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Posted by Eric S on June 21, 2009 at 20:54:16:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: The Seaweed Rebellion: North Coast Enviros Battle Schwarzenegger and Big Green Over MLPA posted by Chris Knight on June 21, 2009 at 12:18:05:
I'm good for about 3 pieces of ab a year myself. Last year I only took three and this year I'll probably take 6.
If they closed it tommorow I could care less. If they declared abs on the endangered list I would be the first one to say "OK close it then".
I'm just physically looking at the sheer numbers in many different locations and I actually see an infestation. A few weeks back I went up to point Arena and we dove a mini wall off the point and out a ways. I've seen places with a lot of abs but this was rediculous. Personally I don't know how there would be enough food to feed them all but they are there and seem to be fat and happy.
Sea Ranch is not a good example of dense ab populations. There has never been a large population of abalone along that stretch. But the ones you do find are generally pretty big. It seems the calmer coves with some sand are the really productive areas. Also we've had a record level kelp growth last year that fed them well. This yeare it'll probably be the same or even more kelp. I'm also seeing many small abs everywhere.
Any of the well dove coves that have easy access are going to be thinned out of abs. But if you can manage to dive to at least 20 feet the numbers come back. So if you look at the entire scope, Just from my personal observations I don't see dwindling, I see increases. But then I dive from a boat and go places that most people don't go.
The other factor that is helping the ab populations up here are no sea otters. In monterey you can't find an ab to save your life and it's due in large part to the sea otters.
There is a movement up here to try and reintroduce the sea otter but so far they all die or split because it's too rough in the winter. The bigger and more rubust otter they used to have got wiped out by the russians.
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