MLPA makes front page of LA Times

[Skull]

So, since California will not be able to enforce this with a multitude of guard boats and 100's more F&G officers we should just forget it and let the fishermen deplete whatever fish stocks are left?

Nice Dave, you of all people I would not have expected such an emotional yet vacant post? What gives?

Doesn't really address the question ..now does it. Again what provisions or at least assumptions have been advanced by the supporters of the MLPA to fund this policy. I see last night they pretty much have completed the maps and rubber stamped the policies .... but have not to date addressed the funding portion of this policy. Are we just gonna tell the current DFG guys to bust ass and work a little harder???

 

[Teamcasa]

Nice Dave, you of all people I would not have expected such an emotional yet vacant post? What gives?

Doesn't really address the question ..now does it. Again what provisions or at least assumptions have been advanced by the supporters of the MLPA to fund this policy. I see last night they pretty much have completed the maps and rubber stamped the policies .... but have not to date addressed the funding portion of this policy. Are we just gonna tell the current DFG guys to bust ass and work a little harder???

I apologize for the sharpness but I guess I don't understand your point very well.

To answer your question directly, I'm confident that enforcement will not require hordes of F&G officers as most of the local fishing charters will obey the rules anyway. The poachers will continue to poach but hopefully they will get caught by one of the existing officers.

I just don't believe the enforcement issue is strong enough to boo hoo the whole plan.

 

[drbill]

Ok I will ask one more time ....for all of you who favor the MLPA how do you plan on funding the manpower required to police this policy?

Do any of you have a clue as to how this will be done?

Hmmm... I guess it would be asking too much for the anglers to simply follow the rules, Skull? Actually, I have more faith in the majority of them than you seem to.

After communicating with a member of the Stakeholders group, I am deeply disturbed that Catalina will be a sacrifice zone. I guess we just don't have enough votes out here on the island. This will place even more pressure on the island.

 

[Skull]

Hmmm... I guess it would be asking too much for the anglers to simply follow the rules, Skull? Actually, I have more faith in the majority of them than you seem to.

After communicating with a member of the Stakeholders group, I am deeply disturbed that Catalina will be a sacrifice zone. I guess we just don't have enough votes out here on the island. This will place even more pressure on the island.

Agreed drbill of all places you'd think there would be some consensus on preserving the Islands of all places. Doesn't make sense to me.

Ya know I would hope the anglers would but lets be honest the California coast is what some 800 miles long? That is a lot of real estate to patrol. I unfortunately don't have that much faith in people.

 

[Skull]

I apologize for the sharpness but I guess I don't understand your point very well.

To answer your question directly, I'm confident that enforcement will not require hordes of F&G officers as most of the local fishing charters will obey the rules anyway. The poachers will continue to poach but hopefully they will get caught by one of the existing officers.

I just don't believe the enforcement issue is strong enough to boo hoo the whole plan.

The DFG guys are spread pretty thin as it is ....look at the folks that poach lobsters ... and that requires a massive effort from the DFG to police ...can't imagine how hard it will be with the MLPA in place . Especially at harbors with access to Mexico and fishing within the harbors .. guess they are just gonna have to get lucky and bust a few poachers every now and then.

I'm not saying its impossible but relying on the good will of folks who fish ... I think that is wishful thinking.

 

[Skull]

Fact is guys I'm a bit of a freak (as if it wasn't abundantly clear from my pub posts) but for example when I do go for bugs I usually only take two of three ...just enough for dinner for me and my family. Others go out to limit every single time ... I never try to limit out. Same when I'm hunting I shoot what I can eat immediately and then head home. It is my experience that most folks go fishing , bugging and hunting to prove their able hunter/fishermen... I just dig eating fresh food every once in awhile.

A final note ever notice how all those folks follow the hands free cellular laws in California ... I'm just saying!

 

[drbill]

Skull, I've always had the sense that you were more reasonable than many.

I wonder how many of those who "limit out" on a given day have other bugs in their freezers and are therefore in violation of the bag limits.

I am truly saddened by the way the BRTF members treated Catalina. I fail to understand why politicians and policy makers were able to over ride the science.

 

[Skull]

>>Skull, I've always had the sense that you were more reasonable than many.<<

well lets keep that to ourselves ... I have a reputation to uphold ya know! he he he


I suspect concerning the Islands, there is where the real licensing money is at. Big trips from the mainland to the Channels. Not only for bill fish but even the 3/4 day and overnights which charter out there charge big dollars to folks who come in from all over the world. Not to mention the sales and luxury taxes the state gets for these industries. Sadly the agency charged with patrolling this get very little in revenues.

On an upbeat note and this is only anecdotal, been diving the La Jolla kelp just off Marine Street/Wind-n-Sea area ... I have never seen that many urchins and Sheephead in this kelp bed before. I don't know if it is some imbalance or just that the recession/price of fuel has eased the pressure off of this area for kelp fishing. Regardless it is nice to see full size bull Sheephead on the reefs again.

 

[White Knight]

Not sure who to address this to, or if I should start a new thread, but I keep reading references to the fact that fishing license fees make up the vast majority of the DFG budget, and where will the money come from when people quit buying fishing licenses, etc. My question, "Why should the no take reserves be the responsibility of fishermen--commercial or recreation?" Perhaps there should be an "ocean use" fee that "everyone" pays. In short, why should I be the one to soley pay for the protection of reefs and fish? I didn't cause the problem, and don't get to fish them?

 

[Skull]

Not sure who to address this to, or if I should start a new thread, but I keep reading references to the fact that fishing license fees make up the vast majority of the DFG budget, and where will the money come from when people quit buying fishing licenses, etc. My question, "Why should the no take reserves be the responsibility of fishermen--commercial or recreation?" Perhaps there should be an "ocean use" fee that "everyone" pays. In short, why should I be the one to soley pay for the protection of reefs and fish? I didn't cause the problem, and don't get to fish them?

That's also a point I wanted to touch on ... the decline in licensing and usage fees will greatly affect the DFG ... so they will need additional revenue streams to cover the loss in licensing/fees. Seems to me nobody cares at this point. Read in the SD Tribune OP Ed that this must be a good compromise (Friday nights LB decision on mapping) cause everyone is pissed off. I don't agree. Personally I think stricter catch limits and narrower season windows would have been a better approach.

I see drbills point that the channels should have been granted more areas but I think money and politics played a hand in this that nobody wants to uncover. For SD County they left Point Loma's kelp off the maps ...just means everybody will be fishing from the OB pier down to the Zuniga jetty en mass. Again most guys are catch and release fishermen... well except for the cattle boats ...maybe they will jam themselves into SD Harbor and Mission Bay Ultimately they will change their targets ... there goes the local halibat population.