"By cutting us by 2 more months to keep the live fishery going, they are effectively putting us out of business," said Neil. "For example, as a co-owner of Virg's Landing I had to take a second job this year just to get by. It's absolutely outrageous what the council has done."

The constraints on recreational fishing mandate a bocaccio impact less than 70 metric tons and canary rockfish impact less than 22 metric tons, according to DFG and PFMC guidelines.

In the Central Area, the season where anglers can fish both in deep and shallow water will be restricted to only four months - January and February and July and August. There will be a 10 rockfish bag limit, with a 2 bocaccio, 1 canary, 1 yelloweye (2 fish per vessel) sublimit.

On a more positive note, the minimum length on lingcod has been cut back to 24 inches from 26 inches; many anglers were becoming very frustrated with throwing back so many "shakers." The lingcod limit will remain two.

Inside 20 fathoms, rockfish (including sculpin) and lingcod will be open May through June and from September through October. Darby had tried to change this proposal to 25 fathoms to allow the party and private boats to fish 5 fathoms deeper during this period, but the Council rejected his proposal the last day of their November meeting.

In this zone, there will continue to be a 10 rockfish bag limit, of which no more than 2 may be shelf rockfish, other than bocaccio, canary, cowcod or yelloweye. Boccaccio, canary, cowcod and yelloweye retention is prohibited. The 10 fish sculpin bag limit is separate from a 10 fish rockfish limit. The lingcod bag limit is two lingcod with a 24 inch minimum length.

Fortunately, there is an additional option to do an in-season adjustment for November/December inside 20 fathoms if the target optimum yield for canary rockfish and bocaccio have not been reached by that time, according to Roger Thomas, president of the Golden Gate Fishermen's Association. The data that will be used to determine this will be federal MRFSS data that will be presented at the September Council and Fish and Game Commission meetings.

"We will look at the data to see if the 22 metric tons of canaries are reached," said Thomas. "We're going to urge members of the Association to restrict the numbers of canaries that they catch throughout the open season so we have the possibility of fishing during November and December. This is important so the boats that do crab/rockfish combos will be able to work."

Neil added that the state Fish and Game Commission can also take further action to stop the commercial live fisheries at their December meeting so that recreational anglers will be able to fish in November and December.

Bob Ingles, captain of the Queen of Hearts and a representative of the Golden Gate Fishermen's Association, was also concerned about the two month closure. "We hope that the Fish and Game Commission will cut back the live rockfish fishery so we can fish during November and December," said Ingles. "They have raped this coast, but the Council is still giving preference to them in the fishery."

The Southern California zone, from the U.S./Mexico border to Point Conception except the special Cowcod Conservation area, would also again face severe restrictions, but would not be divided into a shallow water and deep water season like in the central area.

All waters would be open to fishing for rockfish (including sculpin) and lingcod from March to October, a total of 8 months. Again, there would be a 10 rockfish bag limit with 2 bocaccio, 1 canary, 1 yelloweye (2 fish per vessel) sublimit. There would be a 10 fish sculpin bag limit separate from the 10 fish rockfish limit, and 2 lingcod with a 24 inch minimum length.

The Northern Area, from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border, remains open to rockfish and lingcod action year round, with a 10 rockfish bag limit with a 2 bocaccio, 1 canary, 1 yelloweye (2 fish per vessel) sublimit and 2 lingcod with a 24 inch minimum length.

As recreational anglers fight for a "piece of the pie" of the remaining groundfish populations off the California coast, it becomes more apparent than ever that there should be a complete moratorium on commercial fishing for rockfish and lingcod until the population recovers to historical levels. California law and Fish & Game Commission policy mandate a preference for the recreational angler when the population of fish is not enough to support both.

The time has come to make the rockfish fishery an exclusively recreational one, just like sturgeon, striped bass and inland salmon fisheries are now. Anglers should unite to develop state legislation to declare a moratorium on commercial fishing for rockfish and lingcod. If that fails, going to the voters with an initiative in an upcoming election is another option.