Vote For Abalone Fishery Closure in Sonoma County

Fish and Game Commission Votes to Close Abalone
Fishery in Sonoma County

Contact:
Jordan Traverso, DFG Communications, (916) 654-9937

The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) today took emergency action to close the abalone fishery along part of the northern California coast. Specifically, the Commission voted 3-0 to close the fishery in the entirety of Sonoma County. Commissioners Daniel Richards and Richard Rogers were not in attendance.

This action was taken in the wake of confirmed reports of dead red abalone and other invertebrates on beaches and inside coves along the Sonoma County coastline.

Data continue to be collected that shows an abalone die-off along the Sonoma coast beginning Aug. 27. According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists, these abalone deaths coincided with a local red tide bloom and calm ocean conditions. Although the exact reasons for the abalone deaths are not known, invertebrate die-offs have occurred in the past along the northern California coast due to lack of oxygen and/or poisoning when similar weather and bloom conditions existed, but not at the magnitude of this event.

DFG is assessing the impact of the situation and provided the Commission with information at today's meeting.

Reports of dead abalone and a variety of invertebrates have come from Bodega Bay, Russian Gulch, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County and as far north as Anchor Bay in Mendocino County. DFG biologists and game wardens have collected abalone, mussels and water samples since the beginning and are continuing to document reports from the public. The public is encouraged to report the location, number and date of dead or dying abalone to Ian Taniguchi at (562) 342-7182 or by e-mail at itaniguchi@dfg.ca.gov.

Divers are encouraged to avoid diving in the affected areas. The exact implementation date of the emergency closure will be determined by the regulatory process and is expected soon. Please continue to check the Commission¹s website at www.fgc.ca.gov.

Abalone fishermen are advised to contact a physician immediately if they feel sick, and to report symptoms to the local county health department (www.sonoma-county.org/health/about/publichealth.asp). The latest red tide updates from the California Department of Public Health are also posted online at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DDWEM.aspx.

For more information, please refer to DFG's Sept. 2 press release, available at
http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/abalone-die-off-observed-in-sonoma-
county/.

Closure of Abalone Fishery Under Consideration

The California Fish and Game Commission will consider emergency action on
Thursday, Sept. 15 to possibly close the abalone fishery along the northern
California coast. This action is being considered in the wake of confirmed
reports of dead red abalone and other invertebrates on beaches and inside
coves along the coast in Sonoma County.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is currently attempting to assess the
impact of the situation and will provide the Commission with information at
this Thursday's meeting. Based on the DFG's report, the Commission may take
emergency action to close the abalone season along all or parts of the
Sonoma coast.

There was an abalone die-off along the Sonoma coast beginning Aug. 27 as a
result of a red tide-induced poisoning and/or lack of oxygen. According to
DFG biologists, these abalone deaths coincided with a local red tide bloom
and calm ocean conditions. Although the exact reasons for the abalone deaths
are not known, invertebrate die-offs have occurred in the past along the
northern California coast when similar weather and bloom conditions existed.

The number of dead and dying abalone is not known but DFG divers are
assessing the damage this week via underwater transect surveys. Reports of
dead abalone and a variety of invertebrates have come from Bodega Bay,
Russian Gulch, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park. Other DFG
biologists and game wardens have collected abalone, mussels and water
samples since the beginning of the bloom and are continuing to document
reports from the public.

For more information, please refer to DFG's Sept. 2 press release,
http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/abalone-die-off-observed-in-sonoma-
county/.

Abalone fishermen are advised to contact a physician immediately if they
feel sick, and to report symptoms to the local county health department
(www.sonoma-county.org/health/about/publichealth.asp). The latest red tide
updates from the California Department of Public Health are also posted
online at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DDWEM.aspx.

Contacts:
Ian Taniguchi, DFG Marine Region, (562) 342-7182
Kirsten Macintyre, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8988

Abalone Season Cranks Up

Abalone Season Opened April 1

California Department of Fish and Game News Release

Contacts:
Jerry Kashiwada, DFG Marine Region, (707) 964-5791
Dana Michaels, DFG Communications, (916) 322-2420

New Report Cards Available through Automated License Data System

California's popular red abalone season opened April 1 in waters north of
San Francisco Bay. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds divers and
rock pickers that anyone taking abalone must record their catch on an
abalone report card, and tag the animal with corresponding tags from the
cards.

This year, all licenses and cards will be available through the new
Automated License Data System (ALDS), which automatically records purchases
in an active database.

"Abalone report cards are a vital source of information needed to manage
this resource, and the ALDS will allow us to track whether individuals have
returned their report cards as required by law," said DFG Associate Marine
Biologist Jerry Kashiwada. "In the past, we could not easily determine who
had not returned their cards."

Abalone report cards should be returned to the DFG Fort Bragg office at
32330 North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA 95437-5554. Cards must be returned
by January 31 of the following year, although cards may be submitted early.
Abalone report cards must be returned even if no abalone is taken.

