08-18-2007, 04:10 AM
NEWPORT, Ore. - The Pacific halibut fishery reopens Aug. 24-26 to provide sport halibut anglers with additional fishing opportunities.
The fishery will close again after those dates unless sufficient quota remains and halibut managers announce another opening.
The sport halibut season off the Columbia River area - from Cape Falcon, Ore., to Leadbetter Point, Wash. - closed Aug. 12 because the catch limit was expected to be reached by the end of fishing that day. On Aug. 16, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administraton Fisheries Service, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife met by conference call and determined there were sufficient pounds remaining in the quota to re-open the fishery.
"Sport anglers planning to fish out of Columbia River ports are reminded possession of groundfish species is not allowed when a Pacific halibut is aboard their vessel," said Don Bodenmiller, Project Leader for Marine Recreational Finfish Fisheries. "The exception is sablefish (black cod) and Pacific cod, which may be retained with halibut." Bodenmiller added that other non-groundfish species, such as tuna and salmon during authorized seasons, may be possessed with halibut on open Pacific halibut days.
More details on regulations can be found at: www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/fishing/seasonmaps/seasonmap_current.asp or in the 2007 Oregon Sport Ocean Regulations for Salmon, Halibut and Other Marine Species booklet. General regulations can be found in the 2007 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.
The fishery will close again after those dates unless sufficient quota remains and halibut managers announce another opening.
The sport halibut season off the Columbia River area - from Cape Falcon, Ore., to Leadbetter Point, Wash. - closed Aug. 12 because the catch limit was expected to be reached by the end of fishing that day. On Aug. 16, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administraton Fisheries Service, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife met by conference call and determined there were sufficient pounds remaining in the quota to re-open the fishery.
"Sport anglers planning to fish out of Columbia River ports are reminded possession of groundfish species is not allowed when a Pacific halibut is aboard their vessel," said Don Bodenmiller, Project Leader for Marine Recreational Finfish Fisheries. "The exception is sablefish (black cod) and Pacific cod, which may be retained with halibut." Bodenmiller added that other non-groundfish species, such as tuna and salmon during authorized seasons, may be possessed with halibut on open Pacific halibut days.
More details on regulations can be found at: www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/fishing/seasonmaps/seasonmap_current.asp or in the 2007 Oregon Sport Ocean Regulations for Salmon, Halibut and Other Marine Species booklet. General regulations can be found in the 2007 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.