard shark, soupfin shark, Dover sole, English sole, arrowtooth flounder, spiny dogfish, skates, ratfish, grenadiers, finescale codling, Pacific cod, Pacific whiting, sablefish and thornyheads will now be open year-round in all depths, statewide.
Boat-based fishing for California sheephead, will be open from March 1 through Dec. 31, statewide. The bag limit, regardless of fishing mode, will decrease from five fish to two fish.

To meet harvest goals, the recreational groundfish fishery is subject to in-season regulatory changes. Please stay informed by visiting CDFW’s summary of recreational groundfish fishing regulations webpage before fishing.

Media contacts:
Caroline McKnight, CDFW Marine Region, (831) 277-7683
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

###

Big Changes to Sport Groundfish Regulations Coming in 2023

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:43:44 GMT

Significant changes to California’s groundfish sport fishing regulations are expected starting next year, in response to recent scientific information suggesting some nearshore groundfish species are in decline. To reduce pressure on these stocks, fishing seasons will be shorter in nearshore waters, but new opportunities in deeper water are anticipated.

The upcoming changes were developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) over the past year and reflect outcomes of a public decision-making process where the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) worked with fishing industry representatives, non-governmental organizations, and state, federal and tribal governments to balance the need for fishing season closures in nearshore waters with the needs of these communities and industries. The PFMC approved the recommendations for 2023 and 2024 at its June meeting.

Based on these recommendations, the National Marine Fisheries Service has begun the process of amending federal regulations, which are expected to take effect in January 2023. The California Fish and Game Commission is considering the same changes to ocean sport fishing regulations for state waters.

California’s sport groundfish regulations divide the state into five “Groundfish Management Areas” – in which the fishing seasons, Rockfish Conservation Areas or depth constraints, and bag limits may differ. In 2022, nearshore groundfish fishing season lengths ranged from eight to 10 months, but in 2023, they are expected to shrink to not more than five and a half months in all areas.

Within the 10-fish daily combined rockfish, cabezon and greenling bag limit, the sub-bag limits of one fish each for quillback and copper rockfish, and four fish for vermilion rockfish will continue in 2023. These sub-bag limits have been in effect since January 2022 and were necessary because new information in 2021 indicated severe declines in the populations of quillback and copper rockfish off California, and recreational vermilion rockfish catch continued to be greater than sustainable harvest limits.

Both the sub-bag limits and shortened fishing seasons are expected to achieve necessary reductions in copper, vermilion and quillback rockfish catch.

While groundfish fishing seasons will be shorter for nearshore waters and some bag limits are reduced, new opportunities to fish in deeper water beginning in 2023 will allow anglers to target healthy populations of shelf and slope rockfish in deeper waters, like schooling mid-water widow and yellowtail rockfish, or bottom-dwelling blackgill rockfish. Additionally, the sport fishing seasons for some other federally managed groundfish species like sablefish (sometimes called “black cod” or “butterfish”) will be open year-round without depth constraints. Access to these previously closed depths means new experiences for anglers as they explore new habitats, new fishing locations, new target species, and new gear configurations to assemble and deploy.

“Next year is expected to bring a momentous shift in the sport groundfish fishery as all but one of the overfished shelf species that drove management decisions for the better part of the past two decades are now healthy,” said CDFW Environmental Program Manager Marci Yaremko. “While concerns for quillback and copper rockfish will impact the nearshore fishery in the coming years, there are also a number of new opportunities for anglers, and CDFW looks forward to supporting their development.”

To stay informed of in-season regulatory changes, please call the Recreational Groundfish Hotline at (831) 649-2801 or visit CDFW’s summary of recreational groundfish fishing regulations.

###

Media Contacts:
Caroline McKnight, CDFW Marine Region, (831) 277-7683
Kirsten Macintyre, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

Photo: CDFW photo of a copper rockfish, by Ed Roberts

Recreational Bag Limits Reduced for Some Rockfish Species in 2022

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:02:39 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announces multiple changes to recreational rockfish sub-bag limits which are expected to take effect Jan. 6, 2022. The emergency regulations were adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in mid-December to align with federal regulations for these species. Changes to the sub-bag limits within the 10-fish daily Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling (RCG) complex bag and possession limit include:

A decrease to the statewide sub-bag limit for vermilion rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) from five fish to four fish
A new statewide sub-bag limit for quillback rockfish (S. maliger) of one fish
A new statewide sub-bag limit for copper rockfish (S. caurinus) of one fish

The RCG complex has a daily 10-fish bag and possession aggregate limit, meaning that each angler’s catch can be composed of any combination of rockfish, cabezon or greenling, as long as total catch remains at or below 10 fish. Sub-bag limits within the RCG bag limit are implemented when harvest guidelines cannot accommodate the 10-fish bag limit being composed of a single species.

“New stock assessments conducted in 2021 for quillback and copper rockfish suggest severe population declines for these two species. Also, unsustainably high catches of vermilion rockfish have occurred each year since 2015,” said CDFW Environmental Program Manager Marci Yaremko. “For these reasons, new federal regulations were needed to implement reduced sport bag limits for these three species in 2022.”

Despite these changes, there are still numerous opportunities to catch other groundfish species with healthy populations in 2022 when seasons are open.

Anglers are reminded that when rockfish or any other species subject to barotrauma are released, use of a descending device is encouraged to return the fish to the bottom. Please visit CDFW’s Rockfish Barotrauma page for more information.

In an effort to better assist anglers with identifying rockfish species while fishing, CDFW is preparing new informational flyers to distinguish copper and quillback rockfish from similar-looking species, such as gopher and canary rockfish. The flyers will be available soon on CDFW’s Fish and Shellfish Identification page and the Marine Region Groundfish page.

Anglers should check CDFW’s website for the current regulations before fishing for groundfish, which include rockfish, lingcod and other species as defined in the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 1.91, as changes can occur in-season. Though the boat-based groundfish fishery is closed statewide as of Jan. 1, the fishery is open year-round for shore-based angling and spearfishing. The boat-based recreational groundfish fishery season dates and depth limits are expected to be the same as in 2021 and are as follows:

In the Northern Management Area (the Oregon/California state line to near Cape Mendocino) and the Mendocino Management Area (near Cape Mendocino to Point Arena) from May 1 through Oct. 31, take is prohibited seaward of the 30 fathom (180 feet) Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundary line. From Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, groundfish may be taken at any depth in these two areas.
In the San Francisco Management Area (Point Arena to Pigeon Point) and the Central Management Area (Pigeon Point to Point Conception) from April 1 through Dec. 31, take is prohibited seaward of the 50 fathom (300 feet) RCA boundary line.
In the Southern Management Area (Point Conception to the U.S./Mexico border) from March 1 through Dec. 31 take is prohibited seaward of the 100 fathom (600 feet) RCA boundary line.
In all Groundfish Management Areas, the RCA boundary line for the established depth constraint is the series of connected waypoints defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50, Part 660, Subpart C.

For more information on the new 2022 recreational rockfish sub-bag limits and to stay informed of in-season changes, please call the Recreational Groundfish Hotline at (831) 649-2801 or visit CDFW’s summary of recreational groundfish fishing regulations for 2022. For background information on groundfish science and management, please visit CDFW’s Marine Region Groundfish page.

###

Media Contacts:
James Phillips, CDFW Marine Region, (707) 576-2893
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 654-9937