Marine Life Protection Act - Creating Safe Havens for California's Reef Fish

Oregon Halts Sport Groundfish Angling - 8/31/04

Recreational Bottom Fishing Bag Limits Simplified;
Significant Regulation Changes Scheduled for May 1 - 5/1/04

State slashes rockfish season; opening delayed until Aug. 1 - 5/1/04

Marine Stewardship Council
- Evaluating Global Fisheries and Providing
Consumer's with the Information To Make Rational Choices - 2-28-04

Council votes to try rockfish quotas - 10/12/03

The Exhausted Sea - 9/14/03

Proposal for the exemption of spearfishing from recreational seasonal closure - 7/16/03

California Sport Rockfish Season Opens July 1, 2003 - 6/25/03

The Great Dying Out Of The Big Fish 5/27/03

REPORT CALLS FOR FISHERIES MANAGEMENT OVERHAUL 5/27/03

Oceans In Peril - 5/27/03

Federal mismanagement blamed for rockfish decline - 5/22/03

Interview With Bib Hight...sort of! - 1/15/03

The Torquemada Report: Suppressed report on widespread commercial violations involving the nearshore fishery - 1/14/03

A Simple Records Request To The DFG... 12-29-02

Shore fishermen to sue over fish limits - 12/18/02

Senators blast fish count methods - 12/19/02

Bottom Fishing is an Endangered Sport - 12/14/02

Recreational Fishing Alliance Joins Lawsuit To Stop Channel Islands Closure - 12/9/02

A how-to guide in revamping woeful DFG - 12/8/02

RFA Questions Nearshore Fishery Economics - 12/6/02

RFA joins Kelp Coalition in support for recreational preference - 12/6/02

Letter to The Fish and Game Commission -12/6/02

Coastside Fishing Club Launches Lawsuit To Fight Rockfish Closures - 12/02/02

United Anglers of California supports the Kelp Coalition's Position on Recreational Preference - 12/02/02

RFA Questions Good Faith of The Fish And Game Commission Nearshore Fishery Decisions - 12/02/02

RFA Joins VCFFA In Lawsuit Against California Dept Of Fish and Game - 12/02/02

DFG Schedules Dec. 5, 2002 Groundfish Conformance Hearing - 12/02/02

It's a war now - 8/4/02

'No-take' MPA marine reserves key to fish recovery - 11/22/02

Recreational Lawsuit Planned Against The Dept of Fish and Game - 11/26/02

ELEVATED LEVELS OF MERCURY FOUND IN CALIFORNIANS
WHO EAT LARGE AMOUNTS OF FISH 11-1-02

Not enough fish in the sea, study finds - 11/1/02

PCFFA Report On: CHANNEL ISLANDS MPAs - 11/1/02

Fishing Gone - 10/31/02

Dangers of contaminated fish - 10/29/02

Ocean Ecosystems in Need of Greater Protection - 10/28/02

State makes waters off-limits to fishing - 10/24/02

HISTORIC VOTE RESULTS IN GIANT MARINE RESERVE FOR CHANNEL ISLANDS - 10/24/02

Panel eyes no-fish zone near Channel Islands - 10/22/02

Regulators plan further rockfishing limits - 10/22/02

New fishing regulations planned for rockfish species - 10/4/02

INDUSTRY IN FLUX - 10/01/02

New Complaints Filed on 8 "Party Boats" in Coastal Sweep - 8/29/02

Fisherman says he's shocked by charges - 8/23/02

Fish and Game sting nets 3 in Fort Bragg, Bodega Bay captain - 8/20/02

Statewide Investigation Results in Department of Fish and Game
Filing Complaints on 14 "Party Boats" - 8/20/02

Next month's federal, state restrictions on fishermen expected
to prove costly - 8/13/02

State panels a trove for Davis - 8/11/02

U.S. Seeks to Limit Conservation Law - 8/10/02

Fishery Council Closes The Continental Shelf For Rockfish And Lingcod Fishing - 8/1/02

