Fish stocks are not "in decline"; overfishing is not occurring in our region or anywhere on the west coast of the USA.

Rockfish:
Best available science shows that west coast populations of rockfish & other groundfish are rapidly recovering, and increasing in biomass, as a result of existing fishery management measures.

Not all rockfishes have declined in abundance over the past two decades. A number of species such as chilipepper, yellowtail rockfish, gopher rockfish, and blackgill rockfish are above their target levels, with estimated spawning biomass ranging from 52 to 97% of unfished levels (Figure 15-3). These rockfish inhabit a wide range of habitats which span nearshore, shelf, and slope depths. Although relatively abundant, landings for some of these species are near historical lows as a result of catch restrictions associated with rebuilding species that co-occur with these abundant stocks.

Salmon:
For all species, there is excess fishing capacity and overcapitalization of the fishing fleets.

Because Pacific salmon depend on freshwater
habitat for spawning and juvenile rearing, they
are particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation.
Dam construction, logging, agriculture, grazing,
urbanization, and pollution have degraded
freshwater habitat throughout their range. Water
extraction and flow manipulation for hydropower,
irrigation, flood control, and municipal needs directly
compete with salmon for the fresh water on
which they depend. As the human population in
the western United States continues to increase, so
will the pressures on salmon habitat. The fact that
we still have salmon in harvestable quantities is a
tribute to the resilience of these fish.

http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/olo6th-edition.htm

• Say it ain't so..

• Really? Captain Obvious 17:40:57 05/17/10 (1)
  • Re: Really? Craig 11:24:16 05/18/10 (0)