Posted by Bob Humphrey on October 19, 2000 at 23:17:35:
This is a call for support from all recreational divers and fishermen from
California. Please pass this on to any others you know, especially in the
San Diego area.Meeting details are at the end of the message.
On this coming Friday, the Fish and Game Commission will be considering
several proposals to regulate the nearshore fisheries for the next year. The
impact of these proposals will be very real during the formation of the
fisheries management plan in 2002.
First a short background:
As you may know, the nearshore has experienced increasing depletions of fish
stocks which many feel is due to commercial gear which has been too
effective. Nearshore rockfish in particular have been the subject of an
intensive live fish fishery which uses traps and sticks (basically soaking
up to 150 hooks on the bottom). As this fishery has advanced, divers
coastwide have seen a marked decrease in the availability and sizes of
rockfish and other species (lingcod, cabezon). During the 1990s, the
nearshore commercial live fish fishery has seen a huge harvest increase
Monterey ports reported landings of 5,360 lbs in 1995, 139,000 lbs in 1998)
while the recreational has seen a sharp reduction.
Now the DFG is proposing to manage the nearshore using a quota system with
varying allocations for rec and commercial. One problem with a quota system
is there is no mechanism in place to verify or enforce them. A joint NMFS
DFG study found that there was up to 2 to 3 times as many commercial
rockfish being landed as was being reported.
So basically, the commercial fishery is being allowed to continue in an
area that has been traditionally recreational only because the recreational
fishery has conserved for years, allowing an excess to exist. Now that the
excess no longer exists, the recreational fishery is going to experience
deep cuts in bag limits and seasons in order to support the continued
commercial presence (33% cut in rockfish bag last year with more huge cuts
coming). One would think the commercial fishery would be put on hold seeing
as how the area is the exclusive access that many divers and fishermen have
to the resource.
We have been working with United Anglers on a proposal that we feel will be
a compromise to completely closing the nearshore to commercial fishing. Tom
Raftican, president of United Anglers will be presenting it at the Friday
meeting and I am asking for as much support as we can find from San Diego
area divers. I am hoping that divers will stand and ask WHY a commercial
fishery is being allowed to virtually displace the recreational. It's
important that the Commission see the United Angler proposal as a
compromise. Not something we are willing to negotiate. We WANT a complete
commercial closure. If they want to negotiate, it should be toward MORE
restrictive measures, not less (We feel the DFG is going to try to negotiate
less commercially restrictive measures.)
Please read the proposal and you will see how it has excellent merit. It
will need to be combined with other measures but for now, we just want to
see it adopted. The DFG has taken notice of our concerns of late, largely
because many of you have shown support in the past at meetings and through
letters. I can't emphasize enough, how important our attendance at this
meeting will be for our effort to return the nearshore to some of its former
glory.
It is supported by the United Anglers, Center for Marine Conservation,
CENCAL, GLACD, SCAN, and others.
Please understand, if you go, you may face strong opposition from the
predominance of commercial fishers who may be there. It won't be a cake
walk, but we need you all to help.
I will send the proposal in the next message so as not to make this one too
big. Thanks for your support!!
Bob Humphrey
Meeting of Fish and Game Commission
October 20, 2000 (Friday)
8:30 a.m. Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute
West Room
2595 Ingraham Street
San Diego