Posted by msblucow on February 28, 2002 at 09:20:38:
In Reply to: p.s. did you read more of the report? posted by Chris on February 28, 2002 at 00:42:38:
I think we're in agreement here. I've always looked at the DFG reports with a jaundiced eye because their only source of data is from their clients - commerical fishermen. There's no verification of the data from independent sources or an attempt to collect additional data from the scientific community. I don't think there's any grand conspiracy going on here, just a very narrow focus dealing with one piece of the puzzle.
To me this is just another reason why the Marine Protected Areas need to be serously addressed and implimented. If we rely on DFG to mannage fish stocks with set quotas and nothing else, we're going to be in for a rude awakening one day. Unless we have the cajones to close a small percentage of our near shore fisheries to all exploitation, commercial and recreational, we're going to face a day when these fisheries simply won't have the ability to keep up with the pressures put upon them. They will crash and burn.