NEW GROUNDFISH REGULATIONS.Byline: Daily News The California Department of Fish and Game has released the 2005 ocean sportfishing regulations for groundfish on the Internet at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd. Five recreational fishing management areas for groundfish have been established along the California coast. Each is governed by a different set of regulations tailored to meet regional needs. The new areas and regulations go into effect Saturday. The southern area is from Point Conception to the U.S./Mexico border and is open from March to September. As in 2004, divers and shore-based anglers will be exempt from most restrictions affecting groundfish in 2005. Important exceptions exist for lingcod lingcod Commercially popular fish species (Ophiodon elongatus) that is strictly marine, found along the Pacific coast of North America. It is a voracious predator with a large mouth and caninelike teeth. and California scorpionfish scorpionfish: see rockfish. . For a summary of regulations for each area, go to the DFG Marine Region Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/bfregs2005.html or contact your local DFG office. To help California's saltwater anglers keep up with the latest sportfishing regulations, DFG also is expanding its automated telephone information system in January. The expanded system, available at (831) 649-2801, will provide saltwater regulation information by area, including fishing seasons, fishing depth limits, bag limits and gear restrictions. The recreational fisheries affected by groundfish regulation changes in 2005 include those for rockfish, cabezon Cab`e`zon´ n. 1. (Zool.) A California fish (Hemilepidotus spinosus), allied to the sculpin. , kelp greenling greenling, common name for any of several species of the genus Hexagrammos, carnivorous, spiny-finned fishes of the family Hexagrammidae, common in the Pacific Ocean, especially in the waters N of Monterey, Calif. , California scorpionfish, lingcod, some flatfish flatfish, common name for any member of the unique and widespread order Pleuronectiformes containing over 500 species (including the flounder, halibut, plaice, sole, and turbot), 130 of which are American. , some sharks and other federally managed groundfish species. As in the past, the state will manage ocean whitefish, California sheepshead sheepshead Species (Archosargus probatocephalus) of popular edible sport fish in the porgy family, common along southern North American Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. and rock greenling to be consistent with the federal regulations. For the full list of species managed as groundfish, check the Marine Region Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/groundfish-fedlist.html. For more information, send an e-mail to AskMarine(at)dfg.ca.gov or check the PFMC PFMC Pacific Fishery Management Council PFMC Pacific Foundation for Medical Care PFMC Pilgrims of Faith Marian Center Web site at www.pcouncil.org. Up-to-date fishing regulations may also be found online at DFG's California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations Map at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/fishing-map.html. Complete groundfish regulations, and all updated regulations for 2005, will be published in next year's Ocean Sport Fishing Regulation booklet. The new regulation booklet will be posted to the DFG Marine Region Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd in early January. Paper copies of the 2005 booklet are scheduled to be distributed to license vendors by late January. |
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