Posted by finfan on August 20, 2002 at 06:55:13:
In Reply to: naw, i'll keep the Riffe posted by mike on August 19, 2002 at 23:27:58:
Too bad mine were getting worn out. I was real excited that there might be two people in the world like Bradley dear who would just give away their fishing gear. Oh well. Mike you made some good points not like Bradley who just thinks everyone should get rid of their gear, and I'm not even against the reserve concept. Size of the reserve is what I fight against.
I hope you aren't too dis-apointed though if this reserve concept doesn't pay off with the hugh overflow of game you expect. Case in point - how long has Lovers cove and Casino point been reserves. One could argue that both areas are teaming with life, especially bull calico's. In fact, last I heard there was concern that the abundance of certain species in those reserves were having detrimental effects on other species. Now I've dove both edges of those reserves both East and West, both before reserve and after several years. Notice any difference - hardly!
Yes if you took a count around the surrounding areas there might be a few more bass or rockfish or whitefish, but not the abundance being acclaimed by the Bradley's of the world and certainly not to the same extent as decades ago.
My theory has nothing to do with divers or sport fisherman. True the commercial guys have taken a hugh toll, but again it's the guys like Bradley that have found the light and want everyone to stop hunting while they have no problem eating it in the resturants that stick in my throat.
We're here because of mis-management and pollution.
If fish and game had any form of effective management before crisis the commercials catering to demand wouldn't have been able to do so much damage. A reserve the size they are suggesting is not management, it's a testimonial that F&G is clueless - ie, so let's just shut it all off.
The real culprit in this (at least my theory) is pollution. You see it's about habitat, breeding habitat, and when the greenhouse effect changes weather patterns that generate who knows what effects on us locally (current flow, thicker red-tides, more el nino's)and the offshore flow of pollution silts over breeding grounds fish populations don't stand a chance.
Let's face it, calicos are kelp dwellers and last time I looked the kelp forests off any of our local shore or any of the Islands is no where near what they were decades ago.
Bradley likes challenges, then tell me Bradley how has the sport fishing or sport diving community caused so many acres of kelp forests to go away? You see us old timers remember what PV looked like years ago. Find a way to cut the p[ollution rates back locally and you have a better chance of seeing game return to PV than you'll ever have by having it swim over from Santa Cruz.
Mike enjoyed bantering with you. Het Bradley do you have any freinds that still have some gear to give away - I'll take it. Finfan out - chasing the bluefins.