Cabezon Fishery Closed - 7/21/02

Public Hearings Convened by the California DFG
Will Focus on 2003 Ocean Groundfishing Options - 7/20/02

House Resources Committee Approves Major Fisheries Bill - 7/11/02

Troubled Waters - Fishermen expect disaster from strict rockfish limits - 6/29/02

State Sharply Limits Recreational Rockfish Catch - 6/22/02

Commercial Rockfishing Banned Off California - 6/21/02

Panel Passes Restrictions On West Coast Fishing - 6/21/02

Sea Of Anxiety Over Rockfish Ban - 6/21/02

Greenling Fishery Closure - And The Year Isn't Even Half Over! - 6-20-02

Pacific rockfish in grim shape - 6/20/02

RFA Demands Parity For Recreationals On Fishing Councils - 6/18/02

Trawling Outlook Sows Shock, Fear Among Fishermen - 6/18/02

Ban On Rockfishing To Harm Sportfishing - 6/17/02

Shelf Closure May Result In Increased Pressure On The Nearshore - 6/7/02

40 fisheries face cutbacks to save depleted species - 06/05/02

U.S. to impose bottom-fishing ban
on West Coast rockfish stocks - 6/5/02

Feds may close Pacific shelf - 5/23/02

* Plan proposes limits on coastal fishing 5/10/02

* More On The Plan.

* DFG Releases FMP California's Nearshore -5/9/02

Return to A Dying Sea - 4/23/02

PBS' Empty Oceans, Empty Nets Website - 4/22/02

Rough Waters - 4/19/02

Court Derides Bycatch Debacle 4/18/02

Judge rules fishery service violated laws intended to protect groundfish - 4/17/02

Judge says fisheries service inadequately protected sea life - 4/17/02

Fishing Out The World's Oceans - 4/15/02

Suit filed challenging 2002 Pacific groundfish management efforts - 4/10/02

Sea Of Cortez Devastated By Illegal Commercial Overfishing - 4/10/02

Mercury Concerns Hit West Coast Fisheries - 4/10/02

Angry Letter To The President of the Sierra Club - 4/5/02

"Washington" Proposal For The Management of the California Nearshore - 4-2-02

What the DFG tells Canada, but not California sportfishermen - 3/29/02.

Overfishing fears spur state to seek limits per fisherman - 3/29/02 and a response

Rockfish Guru' takes his protest to Sacramento - 3/23/02

A Biologist Decries the 'Strip Mining' of the Deep Sea - 3/18/02

Marine Protected Areas of the USA - 3/10/02

"New" Nearshore Fishery Management Plan available - 3/8/02

Comments By The President Of The Nearshore Chapter of United Anglers To The Fish And Game Commission On 3/8/02

New solutions needed to manage fisheries sustainably - 2/21/02

California Living Marine Resources: A Status Report - 2/21/02

"Jaws" Author Speaks Out On Marine Reserves

Fish and Game Establishes Ground Rules for MLPA "Working Groups"
Nominations Due By 3/15/02 - 2/20/02

California May Ban Fishing Around Channel Islands - 2/13/02

Marine Life Protection Act(MLPA)Nominations Process for Panel Representatives - 1/29/02

Empty Oceans, Empty Nets - 2/2/02

Fishermen get say in no-fish zones - 2/1/02

Marine scientist's work points to a long history of overfishing - 1/31/02

DFG Scraps MPA Plan - 1/21/02

Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations For Nearshore Species In Effect for 2002 - 1/12/02

CORDONING OFF THE COAST - 1/8/02

Further Delays in Implementing Rules To Protect The Nearshore - 1/9/02

Troubled Seas - NY Times Editorial on Federal Ocean Policy - 1/7/02

Little is Left Of Big Game Fish - soon to be none? - 1/3/02

Surfperch - Destruction By Committee! - 1/3/02

Dept Of Fish And Game Receives Award For Nearshore Fish Management - a box of smart pills - 12/30/01

