Thanks for your World Ocean Day notice above and I will do all I can to help. I still have some excellent books on the Pacific Coast tidepools that I would like to donate to anyone who asks. I live in North Carolina now, for many years, and also live part time at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, so hope these books can continue to have a useful and inspiring life with those that appreciate our natural world the most. Anyone can write me at CatherineTodd2 at gmail dot com. Thanks for everything, Bob… here’s hoping you get this message!

But to return so the common ground, I agree with you completely, this is a matter that requires education and inclusion.

There relealy is no “you guys” in this debate, or at least I’m not one of them. I am on your side to Peter. That is the problem whith this whole process. There is a middle ground, but it feels like this is being played on a lopsided field. From where I am sitting, the wrong people and wrong activities are being scape goated. There are much bigger dangers where are ocean is concerned, than sport fisherman. The recreational guys in S. California are feeling so left out of this process they are already talking about descending on the MPA’s, 50 to 100 boats strong tying off together and fishing at the different locations in protest. More than anything, this is an education issue. We have a responsiblity to talk to people, not at them.

Let me take of my science cap and put on my fishing cap. I can tell you that in the last three years, I have seen with my own eyes 3 Calico Bass over 16 pounds caught. If you look in the state record books, the record for Calico Bass still stands at 14 pounds and some change, and its been there for more than three years. All three of those fish were let go IN A HURRY (Similar stories with Sheephead)! The proposal that the UASC submitted draws a line around Catalina, and it is slot limit central (over 12” under 16” or something like that). I personally think the DFG is off their rocker with the limits that are allowed currently (10 bass, 10 Sheeps, 10 pelagics,ect) and on and on for one angler per day. I myself won’t take a fish unless it’s getting cooked that day. To make a long story short I think 80% of the rec guys would be okay with tossing a big fish back. Again its and education and fisheries management issue and MPA’s wont solve that. The sport fishing organizations (IGFA, PSO, UASC, ect) the ones that are being demonized in this process buy our colleagues are largely responsible for this education.

The article you reference is true for most fish. I think the California records for game fish tell the same story. One thing I will say is that the commercial guys have devastated our coast. Since the netting has stopped, the game fishing in S. Cal has had a spectacular comeback. White Sea Bass are no longer rare, and I haven’t seen one in 8 years, quite a few of the sport boats have hooked and released several Black Sea Bass in the past 12 months. The yellow-fin are as big and as numerous as I’ve seen them in years. But there certainly is no argument here, it is\ not good as it used to be.

Eric – No one fishes for sardines(only commercial). Sardines do not have small home ranges. The majority of game fish do. So when you try and interject larval transport and use sardines as an example, and use that theory to calculate MPA spacing guidelines, what you are really saying to rec guys is, we are keeping all your fish. The goal should be more and bigger fish, not bigger fish in one area. Secondly about fish mortality, I bet that study was done mostly on deep Rockfish…no doubt, otherwise I don’t buy it. I think we all know that Rockfish fall outside the normal management techniques and mortality rates. Perhaps thats is what an MPA’s should be used for. I was actually surprised Peter was okay with catch and release since the majority of the fish up there are deep

For 17 nearshore fish species, we compared landings by recreational anglers and commercial harvesters and found that, for 16 species, recreational angling was the primary source of fishing mortality. We illustrate the potential damaging effects of mortality associated with catch-and-release programs on long-lived fish populations. Based on this information, we recommend that legislators and natural resource managers reject the assumption that recreational fishing is a low or no impact activity until specific studies can demonstrate otherwise.

from Schroeder and Love. (2002) Recreational fishing and marine fish populations in California. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Report pp. 182-190
Also see (among many others)
Coleman et al. (2004) The Impact of United States Recreational Fisheries on Marine Fish Populations. Science vol. 305 (5692) pp. 1958-1960
Cook and Cowx (2004) The Role of Recreational Fishing in Global Fish Crises. BioScience, Vol. 54, No. 9, Pages 857–859
Lewin et al. (2006) Documented and Potential Biological Impacts of Recreational Fishing: Insights for Management and Conservation. Reviews in Fisheries Science vol. 14 (4) pp. 305-367

BS like “larval transport” Really?
I mean Really?!
The dynamics of the California coast are absolutely amazing and, thanks in large part to the CalCOFI program and institutes like those at Monterey Bay, fairly well documented. Part of the documentation is how changing wind, current and upwelling fronts can radically change the larval distribution, recruitment and survival of some economically and ecologically important species of fish and inverts. I would suggest a perusal of the CalCOFI annual reports from the past 30 years for more details. If you are seriously interested I have a collection of papers on larval distribution, transport and recruitment. 15 alone on sardine larvae on the California coast. Some for a start:

Lluch-Belda et al. (1991) Sardine and Anchovy Spawning As Related to Temperature and Upwell in the California Current System. Cali. Coop. Oceanic. Fish. Invest. Rep vol. 32 pp. 105-111
Logerwell and Smith. (2001) Mesoscale eddies and survival of late stage Pacific sardine(Sardinops sagax) larvae. Fisheries Oceanography vol. 10 (1) pp. 13-25
Diehl, Toonen and Botsford (2007) Spatial variability of recruitment in the sand crab Emerita analoga throughout California in relation to wind-driven currents. Marine Ecology Progress Series vol. 350 pp. 1-17

I’m tossing you a bone on this one, More Lies, because I don’t hear any of those kind of alternatives coming from you guys. Until you get it together to put some alternatives on the table you’ll continue to be marginalized. That’s just the way it is. It may be too late for this battle, though.

I’m sorry you feel like you’re being locked out of your fishing grounds. I sympathize with recreational fishers, really I do, because fishermen are out on the water more than most anyone. But, I listen to the old timers who tell me the big fish are all gone. Check this link and tell me what you think:

http://deepseanews.com/2009/03/fishing-trophies-back-in-the-day/

“In 1969 a small marine protected area was established at Moss Beach. Even then it was controversial, but the results surprised people. Moss Beach soon became a tourist attraction—it drew Bay Area schools for field trips, and visitors from across the country and around the world.”

I live in Dana Point and we have a tidal zone protected area that draws crowds of people and children on field trips. But the MLPA is proposing a complete ban on fishing in Dana Point and through out California. That will do nothing but damage our economy and lives.

Children on field trips never venture underwater. They walk on the shore. So in no way would the underwater closures bring more children to beaches. You are lying to the public. I can accept the ecological benefit of banning fishing but I will never accept the utter lies that this will benefit California.

Fishing has zero impact on what people do above water.

These MLPA closures are an economic and social curse to every fisherman and the coastal business of California.