The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding sport and commercial anglers that harvest restrictions at two marine reserve sites, Cape Perpetua and Cascade Head, will take effect Jan. 1, 2014. The new rules prohibit harvest activities, such as fishing and crabbing, within the boundaries of the marine reserves, and are similar to harvest restrictions already in effect at the Otter Rock and Redfish Rocks marine reserve sites.
Cascade Head. Photo Ben Nieves
To help commercial fisherman plot the boundaries of all the marine reserve sites, ODFW and the Oregon State Police will be distributing electronic thumb drives during this season’s crab hold inspections. The thumb drives include the boundary coordinates for each site, as well as directions for installing the boundary coordinates on to a plotter.
Anglers can view and print a summary of the harvest rules, with maps and boundaries, for the marine reserve sites on the Oregon marine reserve website at www.oregonocean.info/marinereserves/rules. Similar information is also available in the recently released 2014 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.
For more information about Oregon’s marine reserves and the related harvest restrictions, call ODFW’s Newport Office at (541) 867-4741.
Surfrider members and staff have played an active role in supporting the planning, designation and implementation Oregon's marine reserves and protected areas over many years, to learn more about our work on this campaign and others, check out our campaign page here.