HR 1986 Passes House - 12/12/01

Let The Big Ones Get Away - 12/14/01

Chinese Misreport Fish Catches - 11/29/01

Nearshore Rockfishing: Changing Regulations - 11/16/01

Emergency Sport Fishing Closure Information - 11/21/01

DFG Implements Emergency Sport Fishing Closure
for Offshore Rockfish - 11/7/01

Overview of Public Comments On The Draft Nearshore
Fishery Management Plan(PDF) - 11/8/01

DFG Summary Response to NFMP Peer Review (PDF) - 11/5/01

California's gillnet fisheries: A problem unsolved

State plans to close rockfish season - 10/4/01

Fisheries closures urged - 10/4/01

Dept. of Fish and Game's To Recommend That Commission
close rockfish and lingcod recreational fishing in Calif. - 10/3/01

The Most Important Fish in the Sea - 9/24/01

Commercial Cabezon Fishery Closed - 9/22/01

Deep Trouble - 9/6/01

Fishermen Worry About Conservation - 9/2/01

Catalina at the Marine Crossroads by Steve Benavides - 9/1/01

Study takes historical peek at plight of ocean ecosystems - 8/26/01

Troubled Waters - 8/24/01

Judge's ruling could limit commercial rockfish catches - 8/24/01

Historical Overfishing and the Recent Collapse of Coastal Ecosystems
Or Get the complete 380K PDF file HERE!- 8/24/01

Environmentalists Win Suit to Protect Pacific Rockfish - 8/22/01

DFG To Release Nearshore Fishery Management Plan For Public Review 8-20-01

The Troubles with Seafood -8/18/01

Fishing Changes Fish Population -7-20-01

Protected Areas Proposed to Restore Fish Populations - 7/10/01

Fishermen oppose new off-limits zones - 7/10/01

New Fishing Restrictions Proposed Along the North Coast - 7/9/01

Proposed Marine Reserves Opposed By Fishermen - 7/9/01

MPA News - published by the University of Washington

Washington Ban On The Commercial Nearshore Fishery:
An Interview - 6/29/01

International Longline Fleet Proposes to Invade California Waters -6/21/01

An Enemy of the Oceans - 6/18/01

MARINE RESERVES RECOVER ROCKFISH,LINGCOD STOCKS
according to a report by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife(WDFW) - 6/17/01

Groundfish Vessel Buyback Bill 6/6/01

The Kelp Forest Coalition:
A COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION AND
OPERATION OF A STATE MARINE PARK IN
SANTA CATALINA ISLAND NEARSHORE WATERS - 5/28/01

Depleted Pacific fisheries need better protection - 5/11/01

Trawler Buyback Plan Attracts Great Interest - 5/11/01

WHO EATS LIVE FISH? 5-11-01

Oregon Live Fishery New Article
- "We have concerns this might be a runaway fishery" - 5/11/01

MARINE LIFE MGMT ACT - FINAL REPORT
Biological Characteristics of Nearshore Fishes of California
A Review of Existing Knowledge and Proposed Additional Studies for the
Pacific Ocean Interjurisdictional Fisheries Management Plan
Coordination and Development Project 5-10-01

Write the NRDC regarding the Depletion of the Nearshore!
Start by reading this narrative by a current NRDC member
on the drastic changes to the nearshore over the last 25 years! - 5/9/01

Is Oregon Live Fishery Another Disaster
for Fish, Sports Anglers, Divers and Environmentalists
But A Short-Term Money Maker for a Few Commercials???
YOU BET IT IS! READ ON! - 4/22/01

Washington State Study Proves Value of No-Take Reserves
on Rockfish Size and Abundance - 4/2001

Declining Rockfish Lengths in the Monterey Bay,
California Recreational Fishery, 1959-94 - posted 5/1/01

Flawed NMFS Federal Action Threatens
Over 50% Of Our Nation's Fisheries - 4/25/01

Live-Fish Trap Fishery in Southern California 1989- 1992
by Melodie Palmer-Zwahlen, John OBrien and Leeanne Laughlin
or go here thank you fishsniffer.com!

