Zone 1 in place for California's no-fishing plan

It is trying to protect its world-famous bounty of fish with marine protected areas.

from the September 28, 2007 edition

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"There is a popular perception that much of the world has been overfished, and that is certainly true elsewhere, but absolutely not true in California," says Ray Hilborn, professor of fisheries management at the University of Washington's School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Hilborn has analyzed statistical models of 50 fish listed as in collapse worldwide, but he says only two from the list are seriously depleted in California.

Other fishermen here say the original statistics causing most of the alarm – published in the journal Science in December 2006 – have been challenged by other studies.

"There have been other studies since then that say the [Science] numbers were flawed, but everyone keeps quoting the initial statistics anyway," says Ken Jones, president of United Pier and Shore Anglers of California.

Mr. Jones, Mr. Goehring, and other fishermen acknowledge that in the past, some commercial operations overfished some key stocks such as rockfish, but that they have mended their ways out of necessity. In fact, some of the best advocates for the new zones were fishermen themselves, says Kaitilin Gaffney, program manager for the Ocean Conservancy.

Still, many hope the state will look beyond fishermen to other reasons why fish populations decline: climate, coastal development, and urban runoff.

Lack of funding

As for the decisionmaking process itself, some observers say that part of the problem has been lack of funding.

"From the outset of this whole idea, the state Fish and Game Department didn't have any money, so all the studies were underwritten by private foundations funded by environmental organizations," says Craig Merrilees, a recreational fisherman in San Francisco who is part of the team negotiating details of the state's second MPA, which is slated to open in the next two years.

In addition, all sides acknowledge that no matter how regulations evolve, enforcement will be a problem because of the lack of funding. "The state Department of Fish and Game is woefully unable to enforce existing regulations," says Mr. Merrilees. "I literally fished for several years without ever even seeing a single Fish and Game official."

That doesn't matter to Darby Neil, who runs a sport-fishing landing in Morro Bay. As of Friday, he says, he can no longer offer clients his long-range, rock-cod trip because the borders of the new MPA would force his tour boats an hour north to White Rocks. That would take six hours, leave no time to fish, and cost a fortune in fuel.

"I guess we'll hammer the reefs in front of Morro Bay until the reserves are the only place left with any fish," says Mr. Neil. "Then we'll get told how well MPAs work."

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