r
WHALE
REGULATIONS WHALE COVE
COVE SHELLFISH
SLLFI5H REaULATIONS
for Fish Commission Public
Publio Hearing o February
February 8,
8. 1967 Hearing0
The red abalone.
abalone, Halotis
Halotis rufesoens
rufescens,
was first
first reported
reported in
in Oregon
Oregon in
in
g was
1955 around
around the
the Brookings
Brookings area
areao
1955
1957, the
the northern
northern range
range was
was extended
extended
In 19570
when several
several specimens
specimens were
were found
found in
in Sunset
Sunset Bay
Bay near
near Coos
Coos Bay0
Bayo
1958,
In 1958.
the Fish Commission
Commission entered
entered into
into aa contract
contraot with
with two
two commercial
oommeroial abalone
abalone
fishermen to explore
explore for
for oommeroial
commercial concentrations
concentrations of
of red
red abalone
abalone along
along
the southern
southern Oregon
Oregon
the
coastQ During
During four
four years
years of
of work
work abalone
abalone were
were not
not
coast0
found
in sufficient
suffioient quantities
quantities to
to warrant
warrant aa commercial
cocmercial fishery0
fisheryo
found in
However p
However0
aa personal-use
personal",use fishery on
on these
these animals
animals began
began and
and is
is becoming
becoming an inoreas­
increasingly
among SCUBA
SCUBA and
and akin
skin divers0
diverso
ingly popular
popular sport
sport among
There are many areas
There
areas along
along the northern
northern Oregon
Oregon coast
coast whioh
which appear
appear to
to
have suitable
suitable habitat
habitat for
for red
red abalone0
abaloneo
Adult
Adult abalone
abalone taken
taken from
from Brookings
Brookings
and Sunset
Sunset Bay
Marine Science
Scienoe
and
Bay have
have been
been held
held at
at Oregon
Oregon State
State UniversityQ
Universityss Marine
Center at
at Newport
Newport for
for more
more than
than aa year0
yearo These
These abalone
abalone have survived
survived and
and
oontinued
to grow"
continued to
grow0
The Washington Department of
of Fisheries
Fisheries transplanted
transplanted 1OO
400
adult abalone
abalone into
into the
tbeSan
Juan Islands
Islands area
area in
in northwest
northwest Washington0
Washingtono
San Juan
animals survived and adapted well until discovered
These
These
~~d
and removed
removed by
by SCUBA
divers 0
divers0
The staff
staff' believes there
there are
are physical
physical barriers
barriers which
which have
have
The
prevented the
the
natural distribution of
of red
red abalone
abalone north
north of
of Sunset
Sunset Bay0
BaYa The
The red
red abalone
abalone
spawns from
from July
July through
througb September
shortfree-swimming
free-swimming
September and the
the larvae
larvae have
have a short
stage
stage
d58e
of 5-7 dayso
predominant surface
surface current along the
The predominant
the Oregon coast
during the
the spawning period iss from
north to
to south0
south., The
from north
The larvae
larvae would
would be dis­
displaced southward
southward and
and limit
limit northern
northern
placed
distribution while
while the
the animal
animal is
is in
in this
distribution
this
planktoniC stageo
50-milesection
section of
of sandy
sandy beach
beach immediately
immediately north
north of
of
planktonic
stage0 AA 50mile
Sunset
is devoid
devoid of
of suitable
suitable food
food and
and habitat
habitat for
for abalone0
abaloneo
Sunset Bay is
section
This sandy
sandy
This
undoubted~ limits
limits adult
adult migration
migration and
and distribution
distribution to
to the
the north0
northo
undoubtedly
2
'Recently
the Oregon
Oregon Fish
Fish Commission
Commission bas
been given
given the
the opportunity
opportunity to
to
Recently the
has been
purchase
juvenile red
in California",
purchase juvenile
red abalone
abalone from
from aa private
private shelUish
shellfish hatchery.'
hatcher. in
California
project was
was proposed
proposed by
by the
the shellfish
Shellfish staff
staft to
to transplant
transplant juvenile
juvenile abalone
abalone
A
A project
this hatchery
hatchery to
to the
theNewport.-t)epoe
Newport-Depoe Bay
Whale Cove0.
