Red tape delaying plans for rockfish extension

[WFBRadio]

Red tape delaying plans for rockfish extension
By Bill Becher
Special to the Daily News
Saltwater sport fishermen who had hoped to be able to fish in deeper water in Southern California starting Sept. 1 will have to wait.

Despite a recommendation by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and action by the California Fish and Game Commission, the proposal to allow anglers to pursue rockfish in waters up to 30 fathoms (180 feet) south of Pt. Conception starting Sept. 1 is mired in the federal government bureaucracy.

"It's not a done deal yet," said Brian Gorman, a spokesman for National Marine Fisheries Service. It's our target, but it hasn't happened yet."

Currently, anglers are restricted to fishing for rockfish in water less than 20 fathoms (120 feet). The rules were established to protect against incidental take of depleted species of rockfish, such as bocaccio. Recent fish surveys have shown the bocaccio are recovering faster than originally predicted because of good reproduction in 1999, although bocaccio are only a fraction of their original, unfished population.

Anglers had hoped to be able to fish in the deeper water for the balance of the season, which ends Dec. 31. The California Department of Fish and Game supports the changes, but the federal government has the final word.

The PFMC makes recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on setting ocean-fishing regulations in water off Washington, Oregon and California. NOAA normally follows the recommendations after review by the NMFS.

Gorman says changing the area where fisherman can fish won't change the amount of fish they can catch, but fish should be easier to catch, as anglers will be able to fish in places that were previously off limits.

The resurgence in bocaccio might also mean their allowable catch will be substantially increased next year, but that's not a certainty either, according to Gorman.

"There is no doubt that the new stock assessments show an increased abundance of bocaccio," Gorman said. "That will be looked at when we look at the 2004 quotas at the end of the year."

Anglers should check the DFG marine region Web page at [url "http://64.4.18.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=20b6cf9ddaff69c6139c96faef792f82&lat=1060987075&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2edfg%2eca%2egov%2fmrd"][#0000ff]www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd[/#0000ff][/url] or the NMFS Web page at [url "http://64.4.18.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=9fca3103ac96131a0a4bdc13018bd4a9&lat=1060987075&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2enwr%2enoaa%2egov"][#0000ff]www.nwr.noaa.gov[/#0000ff][/url] to see when and if the depth changes are in place. The DFG Web page also has a link to an ocean-fishing regulations map.

DFG budget also in limbo: Ocean anglers aren't the only ones wondering what the future will bring.

The DFG budget for the fiscal year that started July 1 was approved by the legislature but not the trailer bill that would increase fees for hunting and sport and commercial fishing licenses.

DFG Deputy Director David A. Bunn said this means the department won't know its final spending plan until the legislature acts on the fees bill, which it must do by the second week in September.

The increased fees won't help offset planned cuts in popular DFG programs, such as fish hatcheries, which must cut $1.6 million this year. Bunn said two hatcheries likely will be closed. The DFG has already cut expenditures on seasonal employees who help plant fish in the summer.

Stocking programs in areas that attract anglers from Southern California already have been hurt and local governments, and businesses are concerned about the impact on summer tourism. The Mono County Board of Supervisors has donated $10,000 to keep local hatchery plants going this summer, and volunteers also have pitched in. Bunn said there are no layoffs of full-time employees planned at the DFG, but "things don't look great."

Statewide, managers in all branches of the state government, including the DFG, have been told to reduce spending on employees by more than $1 billion, which could result in the loss of 16,000 positions according to Bunn.

In anticipation of further cuts, the DFG has sent out notices of possible layoffs to employees with less than 30 months' seniority.[unsure]
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[JapanRon]

Hey there FTRDeckhand,

Seems like there's a lot of positive thinking amoung the sportfishing groups on things being better for the shallow water and mid-depth rockfish afficnados for next year's season.

Let's hope the data being presented now HAS to be taken into account. Reading some of the unofficial reports given by people who were on some of the boats sampling the fishing for sportfishing caught species for the scientific community, it sounded like the fish stocks were there and was an undeniable fact.

One thing about it, I hope the next goveners main activity is not courting the commercial fisheries for the buck$, or siding with the radical eco's, who don't even want boats on the water.

Money will be tight. Let's see if the DFG spends OUR money for stricter enforcement of sportfishing activities or on enhancing the quality of fishing. Gotta remember, the impact of sportfishing on most stocks, in the saltwater at least, is small comparied to the commercials.

Thanks for the usual timely info,

JapanRon
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