In Reply to: Who Are You Trying To Kid! posted by John J. on March 09, 2006 at 21:14:17:

No question about it, my boat partners and I put big bull bugs back because we want to do it and never said otherwise. Never said it was going to save anything except the lobster that gets put back. We feel good about it for they are probably nearly as old as we are. You can do whatever you want that makes you feel good. As for the commercial lobster fishery, go read in depth about the commercial lobster fishery here in California, in Maine and around the world (landings, brood population etc) and see how the various fisheries are doing as sustainable resources (or not).

And for abalone, it is a complex situation where the commercial divers certainly and even the sport divers played a role in really thinning out the population density necessary for these broadcast spawners to prosper and then came the real dramatic crash related to the withering foot disease that took out so very many of the small ones (well less than legal size). These small animals are far better breeders than the larger – legal size ones – at least for Haliotis rufescens. Like people, the young ones breed better. I suggest you talk to Peter Haaker at the California Dept of Fish and Game who has been in charge of their abalone project for years or John McMullen at the original “Ab lab” (now Stellar biotech) in Oxnard to get the full story. Fortunately, withering foot has apparently disappeared and abs numbers are slowly recovering in some place but only time will tell. More to the point, it is a good idea to know what you are talking about before shooting off your mouth unless that is what makes YOU feel good. If so, then by all means, go for it John....

• Right on Andy S! Bruce D 10:57:20 03/10/06 (0)