Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a) Areas. Section
8495 of
the Fish and Game Code designates the California Halibut Trawl Grounds as
certain state waters along the mainland shore between Point Arguello and Point
Mugu and specifies that this area is open to trawling when the season is open.
Subdivision 8495(c) specifies four sub-areas within the California Halibut
Trawl Grounds that will close to trawling commencing April 1, 2008, unless the
commission makes findings as defined in that subdivision.
(1) Open Areas. Because the commission has
made the requisite findings for three of the aforementioned four sub-areas
within the California Halibut Trawl Grounds, the commission authorizes the
following waters to remain open to trawling commencing June 16, 2008, and
thereafter when the season is open, notwithstanding subdivision 8495(c) of the
Fish and Game Code:
(A) Rocky Point (near
Point Arguello) to Point Conception: From a line extending from Rocky Point
true south (180°) and out three miles, the ocean waters extending south and
east lying between one and three nautical miles from the mainland shore to a
line extending true west (270°) from a point on land approximately one-half
mile north of Point Conception at latitude 34° 27.5'.
(B) Santa Barbara Point to Pitas Point: The
ocean waters lying between one and two nautical miles from the mainland shore
lying east of a line extending true south (180°) from Santa Barbara Point
and west of a line extending true south (180°) from Pitas Point.
(C) Hueneme Canyon to Laguna Point: From the
eastern border of the IMO Vessel Traffic safety zone on NOAA/NOS Chart 18725 in
Hueneme Canyon, the ocean waters extending south and east lying between one and
three nautical miles from the mainland shore to a line extending true south
(180°) from Laguna Point.
(2) Closed Areas. The waters permanently
closed to trawling within the California Halibut Trawl Grounds are those
specified in subdivision 8495(b) of the Fish and Game Code, and the following
sub-area identified in subdivision 8495(c) of the Fish and Game Code:
(A) Point Conception to Gaviota: The ocean
waters between one and three nautical miles from the mainland shore lying east
of a line extending true south (180°) from a point on land approximately
1/2 mile east of Point Conception at longitude 120° 27.5', and west of a
line extending due south from Gaviota.
(b) Gears. Special gear requirements apply
while trawling for California halibut in the California Halibut Trawl grounds.
Each trawl net, including trawl doors and footrope chain, shall meet the
following requirements:
(1) Each trawl net
shall have a headrope not exceeding 90 feet in length. The headrope is defined
as a chain, rope, or wire attached to the trawl webbing forming the leading
edge of the top panel of the trawl net. Headrope shall be measured from where
it intersects the bridle on the left side of the net to where it intersects the
bridle on the right side of the net.
(2) The thickness of the webbing of any
portion of the trawl net shall not exceed 7 millimeters in diameter.
(3) Each trawl door shall not exceed 500
pounds in weight.
(4) Any chain
attached to the footrope shall not exceed one quarter inch in diameter of the
link material. The footrope is defined as a rope or wire attached to the trawl
webbing forming the leading edge of the bottom panel of the trawl
net.
(5) The trawl shall have no
rollers or bobbins on any part of the net or footrope. Rollers or bobbins are
devices made of wood, steel, rubber, plastic, or other hard material that
encircle the trawl footrope. These devices are commonly used to either bounce
or pivot over seabed obstructions, in order to prevent the trawl footrope and
net from snagging on the seabed.
1. New
section filed 8-12-2008; operative 8-12-2008 pursuant to Government Code
section
11343.4
(Register 2008, No. 33).
2. Amendment of subsection (a)(2)(A), new
subsections (b)-(b)(5) and amendment of NOTE filed 7-14-2009; operative
8-13-2009 (Register 2009, No. 29).
Note: Authority cited: Sections
8841
and
8495,
Fish and Game Code. Reference: Sections
8392,
8494,
8495,
8496,
8497,
8830,
8831,
8837,
8840,
8841
and
8843,
Fish and Game Code.