Cove"
trom
from this
Bay area,
area, specifically
specifically Whale
This
project would
a pilot
of introintro­
This project
would be a
pilot study
study to
to determine
determine the feasibility of
ducing
this species
species into
into the
the northern
northern Oregon
Oregon coast0
coasto
ducing this
A shipment of .500
A
500 young
will arrive
arrive at
at the
the Newport
Newport Laboratory
Laboratory within
within three
three weeks0
weekso
abalone will
The proposed
proposed planting
planting site
site in
in Whale
Whale Cove
Cove has
has several
several advantages
advantagesD
The
The cove is
is approximately
approximately 20 acres in size and the
the boundaries
boundaries can
can be
be easily
easily defined"
defined0
area 0
area0
All
All of
of the
the
kno~n preference
knotri
preference foods
foods of
of the
tho red
red abalone
abalone occur
occur in
in the
the
The bottom is
is composed
composed of
of reefs
reefs and
and boulders
boulders which
which is
is aa requirement
requirement for suitable
suitable habitat0
hab1tato
for
Whale
Cove in
1n 10.
10 miles north
Whale Cove
north of
of the
the Newport
Newport Labora­
Labora-
tor.y and
and the
the close
olose prOXimity
tory
proximity will allow the staff to make frequentobserva­
frequent observationa
on the
the adaptation of
of these juvenile
juvenile abalone to their
environment., tions on
their naw
nw environment0
An existing
shellfish regulation
regulation states
states that
that no
no red
red abalone
abalone that
that is
is less
less
existing shellfish
. than
than eight
eight inches
inches across
across the.
the greatest
greatest dimension
dimension of
of the
the shel].
shell
personal
usee>
personal use0
m~
may be taken
taken for
for
The staff
starf feels
feels this
this regulation
regulation will
will not
not furnish
furnish adequate
adequate propro­
The
tection
tection for
for the
the juveniles
juveniles
in Whale
Whale Cove0
Cove"
The
ot people
people will
The majority
majority of
will not
not
recognize these
these small
small animals
animals as
as being
being abalone
abalone and
and persons colleoting
collecting marine
marine
invertebrates may
may consider
consider them
them as
as unique
unique and
and valuable
valuable souvenirs0
souvenirs o
invertebrates
.
To protect these young abalone from
animals o from persons
persons collecting marine
marine animals0
both intertidallyD
intertidallYD and
and subtidally
subtidally with
with SCUBA
SCUBA and
and skin
skin diving
diving equipment;
both
equipment, the
shellfish
shellfish staff
staff recommends
recommends that
that the
the Commission
Commission close
close Whale
Whale Cove
Cove to
to the
the har­
harvest
vest of
of all
all shellfish.
shellfish.
The staff
staff recommends
recommends the
the regulation
regulation to
to read
read as
as
The
follows:
follows: It is
is unlawful
at any
to take,
It
unlawful at
any time
time to
take, oatch.
catch, or
or molest
molest all
all
shellfish forms
L~cludingo but not
not limited
limited to,
to. abalone,
abalone, clams
clams D
including0
l1mpets
oysterso
limpets,
crabs09 mussels
mussels,p oysters,
o crabs
piddocks~ scallops
scallops and
and shrimp,
shrimpp
piddocka,
.,
c
30
living intertidally
intert1.da.lly or
or su'btidallyo
on the
the bottom
bottom and
and in
in the
the
subtidally0 on
-
tidepools
ofthe
thearea
area
known as
asWhale
Whale Cove
Cove adjacent
adja.cent to Rock
ttdepools of
known
Creek State Park in Lincoln
Linooln County0
County" The
The closed
closed area
a.rea lies
lies 'between
between
lines projected
projected due
due west
west from
trom the
the northern
northern and
and southern
southern boundaries
boundaries
of Section
ot
Section17,
17.Township
Township 9
South Range
Range 11
11 iest0
West"
9 South
feels this
staft feels
th1s regulation w1ll
The staff
will help protect
protect the
the juvenile
juvenile red
red
abalone from
from divers
d1vers and
and intertidal
intert1dal collectors,
collectorso
It is
is essential that these
It
animals be
'be left
lett undisturbed
und1sturbed so
animals
80 that aa true picture ot
of their survival and
and
growth in the
the natural
natural environment
environment can be obtained
obta1ned~
growth
Jack Neilsen
Shellfish Investigations
Fish Connnission
Commission ot
Fi8h
of Oregon
January :;10
31D 1961
196?