Oregon collecting

[ksrinlv]

This school I volunteer for has a coldwater setup and wants to get some more animals for the tank from Oregon.

 

1) I've reviewed the Oregon Fish & Wildlife regs and if I understand right, with a shellfish license we can collect up to 10 animals per day of starfish, urchins, snails, etc, any invertibrates that they don't address separately. Is this right or am I missing something huge? I don't think they're looking for fish so don't have to worry about that.

 

2) When we started thinking more about the realities of collecting ourselves, I'm not sure we're up to it! lol! At least not on our own. Anybody out there collecting in Oregon that we could hook up with to go collecting? None of us dive, I snorkel but my wetsuit is out of state, the water is cold...! Or if the PTA rejects the collecting trip, anyone interesting in collecting and shipping to us? Of course either way the school would cover your expenses.

[Captainj42]

I live here in oregon but I have never collected but I know a guy that does diving and he might be able to help I will get ahold of him

[musicalmike]

I will help you out if your still interested!!!I live in California and dive all the time!!

[johnmaloney]

You would be surprised how many things live outside the water at low tide. You can do quite a bit with just wading. Mouths of rivers, and their muddier shores hold lots of life. So do tidepools. Just remember to try low tide and bring lots of Ziploc storage bags. As a good rule of thumb, if the animal is not completely submerged, then don't submerge it completely when transferring it. With water, less is more in transportation. Look under rocks, in wrack, and dig in the sand. A net, a sand flea rake, and a shell to scrape with are all you need. Oh...and plenty of ziplocs. If you go tell us about the trip!

 

Remember though - licenses only cover one person, but kids are usually exempted. In Florida if you are under 16 you don't need a fishing license. I am sure it is the same there.

[Sctn4Elk]

I grew up in Roseburg and I believe you are correct, only the state parks are exempt as they have a tidepool collection ban.

[johnmaloney]

tidepool collection ban!?! Is the Oregon tidepool fishery that hot?

[Sctn4Elk]

Tidepools are protected in the state parks...last I knew of.

[BKtomodachi]

Whenever I go to the Oregon coast, there is an insane amount of livestock in tide pools, as well as right up against the rock in low tide. Even fish, etc.

[scottyreef]

Whenever I go to the Oregon coast, there is an insane amount of livestock in tide pools, as well as right up against the rock in low tide. Even fish, etc.

 

+1 my parents have a place right next to canon beach and it was my favorite place to go when i was youn the pic below is of the last time i went and yeah you cant keep "live" stock in state parks they dont care if you take it if it dead like sand dollars and shells and such

[johnmaloney]

in state parks it makes sense. now that i think of it, that is pretty much the law around here. tidepools are always brimming with life. I knew it would be a good spot before ever going to Oregon. Now just scout one out, and then get a field trip time that corresponds to a good low tide. (Not all low tides are created equal, time to check out that moon calender. Another good lesson for the kids!

[Captainj42]

+1 my parents have a place right next to canon beach and it was my favorite place to go when i was youn the pic below is of the last time i went and yeah you cant keep "live" stock in state parks they dont care if you take it if it dead like sand dollars and shells and such

 

I thought that ocean looked familiar

[kingwintergreen]

This school I volunteer for has a coldwater setup and wants to get some more animals for the tank from Oregon.

 

1) I've reviewed the Oregon Fish & Wildlife regs and if I understand right, with a shellfish license we can collect up to 10 animals per day of starfish, urchins, snails, etc, any invertibrates that they don't address separately. Is this right or am I missing something huge? I don't think they're looking for fish so don't have to worry about that.

 

2) When we started thinking more about the realities of collecting ourselves, I'm not sure we're up to it! lol! At least not on our own. Anybody out there collecting in Oregon that we could hook up with to go collecting? None of us dive, I snorkel but my wetsuit is out of state, the water is cold...! Or if the PTA rejects the collecting trip, anyone interesting in collecting and shipping to us? Of course either way the school would cover your expenses.

 

Have you contacted the Department of Fish and Wildlife? That is obviously the best way to go. Wildlife management regulations are taken very seriously in this state.

Have you checked out the coldwater resources thread in the coldwater biotope forums here?