Because of the nature of the paper used for the ALDS abalone report card and
tags, scissors are needed to separate the tags from the card just prior to
attaching them to an abalone. In the past, scissors were not needed to
separate the pre-perforated tags.

Tags that are separated from the cards ahead of time are invalid. Holes may
be punched in the tags immediately after purchase, however. Other slight
modifications to the tagging procedure may be needed with the ALDS report
cards.

The Fish and Game Commission is currently considering proposals for marine
protected areas (MPAs) along the north coast, from Point Arena in Mendocino
County to the Oregon border. The north coast MPA process will not affect the
2011 abalone season. To find out more about the MPAs currently under
consideration, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/northcoast.asp.

Currently, the only open abalone fishery in California is in the northern
region of the state. This fishery is biologically sustainable and has
remained productive for nearly 60 years. In 2009, the most recent year for
which figures are available, the recreational catch in northern California
was an estimated 295,000 abalone.

Everyone engaging in the take of abalone is responsible for knowing and
abiding by all California abalone sport fishing regulations. A complete list
of abalone fishing regulations is also available in the 2011 Ocean Sport
Fishing regulations booklet, available wherever fishing licenses are sold,
at DFG offices and online at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations.

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Western Sport Shop note:
Just to put a finer point on it - ALL of the new licenses and tags are generated using the new Automated License Data System (ALDS). That means that the Tyvek-type paper used on your fishing license is the same as that used on the Abalone (or Sturgeon, Salmon and Steelhead) report card will not tear. So - since you need to tag your abalone directly, you will need to have some method for cutting the tag and punching a hole into it. (And this license material is tough!)

We've been setting up anglers and ab divers with a small, sharp set of scissors, and have been working hard to keep in stock on the small, waterproof containers which can hold it all. If you take a few minutes to set up the proper type of kit, you won't waste fishing or diving time trying to find a buddy who has sharp scissors or a hole punch!

As a reminder - we have been selected as one of the ALDS centers in the Bay Area, are actively selling the new California Fishing Licenses, and should be able to answer most of your questions regarding licensing. 2011/2012 Hunting Licenses are NOT currently available, but we recommend that you bring your current Hunting License down now if you will be purchasing a hunting license - this will let us input your Hunter Safety Evidence (your current or previous year license, or your actual Hunter Safety Course Card) when we sell you a fishing license. That will speed things up when the deer tags and new hunting licenses are available in a few months.

Abalone Season Opens April 1st

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2009

Contact: Carrie Wilson, Office of Communications, (831) 649-7191

Jerry Kashiwada, Marine Region, (707) 964-5791

Abalone fishing season opens April 1 north of San Francisco Bay

California’s popular red abalone sport fishery season will open April
1 in waters north of San Francisco Bay. Anyone who takes abalone must
record their catch on an abalone report card and tag the animal with
tags corresponding to the report card.

“Abalone report cards have greatly increased the consistency of our
annual take estimates and are a vital source of information needed to
manage this resource,” said Department of Fish and Game (DFG)
Associate Marine Biologist Jerry Kashiwada. “The tags help address the
issue of people neglecting to fill out their cards and exceeding annual
limits. DFG game wardens are reporting improved compliance with abalone
report card requirements.”

The Fish and Game Commission (Commission) is currently considering
adoption of marine protected areas (MPAs) proposed along the north
central coast region (from Alder Creek/Point Arena to Pigeon Point). The
proposals consider discrete areas that may restrict the take of abalone,
but do not close the entire region to abalone harvest, and would not
affect the 2009 abalone season. To find out more about specific MPA
proposals and the location of proposed MPAs under consideration, please
visit www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/ncc_recommendations.asp.

Everyone engaging in the take of abalone is responsible for knowing and
abiding by all California Marine Sport Fishing Regulations pertaining to
abalone. DFG produced a short video that demonstrates the required
tagging procedures. To view this video online, please visit
www.dfg.ca.gov/education/video/AbaloneRegulations.html.

A complete list of abalone fishing regulations is also available in the
2009 Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet, which is available
wherever fishing licenses are sold or at
www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/sportfishing_regs2009.asp.

Abalone cling to rocks, from wave-swept intertidal ledges to deep ocean
reefs where they feed on kelp and other algae. It can take 12 years or
more for abalone on the north coast to grow to legal size for harvest
and those animals must supply the fishery for several years to come.
Similar to rockfish, they are a long-lived species but have low rates of
reproduction.

Currently, the only sustainable abalone fishery in California is in the
northern region of the state, which has remained productive for nearly
60 years. In 2007, the last year numbers are available, the estimated
catch was 309,000, a considerable increase from the previous high of
264,000.

Abalone report cards must be returned to DFG within 60 days of the
close of the season (due Jan. 31, 2010). Report cards should be mailed
to DFG’s Fort Bragg field office and laboratory, 19160 South Harbor
Drive, Fort Bragg, CA 95437-5798. The cards can be submitted early.
Regulations also require that abalone report cards be returned even if
no abalone were taken.