Posted by Eric Frasco on March 14, 2001 at 01:28:59:
In Reply to: This is no pig hunt posted by Steve Clark on March 13, 2001 at 19:10:37:
Steve:
Do you really understand the process here?
The CINMS Advisory Committee is just that - it "ADVISES" DFG as to what they recommend. Whether or not DFG listens to what CINMSAC recommends remains to be seen. Whether or not DFG listens to what WE, as DIVERS, say to them also remains to be seen.
Regardless of what we recommend, a NO-TAKE zone will be established. How large that zone is may depend very little on what the committee recommends and very much on how DFG thinks is really appropriate.
What YOU, as some form of self serving and self made ENVIRONMENTALIST recommends, well, you seem to be in your own world.
What really needs to be done here is: real DIVERS need to show up at the meeting and let DFG know that we need a reasonable and proportionate amount of the shallow water areas kept open for those of us that wish to stay above 100 feet in our access to the resource.
Please do not pretend to represent me or the many other divers out in the REAL world. Anglers and Commercial fishermen get to use fish finding sonar, satellite data, and many other resources that Joe Diver in his 20 foot bayliner does not have access to. So if you want to address the issue of who exploits the largest portion of the resource, perhaps you should show up at the Santa Barbara meeting and talk to the real issue, assuming you can see it.
And while we are on this topic, please keep in mind that the CINMS also includes Santa Barbara Island, which is quite a long way away from the other four islands in the northern part of the chain. In addition, there are three other islands in the chain - you my have heard of them: Santa Catalina, San Clemente, and San Nicholas. All of which are equally environmentally sensitive and in need of no-take zones of their own. What about them, and how much of these other islands should be designated as no-take if a disproportionately large portion of the northern Channel Islands is closed?
Less rhetoric, more reality please.
-Eric Frasco-