Enlisting divers for something like this in waters like that is a liability the PTA would probably not be down with upon further consideration! Problem is, it's difficult to find a nice diversity of stuff (especially not diving) unless you visit many sites up and down the coast, and even then might get skunked but for a few green anemones and ochre stars. So, you or someone would spend a fortune on gas, or a fortune on multiple shipments, or both.

[dsoz]

The other problem is that the bio-filter on a cold water tank takes a long time to get running, and you can't add a lot of life all at once, or the bacteria can't reproduce fast enough to keep up. When someone around here (Oregon) sets up a cold water biotype, they make many small trips to find specimens for the tank rather than one or two large collection trips.

 

I would love to help you out by shipping some to you, but I am in Portland, about a 2 hour drive to the beach. Not something that I do that often. Sorry.

 

If you do make a trip to Oregon, make sure you PM a local, maybe you could get a local "expert" to take along with you that can help identify where good collection areas are.

 

Good luck, that is a great idea for a classroom.

 

dsoz

[johnmaloney]

Bridge pilings are also a great place to find life. Basically what you should be looking for is structure. You won't find anything on sandy bottoms, look for shelters and you will find life.

[musicalmike]

KWG, you always have good points!!!

Here in California, as it is in Oregon, you are entitled to collect a specific amount and type of sea life. Of course the laws very state by state so what I can collect here, I may not be able to collect there. I was curious to find out what the restrictions were for collecting in your area, so I have been studying the various regulations and provisions offered at the DFG website. There is quite a bit of information to say the least! After not finding anything specific regarding collection in hard print I called the DFG in Oregon. Here is what the told me; “YOU MUST HAVE A COLLECTION PERMIT to take anything for your aquarium”. Just like here in California. I have the phone number for the person who can get you started if you’re interested in pursuing this. They also told me you are not allowed to remove anything from tide pools “anywhere”. Again, same as here in California. They do this so that everyone doesn’t just take stuff home. Yes, people do it all the time, but it is illegal!!

Since you are going to be collecting for educational purposes, this will be an easy permit to obtain.

As far as collecting for someone else…it’s definitely a grey area. You are not allowed to catch a limit of fish for someone else if you already have your own limit.

The best way I have found to do it legally without having a permit is to collect rock scallops. Not only are they tasty, but they can harbor lot’s of life on the outer shell. Yes, you need to have a fishing license, but that’s it. Put them in a large bucket of seawater and put ice around the bucket for the transport home. As long as you keep it cold they will survive for a long time.

As mentioned, rock pilings and piers harbor lots of life to, but these are just like tide pools, they are restricted as well. I hate to put a damper on collecting, but you don’t want to get caught and get a ticket. Those fines are very large!!! Spend the time and money and do it properly.

Then I will send you some bi-catch when I go rock scallop hunting. As mentioned, the diversity of coldwater species is amazing up and down the coast!!

[ksrinlv]

Thanks for all of the input! I'll review the OR Fish & Wildlife regs again, but I didn't see any restrictions on collecting from tidepools, only that certain areas of the coastline were restricted (state parks and such), but I'll review it again. Not to worry, we'll get licenses for everyone.

 

Good thinking on the tides, hadn't thought of taking that into consideration but would definitely make a difference. Also very wise input on the packing in little water for the intertidal species.

[Jamie]

Sorry for not getting to this thread until now, but I collect a lot on the oregon coast, so hopefully I can be some help, if you're still interested.

 

Most places on the Oregon coast are legal to collect from, even state parks. There are five areas that are designated as marine gardens, and collecting anything is illegal there. Haystack rock is the only one on the north coast, so it's the only one I can remember off the top oif my head, but a google search should turn up the others. The best places I have been collecting are Barview (the north jetty of tillamook bay) and Ecola State Park. Ecola was really difficult to get to (involved rapelling down a cliff) but you can get there by walking along the beach if the tide is low enough. I think it needs to be below -1.3. The problem is that you could get stuck and have to wade/swim for it. Barview is way easier and safer, and has just about everything you can get at ecola and more. Barview has Metridium senile and Diadumene lineata anemones, which I have never seen anywhere else on the oregon coast.

 

HTH!

 

-Jamie

[ksrinlv]

Thanks for the awesome info Jamie! They haven't gone yet, don't know if they're going to try for this fall yet or wait til spring now but will pass on the info. Thanks!!!

[jeremai]

Which school, if you don't mind?