[ODFW-News] Commission extends sport halibut openers

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
For more information call 503-947-6002
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  


For immediate release	Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004

Commission extends sport halibut openers

SALEM - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday added extra days
to the scheduled spring and summer sport halibut openers.

The Commission added Thursday to all Friday and Saturday openings
during the spring sport halibut all-depth fishery (from May to July),
and Sunday to all Friday and Saturday openings during the summer halibut
all-depth fishery (from August to October). The additional days should
lessen the likelihood that poor weather and ocean conditions will
prevent fishing opportunities during scheduled open periods. 

In adopting this and other regulations, the Commission concurred with
Pacific halibut regulations set by the Pacific Fisheries Management
Council for Oregon anglers. The daily bag limit for Oregon anglers will
remain at one fish per day, consistent with the regulations for
Washington and California. 

The minimum length requirement for Pacific halibut in the Oregon sport
fishery was eliminated, which is consistent with Alaska, Washington and
California regulations. No documented biological reason supports the
previous minimum length requirement of 32 inches. Anglers are not
required to keep the first halibut caught.

The Commission also adopted a halibut closure of Stonewall Bank,
offshore of Newport, to reduce incidental catch of yelloweye rockfish
and canary rockfish. Both species are classified as overfished by the
PFMC. The location and a map of the closed area will be included in the
2005 Oregon Ocean Salmon and Halibut Sport Fishing Regulation pamphlet
to be distributed in May 2005. The information is also available on the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Resources Program Website
at http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/odfw/finfish/halibut.   

Other changes to the 2005 sport halibut fishery included an increase in
the share of Oregon-California sport allocation to the ocean area off
the Columbia River. Oregon will now contribute poundage to that area
equal to Washington's amount.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is the policy-making body for
fish and wildlife issues in the state. The seven-member panel meets
monthly.

###