More MLPA's -

[Darian]

Does anyone have any idea what the H__l "....socioeconomic conditions in the South Coast region, inside and outside MPAs...." have to do with conservation/protection of marine resources

In my minds eye, I can see a survey taker calling on residence in Compton/Long Beach and asking one of the homies how establishment of the MLPA has affected their socioeconomic status....

[Larry S]

My take on this is that the scientists and quasi-scientists involved in the MLPA
process require "care and feeding." They depend on grants for survival. There is
a lot of money, private and public, for the taking. Hence, the studies.
Wouldn't it have made sense to attempt somehow an inventory of the proposed MLPA's
and neighboring areas before enacting them? How else will we know of any successes?
Reading the bios of the staff members of those organizations listed above provides a
good insight into how those dollars will be awarded and spent.
I did notice that none of them state hunting or fishing as an avocation.

I may apply for some of those dollars to fund my own study. Maybe just for gasoline.
I will ask that I be given permission to surf fish inside the MLPA's and compare my
catch results with those from outside areas. Be happy to share those data.

[Pimpinmeat]

I did notice that none of them state hunting or fishing as an avocation.

Did any of them list tree hugging or granola eating as an avocation.

I stand to lose every area that I've fished since I was kid. I have not purchased a Sport Fishing Ocean Enhancement Validation this year because I'm so upset about this. I know I will eventually because I'm going to want to fish some spots for the last time but next year I'm leaving this crazy state. To many policies that don't make sense and to many crazy groups trying to enforce there on beliefs the rest of the population. The MLPA is a joke.

[Darian]

I swore I wouldn't be doing this stuff again but....

First, a couple of thoughts about the current state of availability of PUBs re: MLPA boundaries. Went to my local office of DFG and asked if there were any handouts or booklets available there Answer: none. You must order/purchase them from headquarters or print them out from on-line sources. The North-Central Coast booklet is at least 26 pages thick. There're are 5 districts; each with their own booklet. I thought this might be due to the current budget situation but Nooooo!!! Apparently, this is a move to expand use of the internet for dissemination of info. As a test, I tried printing two pages in the center of the booklet. The pages printed were not the pages I selected.

I asked if there's any plan to post signs indicating where the boundaries of these reserves are located Answer; none. No signs will be posted. There are two sources that contain this information. First, is the F&G Reg's booklets (reflects GPS coordinates, etc.). The other is on-line at the DFG website. On the website are maps that illustrates where each of these areas are along the coastline. However, the maps are imprecise. DFG cautions users to refer to the regs for accurate information about their legal boundaries. So, if you're fishing close to one of those areas you might want to carry a handheld GPS to avoid a trespass.

I've not been a big fan of this process but have found some interesting information related to the underlying reasons for the need for MLPA's and the answer to a question I posed in a post, above; 'Does anyone have any idea what the H__l "....socioeconomic conditions in the South Coast region, inside and outside MPAs...." have to do with conservation/protection of marine resources??'

After reading the latest update to the strategic plan, I found the answer to be that the term socioeconomic conditions is used as a euphemism to describe the level of objection to the MLPA process by fisherman.... Talk about a smokescreen....

OK, now the finale'.... In reading some of the reports that describe negative impacts on salt water fisheries involved under MLPA, I found one that measured the impacts of commercial and recreational fishing on identified fish populations. Surprisingly, the group that had the most negative impact was recreational and that catch & release practices did not improve mortality rates. While I've accepted the fact some fish do die after release, I had no idea there was that much impact. Guess some re-think is necessary on my part.

This information was excerpted from reports found at (almost too much to absorb in a short timeframe):

http://www.calcofi.org

California Cooperative Ocean Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) is a public-private/partnership consisting of DFG, F&G Commission, Scripps Oceanographic Institute, NOAA, etc.