Anglers Launch Petition Drive to Stop Commercial Nearshore
Fishing Anglers Launch Petition Drive to Stop
Commercial Nearshore Fishing- 4/5/01

Rockfish Stocks At Risk - American Fisheries Society paper - March 2000
Or read the entire report for all Marine Species here

Open Response to Oakland Tribune Article,
Fishers at War Over Threatened Rockfish
April 5, 2001

Fishers At War Over Threatened Rockfish - 4/5/01

Fish and Game to referee near-coastal fishing dispute - 4/3/01

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has scheduled a public meeting
and a meeting of the Advisory Committee on April 3,2001 in Oakland, CA
to discuss management options for the Nearshore Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) 3-17-01

Fishsniffer.com urges "Tougher Interim Regulations Needed to Protect
Rockfish Stocks" click here now to send a letter to Government Agencies
and Officials regarding the current catastrophe. 2-16-01

Fish and Game Announces New Web Site
Dedicated to the Marine Life Management Act
(MLMA - AB 1241 by Assemblyman Fred Keeley)- 2/8/01

New Groundfish and Nearshore Regulations Still Under Review - 2/3/01

Do Fish Populations Recover From Over-Exploitation?
MAYBE NOT!!!! - 2/1/01

Paper, and New Book, Investigate Decline of
Fish Populations off New England - 2/1/01

Notice of Proposed Changes (UASC PROPOSAL!)
in Regulations of the Fish and Game Commission -
Bias Seen By DFG Towards Commercial Live Fishery - 2/1/01

US SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE FIELD HEARING
ON WEST COAST GROUNDFISH DECLINES 1-10-01

California Fish and Game Commission Ocean Fishing Regulations Delayed - 1/5/01

"Chat Room" Fishery Management - 1/4/01

STATEMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION
REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF INTERIM MANAGEMENT MEASURES
FOR THE NEARSHORE FINFISH FISHERY - 12/21/00

Fish and Game Commission Adopts Regulations
to Protect Marine Fish Stocks 12-14-00

Alaskan Pollock Fishery Fight Freezes $175 Billion Tax Measure - 12-15-00

Call To Arms To Protect Nearshore Fishery 12-14-00

Summary of Decisions Regarding Interim Measures
for the Nearshore Finfish Fishery taken by the Fish and Game
Commission at its meeting in Eureka on December 8, 2000 - 12/14/00

PCFFA Attacks Interim Nearshore Regulations 12-11-00

Adopted Interim Nearshore Recommendations 12-8-00 and
Comments and Summary by a Pro Conservation Sportfisher

LA Times article on Rockfish Expert Milton Love 12-6-00
"All the major natural reef systems we look at, out to 50-60 miles from the coast,
are essentially denuded of large numbers of rockfish," Love says.

Freedom To Fish ACT- An Open Letter 12-5-00
Enemy of Marine Protected Areas and Sportfishers?

Catch limits set to protect coastal fishes - 11-29-00

West Coast Fish Threatened By Extinction 11-2-00
or if article unviewable, go HERE

Fishing fleets face tighter limits - October 31, 2000
or if article unviewable, go HERE

Moratorium on Nearshore Fishery Permits Approved - 10/23/00

Fish and Game Commission Adopts Emergency Closure
for Lingcod in Ocean Waters - 10/23/00

Sports anglers may soon be cast adrift - 10/22/00

Bottom Dropping Out Of The Groundfish Industry - 10/17/00

Dept of Fish and Game Regulatory Proposal
With Regard to Nearshore Fishery

Schedule of Meetings on Interim Nearshore Management Measures - 9/22/00

Meeting notes from the 7/18/2000 Nearshore
Finfish Management Options Workhop - 9/22/00

Court finds fault with fishing rules - 9/22/00
or if article unviewable, go HERE

Gill Nets Banned In California- 9/14/00

Groundfish Allocation Problems in Alaska - 9/7/00

A Tale Of Two Fisheries - 08/28/00

Important Letter on Immediate Peril To Nearshore Fish
Last Chance to Have an Impact on Looming Decision from DFG - 8-18-00

