Posted by on July 28, 2004 at 10:32:27:
Department of Fish and Game
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Jerry Kashiwada, Marine Region, (707) 964-5791 04:070 July 28, 2004
Carrie Wilson, Marine Region, (831) 238-2044
Red Abalone Fishery Reopens Aug. 1
The red abalone sport fishing season reopens Aug. 1 in ocean waters north of San Francisco Bay. The sport season runs from April 1 through June 30, and from Aug. 1 through Nov. 30. The month of July is closed to abalone fishing to reduce the overall catch during the summer, a traditional high-take period. The July closure has been used for this purpose since 1976.
This is the fifth year an abalone permit report card (also called a “punch card”) is required in addition to a fishing license for each person taking abalone. Those taking abalone are required to immediately punch a hole in the appropriate area on the card and record catch information for each abalone taken once they reach shore or boat. This information will assist in determining the distribution of the red abalone catch and the total number of abalone caught. Returning abalone report cards is mandatory. Abalone report cards must be returned to the DFG by Dec. 30, whether any abalone are taken or not.
All persons 16 years and older must possess both an abalone permit report card and a fishing license to legally take abalone. Persons under the age of 16, although not required to possess a license or punch card, still must follow all state regulations pertaining to sport fishing for abalone. Regulations include a 7-inch minimum size limit, measured along the longest shell diameter, and possession of a fixed measuring device. The daily abalone bag limit for the 2004 season is three, with a yearly limit of 24.
Sport divers are prohibited from using scuba or surface supplied air equipment to catch abalone, and cannot possess abalone on board any boat, vessel, or floating device containing scuba or surface supplied air. Fishermen are allowed to transport abalone and scuba gear together on land. Divers working from boats, kayaks, float tubes or other floating devices who wish to use scuba equipment to spear fish or harvest sea urchins, rock scallops or crabs of the genus Cancer may not possess abalone, and will need to make a separate trip to take abalone.
Additional information about California abalone is available on DFG's Marine Region Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd.