Posted by finfan on April 11, 2005 at 14:07:50:
In Reply to: Are you positive that the front side of Catalina is "no commercial" posted by Elaine on April 11, 2005 at 12:52:50:
Not sure for commercial fishing, just don't remember the last time I ever saw a netter lay lines off the front of Catalina. I am sure about the lobster restrictions for commercial trapping here is the section out of the commercial code.
8258. Lobster traps may be used to take spiny lobster in Districts
18, 19, 20A, and those portions of District 20 lying on the southerly
side of Santa Catalina Island between Southeast Rock and China
Point.
If I find the gill net regulations I'll post them. The point is, there is rec take allowed off the front of Catalina in a mix of no take reserves and open areas with little if any commercial activity (again, at least that I'm aware of) Again, if there is commercial allowed and the commercials are working frontside than the argument for no take takes a worst beating.
Party boat fishermen and privates flock there for what can only be described as increasingly productive fishing waters. The seabass off the front has been improving steadily every year. Years ago you couldn't find a bonita to save your soul. At times now you cuss just to get through them at a yellowtail. As to bottomfish, the lingcod seem more prevalent then ever at some of the deeper spots. My point is rather than argue take vs no take, work together to ban commercial fishing in a wider area and spend the money used to argue the take/no take line to improve habitat and restore fish brood stock populations. That's our best chance for fish stocks to rebound.
Heck right now, the commercials aren't even having to go to their reserve lobby money since the recs are too busy spending theirs to fight against the reserves. Get commercials in the game against conservation and rec fishing and they run out of lobby money and fight quickly. If I was a betting person, I would wonder if the brain trusts behind the commercials are just waiting for the recs to soften up and weaken the conservative argument some before they go at the reserves with everything thy got.
No one is going to get everything they want in this battle so it's time to compromise and bring aboard some big time lobby money (rec fishermen) before they really do organize and then take an extreme position of their own.
Again, just my read on the situation.