Fish and Wildlife announces 2024 groundfish regulations
FORT BRAGG, CAILF. >> The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission (CDFW) has released new regulations affecting the 2024 opening dates for groundfishing, fishing depths, and bag limits.
In 2023, most of the California offshore groundfish season was canceled due to exceeding the federal fishing limits for quillback rockfish. The quillback rockfish is now on the federal list of overfished species.
The new regulations are scheduled to go into effect in early April. Although they will allow more opportunities than in 2023, anglers must be aware of the new requirements.
One purpose of the new regulations is to meet requirements in federal waters and avoid fishing in the quillback rockfish's primary depth range between 20 fathoms (120 feet) and 50 fathoms (300 feet) off the coast of northern and central California.
Fishing shoreward of this line will be allowed. CDFW also announced that a 20- or 50-foot “Inshore Fishery” will take place in the 2024 season within several groundfish management areas (GMAs). There will be opportunities to retain nearshore, shelf, and slope rockfish, lingcod, cabezon, and greenling.
During the months when there is an “offshore only fishery,” groundfishing is only allowed seaward of the 50-fathom boundary line. Also, only shelf rockfish, slope rockfish, and lingcod may be retained. During the “offshore fishery,” nearshore rockfish, cabezon, and greenling may not be taken.
Divers and shore anglers will remain exempt from all boat-based season regulations affecting rockfish and other federally managed groundfish. Under the current regulations, year-round diving and shore-based fishing will continue.
In regard to boat fishing, the Commission now requires all vessels to carry a descending device “available for immediate use on any vessel taking or possessing any species of federal groundfish.” This device improves the survival of released fish.
Descending devices allow groundfish to return to the depth
from which they were taken. This method increases the odds of rockfish survival for any suffering from barotrauma that occurs when rockfish have been released at the water's surface.
Another new element of the 2024 regulations is the division of the central GMA at 36 degrees N. latitude near Point Lopez. This will provide more opportunities to fish south of 36 degrees, which has not been a common area to seek for quill-back rockfish.
One more new element will protect vermillion rockfish. In recent years, captures have exceeded the federal harvest limit, which will now be set at a 2-fish sub-limit within the Rockfish, Cabezon, and Greenling complex 10-fish limit in the Mendocino, San Francisco, Central and Southern GMAs. The 4-fish sub-limit for vermillion rockfish will remain only in the northern GMA.
The Commission has scheduled six months of all-depth and inshore fishing in 2024. Below is the 2024 season schedule for Northern, Mendocino, San Francisco, and Central GMA north of 36 degrees N. latitude. April 1 — April 30: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
May 1 — September 30: 20 fathoms inshore only fishery
October 1 — October 30: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
November 1 — November 30: 20 fathoms inshore only fishery
December 1 — December 31: 50 fathoms offshore only fishery
The 2023 regulations will remain in effect in state waters until the Office of Administrative Law approves them. Once the new regulations are approved, the season dates for all GMAs, including those south of 36 degrees N. latitude will be posted on the CDFW's webpage titled “Summary of Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations.”