The Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a general marine bag limit of 6 fish for recreational anglers for the 2021 season in a 5-1 vote during a meeting online Friday. Also new for 2021, longleader fishing will be allowed on all-depth halibut trips during the summer bottomfish depth restriction (June-August). This provides anglers a new opportunity to retain midwater rockfish when retention of most groundfish would otherwise be prohibited on all-depth halibut trips to limit bycatch of yelloweye rockfish. Fishing for halibut must be completed before retaining any rockfish on the same trip. The one fish sub-bag limit for China, copper, and quillback rockfish and the one fish sub-bag limit for cabezon (with season opening on July 1) will continue in 2021. Seasonal depth restriction (40 fathoms) will again be in effect from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2021. More information will be available soon at https://myodfw.com/sport-bottomfish-seasons
In other business the Commission:
Approved expenditures for several Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund grants: The projects support outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation and are also supported with donations from Oregon Wild, the Starview Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Oregon Community Foundation.
Amended rules for ceremonial hunting and fishing by Burns Paiute tribal members: The Commission increased the number of ceremonial elk permits for the Burns Paiute Tribe, extended season dates for all species and formalized the spring Chinook salmon fishery in a specific segment of the Malheur River. The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in Oregon.
Information and photos by ODFW