Posted by Chris on November 26, 2003 at 18:55:28:
California Department of Fish and Game
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03:0112 Nov. 26, 2003
Contacts: Jerry Kashiwada, Marine Biologist, (707) 964-5791
Carrie Wilson, Marine Region, (831) 649-7191
California's Recreational Abalone Fishing Season Ends Nov. 30
The abalone recreational fishing season is scheduled to close on Sunday, Nov. 30, and punch cards are required to be turned in by the end of the year, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has announced.
The seasonal closure affects recreational fishing for red abalone which can only be taken north of San Francisco. The open season is split, running from April to June and then from August through November. The month of July is closed to the sport take of abalone. The daily bag limit for abalone is three, with 24 allowed to be taken per year.
As in past years, DFG requires fishermen to turn in abalone punch cards (also known as abalone report cards) which help scientists manage the fishery. In addition to limiting a fisherman's annual catches of abalone, the abalone punch card provides important data used to estimate the abalone catch, both for the fishery as a whole and for specific sites along the coast.
Abalone divers 16 years or older are required to purchase an abalone punch card along with their sport fishing license. Fishermen must immediately fill in the date, time and location on the card, and punch a hole for each abalone taken. The analysis of the data from the report cards depends on all the cards being returned regardless of the number of abalone actually harvested by each license holder. The 2003 abalone punch cards are required to be returned before Dec. 31 to DFG, 19160 South Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA 95437.
Information about abalone report cards, the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan, and other abalone information is available on the DFG's Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd.
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