Are Otters Being Killed In Fish Traps? - 5-15-00

U.S. Fish Harvesters Up on Financial Rocks - 4/25/00

ACTION ALERT - FISHERIES RECOVERY ACT HR-4046 4/20/00

New conservation measures urged for U.S. fisheries - 4/7/00

Huge Deposits Of DDT Threaten Ocean Fish In Southern California - 3/30/00

American Fisheries Society(AFS) Policy Statement On Rockfish 2-24-00

Magnuson Act Reauthorization and Amendment Introduced - 3/10/00

Fisheries' Management Called Failure - 3/10/00

Are Rockfish Going Down Memory Lane?
A Diver Remembers How It Was - 3/1/00

A Recent Letter to the Commissioners - 3/1/00

Report on The February, 2000 Fish and Game Commission Meeting 2-20-00

Fish And Game Commission Expands Commercial Take
Of Inshore Fish Despite Growing Crisis 2-17-00

Monterey Fish Processor Fined 1/2 Million Dollars - 1/20/00
Illegal Catch of Black Cod - 299 Violations - Used Bogus Names

Groundfish Crisis 1-21-00

U.S. Declares Fishery Failure 1-20-00

Evidence of Intensive Shallow Water Fishing Near San Simeon 01-11-00
How Could This NOT Cause Long Term Harm to Slow
Growing and Maturing Sebastes Rockfish?

Washington Bans Live Fishery While
California Caves in to Commercial Demands - 12/13/99

State Fishing Industry Reeling Over New Rules - 12/7/99

Commission Cuts Sport Rockfish and Abalone Limits - 12/4/99

State Regulators Favor Increased Commercial
Inshore Fish Harvest While Proposing to Restrict Sportfishers! 12-5-99

British Columbia's Fisheries Page on Rockfish
- Excellent Place to Start Learning About Rockfish

Black Rockfish in Rapid Decline
- Report by Oregon State University 4-22-99

Status of Rockfish Stocks - 1995 report by The Dept of Fish and Game

Draft Report - Marine Management Areas - pub. 8/23/99

Statistics on Live Fish Landings in Monterey - SCARY!!!!! 11/23/99

TOUGH LIMITS TO SAVE FISH - 11/15/99

ROCKFISH IN DEEP TROUBLE - 11/15/99

Federal regulators order cuts in fishing catch off
Oregon, Washington and California coasts - 11/6/99

FEDERAL RULING TO CUT ROCKFISH CATCH - 11/6/99

98 FISH SPECIES OVERFISHED ACCORDING TO FEDERAL REPORT - 11/4/99

GROUPS SUE IN FEDERAL COURT TO STOP GROUNDFISH HARVESTING - 10/14/99

AB 993 SIGNED BY GOVERNOR DAVIS - REVAMPS MARINE RESERVE SYSTEM - 10-13-99

CALIFORNIA DFG MAY PUT SPORT ANGLERS ON THE HOOK - 9/12/99

NO-FISHING SIGNS WAVE OF THE FUTURE? - 9/27/99

PACIFIC COAST FISHERMAN LIKELY TO SEE BIG CUTS IN ROCKFISH SEASONS - 9/20/99

Giant Black Sea Bass Are Making A Comeback In Southern California
- But the Future is Not Looking Rosy! - 9/14/99

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO REGULATIONS GOVERNING SPORT FISHING
IN OCEAN WATERS Title 14, California Code of Regulations - 8/26/99

Proposal to Sustain Nearshore Reef Fish Populations in California 8/19/99

Help Stop The Removal Of Wild Fish By Underwater World

Summary of Rockfish Presentation before the California Fish and Game Commission - 6/28/99

Dept of Fish and Game Determines to Take Action to Restore
Rockfish Populations June 18,1999

Rockfish Are Pushed to the Brink - March 1999

The opinion of the Chief Lobbyist for Commercial Fishermen in California
on the state of Rockfish in California

TESTIMONY FROM NOAA ON THE STATUS GROUNDFISH ON THE WEST COAST - 4/30/98

Recent News Report: California Rockfish Near Point of No Return (1-12-99)
or if unviewable go HERE!

