Question: What are the new abalone regulations that will go into effect this year?

Answer: When the abalone harvest season opens on April 1, the following two new abalone regulations are going into effect:

1) The Fort Ross area will be closed for the first two months, so abalone in this area may be taken only during the months of June, August, September, October and November (CCR Title 14, Section 29.15(b)(1)). A map showing the abalone closure area around Fort Ross can be found at nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=42101&inline=true

2) Individuals taking abalone shall maintain separate possession of their abalone. Abalone may not be commingled in a float tube, dive board, dive bag, or any other container or device, until properly tagged. Only after abalones are properly tagged (as described in CCR Title 14, Section 29.16 (b)), may they be commingled with other abalone taken by another person (CCR Title 14, Section 29.15(g)(1)).

The Fish and Game Commission (FGC) lifted the emergency closure off the Sonoma County coast so abalone season will open there on April 1 just like everywhere else, except for the Fort Ross area.

Question: What is the law on how to properly dispose of fish guts? If fishing from the shore in San Diego County, may I clean my catch and toss the remaining fish parts back into the ocean? Will the game warden be able to take a correct measurement with the head of the fish removed? (Larry W.)

Answer: Fish and Game laws do not prohibit you from returning the fish waste back to the ocean, although local ordinances may. Check with local police or harbor patrol officers for certainty. Once ashore, there is no requirement to keep fish in a whole condition. However, you must retain enough of the fish in order to accurately measure it. Generally, removing the guts is not an issue in determining size.