TO: ALL SAC BOATS & LANDINGS.

SUBJECT: 2002 ROCKFISH CLOSURE ANNOUNCED.

ROCKFISH CLOSURE APPROVED;
GOES INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY!

In a press release sent out on January 12, 2002, the California Department of Fish & Game announced that the Office of Administrative Law (OAL), had approved and filed the 2002 rockfish regulations, and at the request of the Fish & Game Commission, the regulations were to be effective upon filing. These regulations close the waters inside 200 miles to all sport take of rockfish and ling cod south of Pt. Conception until March 1, 2002, at which time all waters except the 'Cow Cod Conservation Area' will be opened to take of legal daily bag limits of both species, and with a smaller minimum size limit of 24 inches on ling cod.

The 2002 rockfish regulations will allow fishing for rockfish in all depths from March 1, 2002 through the end of October 2002, and then a second complete rockfish closure will go into effect through the end of December 2002. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will meet in September and November of this year to adopt regulations for 2003, and armed with new stock assessments for Bocaccio, scheduled to be completed later this year, they may consider changes to these regulations for November & December of 2002, and also for next year.

On the Marine Reserves front, I will be testifying this Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Joint Committee on Fisheries & Aquaculture hearing in Sacramento, and hope with Tom Raftican to educate the legislative representatives of the severe economic impact that closures would have, and also bring them up to speed on the recoveries of many rockfish species that have occurred over the last several years, making the use of reserves in any large scale unnecessary for maintaining the health of marine fishery stocks.

As new information becomes available, I will keep you posted.

Sincerely,
Bob Fletcher, President