State Lifts Quillfish Regulations

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — After a nearly two-year prohibition, fishermen can start catching quillback rockfish off the California coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries said.

The decision last week follows the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's relaxing of rockfish regulations in August after data showed quillback populations rebounding.

Quillback rockfish, often sold as Pacific rockfish or rock cod, is one of many commercially harvested rockfish species. In some years, commercial harvests from these fisheries topped $150 million in value.

The species was declared overfished in December 2023, when its numbers were estimated at 14% of natural population levels without fishing pressure.

That declaration coincided with the closure of California's commercial salmon fishery, which remains shut down.

Fisheries worked with scientists and agencies to collect data on quillback catches, including locations, numbers, size and age of the fish.

A new stock assessment based on that information showed the species was healthier than previously believed.

"This demonstrates the value of good data to support the science," said Keeley Kent, chief of the groundfish branch in NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region.

"The industry stepped up and helped gather a lot more data, and that shows there is a healthy population of quillback out there."

By Sarah Stierch, Bay City News

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