The commercial fishery for California sheephead will close effective Oct. 1, 2007 at 12:01 a.m., the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced. The fishery will remain closed through the end of the year.

Projections from recent landings indicate the annual harvest allotment for California sheephead of 75,200 pounds will be reached by the closure date of Oct. 1. Landings indicate an approximate 70,000 pounds of this species have been landed already.

California sheephead is a nearshore species of fish found mostly in California's southern coastal areas (south of Point Conception) and is one of the most important species sought by commercial fishermen in California's live-fish fishery.

In May 2002, the Fish and Game Commission adopted regulations providing authority to the DFG to close either or both recreational or commercial sectors of the cabezon, greenling, and California sheephead fisheries when their allowable harvest levels are projected to be reached.

Beginning in 2004, two month cumulative trip limits went into effect for the commercial cabezon, greenling, and California sheephead fisheries in an effort to sustain those fisheries throughout the year. The California sheephead fishery has a two month cumulative trip limit set at 2,000 pounds for the January/February and March/April periods, and thereafter 2,400 pounds for each of the remaining two-month periods per nearshore fishery permit holder.