Mistake in the October 2013 issue

[MaxBottomtime]

Thank you for the article about Terranea Resort (Marineland) in your October issue. I have to correct one mistake found in the article, though. The area east of Long Point is part of the Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area. Lobsters, urchins and Calico bass mentioned in the article may not be taken here. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the following rules apply to the area;


Recreational Fishing


Allowed Species: Market squid by hand-held dip net. Pelagic finfish, including Pacific bonito, and white seabass by spearfishing.


Prohibited Species: All marine aquatic plants. Invertebrates, EXCEPT market squid by hand-held dip net. Finfish, EXCEPT pelagic finfish including Pacific bonito, and white seabass by spearfishing.


Please check out the DFG website for more information about MPAs.
California Marine Protected Areas

 

[Dale Sheckler]

Thank you for the article about Terranea Resort (Marineland) in your October issue. I have to correct one mistake found in the article, though. The area east of Long Point is part of the Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area. Lobsters, urchins and Calico bass mentioned in the article may not be taken here. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the following rules apply to the area;


Recreational Fishing


Allowed Species: Market squid by hand-held dip net. Pelagic finfish, including Pacific bonito, and white seabass by spearfishing.


Prohibited Species: All marine aquatic plants. Invertebrates, EXCEPT market squid by hand-held dip net. Finfish, EXCEPT pelagic finfish including Pacific bonito, and white seabass by spearfishing.


Please check out the DFG website for more information about MPAs.
California Marine Protected Areas

You are correct. My bad. The information has been corrected in the online edition of the article and a correction has also been posted online. A correction will appear in the next print issue.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Thanks Dale. I spend way too much time chasing fishermen out of the local MLPAs. I didn't want anyone to read that and argue with me that it was now legal again.

 

[drbill]

Prohibited Species: All marine aquatic plants. Invertebrates, EXCEPT market squid by hand-held dip net. Finfish, EXCEPT pelagic finfish including Pacific bonito, and white seabass by spearfishing.

As both you and Dale know, Phil, I was one of the strong supporters of the new MPAs in our state. I have since learned that the language in the MLPA had a glaring error IMHO in stating language like the above. By prohibiting the take of all marine plants (no need for the redundant word aquatic), they also prohibit the removal of NON-NATIVE marine "plants" including the highly invasive Asian seaweed Sargassum horneri. I assume this also applies to the removal of any invasive species including invertebrates. What a sad oversight.

However, in writing this I think I have just discovered a loophole! Algae are NOT "plants" in the biological sense. They do not belong to the Kingdom Plantiae (although some place green algae there). Therefore I should be able to legally remove Sargassum as it is a form of brown algae, and therefore is not part of the Kingdom Plantae.

---------- Post added October 19th, 2013 at 08:29 AM ----------

CURSES... I just checked the language for Casino Point and it states all living marine organisms with no direct reference to "plants." Still a major error on the part of the legislature to not distinguish between native and non-native species. Heck, the Catalina Conservancy's Articles of Incorporation did that way back in 1972 (even before the Endangered Species Act.