Provisions of AB1241 Pertaining to Inshore Fish

Are Marine Reserves the Way to Save
California's Reef Fish and other marine species?

Declines in rockfish (genus Sebastes) abundance in
the southern California Bight over the past two decades

Fish and Game Commission Adopts Reduced Bag Limit for Lingcod in Ocean Waters (12/28/98)

Fish and Game Commission Urges Cautious Approach for California Lingcod(10/22/98)

Rockfish severely contaminated by DDT and PCBs
at Palos Verdes in Southern Califonia

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

California Department of Fish and Game

California Fish and Game Code

Whats Gone Wrong with the California Dept. of Fish and Game? - an answer can be found here

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Protecting Employees Who Protect the Environment

PEER Report on How The Davis Administration has failed
to Protect the State's Watersheds,
Is This Being Repeated in its Fisheries Policy?

Why Did Washington State Ban Nearshore Commercial Fishing?

The Live-Fish Fishery of California by the Late Mia Tegner of the Scripps Institute

Recreational Fisheries Information Network (RecFIN), a service of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC)

Marine Life Management Act - AB 1241 - Fred Keeley - 9/30/98

Nearshore Chapter, United Angler of Southern California - Oceanoracle.com

United Anglers of California

United Anglers of Soutern California

Ocean Coalition Web Page

Ocean Coalition - Mail-List Subscription Page

Kelp Forest Coalition

Links to Southern California Ocean Environmental Web Sites

California Dept of Fish and Game
Marine Sportfish Identification

Northern California Fish - These are the ones you may expect to find here

NetVets Fish and Fishery

Professor Milton Love's (UC of Sta Barbara) California Fish Page

Fate of the Fishes (7/16/98)

NATIONAL MARINE FISHERY SERVICE - NOAA

The U.S. Commission On Ocean Policy

OCEANA

Marine Harvest Refugia For West Coast Rockfish

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Slideshow On the Current Status of Rockfish on the West Coast

Stop Alaska from Imposing Halibut Sport IFQ's - 2/27/01

RFA Letter Opposing Alaskan IFQs for Sportfishers - 2/27/01

Pacific Fishery Management Council - PFMC

List of Fishing Groups On The West Coast

American Fisheries Society

SeaWeb

Oceanic Resource Foundation

The Ocean Conservancy
The New Name for the Center For Marine Conservation

FishyFish.com - Premier Web Site for Information on Current Action to Save the Nearshore Environment In California

Bay Area Recreational Fishers Online (BARF!)

Economic Decline Of Northcoast Fisheries
A State Legislative report in .PDF Format - 10/2/98

Pacific Marine Conservation Council(PMCC)-A Northwest Coast Fishermen's Association

USA Fishing - Covering Recreational Fishing in Northern California
with Daily Reports and a Hotsheet!

PMCC - Newsletter on Monterey Rockfish Conference - "Diminishing Returns" - 3/99

PISCO is a large-scale marine research program that focuses on nearshore ecosystems of the U.S. West Coast.

THE MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHERY IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
    - Marine Resources Division, Noyo Marine Laboratory,
Fort Bragg, California

Pacific Fishery Management Council Groundfish Management Team Reports (1981-1998)

The Green Community Seafood Guide

Politically Correct and Environmentally Sound Guide to Seafood Consumption

Monterey Bay Aquarium Guide to Eating Seafood

Sea Food Business - The Industrial Viewpoint

"The Precautionary Approach"

Sea No Evil

List of Fisheries Web Sites

Bill's Fisheries Links

Directory of Links to Information About The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act

Global Fisheries: Conveyor Belt of no Return?

Fish Consumption Advisories From the EPA - Contaminated Fillets!

Wrecking The Oceans

VACUUMING THE SEAS

Indiscriminate Slaughter At Sea - The Bycatch Problem

fishbelly.com - a recreational fishing site with
information and links to Conservation
issues and news

The Recreational Fishing Alliance

WestPac Fisheries Alliance

PCFFA-Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Association

FISHLINK SUBLEGALS

Institute for Fisheries Resources - An Arm Of The PCFFA

American Sportfishing Association

SAC - The Sportfishing Association of California

Calfishnet.com - The California Fishing Network
The online Organization of B.A.R.F (Bay Area Regional Fisherman)
offering sport fishing oriented chat groups and lots more.

Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

Marine Fish Conservation Network

Pew Oceans Commission

National Fisheries Conservation Center

R.E.E.F: Reef Environmental Education Foundation

American Oceans Campaign

Scripps Institute of Oceanography

World Fish Center

Planktos - Fertlizing the Oceans

Oceans Studies Board - established by the National Research Council to advise the federal government on issues of ocean science, engineering, and policy.

Underwater Times - The Daily Journal Of Life In And Around The Water
excellent source for International Fishery News

The World Wide Web Virtual Library: Oceanography

My own links to Conservation web sites - Ocean and in General

Unfortunately, heavy fishing pressure driven by skyrocketing market demand has resulted in dramatic declines in both fish abundance and size. With reef-fish populations already depleted, a relatively new and rapidly expanding commercial fishery has geared up to target these already depressed fish stocks: the commercial live-fish fishery. This fishery supplies live fish taken from shallow water (intertidal in some cases) to restaurants and markets throughout Southern and Northern California placing a premium on small fish (got to fit on a plate).

With prices from $3.50 upwards of $10.00/lb. for certain species delivered alive, it has become commercially viable to target reefs previously considered "fished out". Targeting small, immature fish not only preempts recreational fishermen and spear fishers, but more importantly puts recovery of hard hit fish populations at serious risk. Several port biologists now report sexually immature fish are the predominant size landed.

Despite the very real potential that severe overfishing may jeopardize the future of all the fisheries dependent on a healthy reef ecosystem, the commercial live fishery is expanding rapidly, growing 25 fold from 52,000 lbs in 1988 to over 1,300,000 lbs in 1997 - but that's only the fish reported. These totals don't included unreported landings, fish which died in transit, or illegally taken fish. Actual fish caught is estimated to be double the reported landings. Recreationals and marine conservationists have been very slow to awaken (and many are still oblivious) to the threat this commercial fishery poses to nearshore reef-fish. The live fishery has been hard at it in Morro Bay for a number of years, but with declining fish in that area some boats have moved further north. Now boats from Southern California have joined with local commercial fishermen to systematically hammer the kelp beds and reefs between Big Sur and Cresent City in the latest fishery gold rush to follow the collapse of abalone and urchin stocks. Recreational anglers and divers who pay attention to such things have become alarmed as disappearing nearshore fish coincide with the arrival of commercial fish traps and vertical set lines (sticks).

So consider this article a wake up call. If you care at all about seeing or chasing nearshore reef-fish and are getting tired of letting others fight all your battles for you, peel yourself out of that wetsuit and get involved you overfed shark baits here's how:

1. Get on the Fish and Game Commission Meeting distribution list. Call the Commission at (916) 653-4899 or email them at fgc@dfg.ca.gov and tell them you want to receive the monthly meeting agenda (its free). Give them your name and address. Now you can keep track of attempts by various groups and individuals trying to reshape regulations to their personal profit. Once informed you can do all the things responsible divers do, you know, write letters and make phone calls about issues which are going to affect your dive life. Since AB 1241 passed (The Marine Life Protection Act) the Fish and Game Commission and Dept of Fish and Game, not the Legislature, are responsible for managing the live-fish fishery. So keep your focus on the Commission.

2. Call the Fish and Game office in Monterey (the new Marine Region Headquarters). Let them know how you feel about the commercial live-fishery. Nancy Wright (nmwright@dfg.ca.gov) has been temporarily placed in charge of the Nearshore Fishery Management Plan, you might try talking to her, otherwise Patricia Wolf (pwolf@dfg.ca.gov) , The Marine Regional Manager. The Monterey CDFG phone number is (831) 649-2870.

3. Develop a coordinated plan of action about your concerns and enlist the help of your diviing and fishing clubs and friends, relatives and other citizens concerned about the conservation of our wild ocean resources.