Regarding the Coastside Fishing Club -
One way we could really connect with their efforts is through their "political" arm. It was their member Darrel Ticehurst who got appointed to the PFMC. They have Randy Fry, who is their region's RFA rep. They have a political coordinator, Dan Wolford (I believe his name is). And then of course Bob Franko who is sort of their spiritual leader. We did help out with some letters of support for Darrel to get appointed. They have a way of "picking the battles", that is to say, focusing on a particular issue and getting the membership behind them. That support includes letters, and driving to public meetings in force. They also raise their own funding for these lobbying efforts. They have very good lawyers working for them.
Although they do work on issues that are specific to California, they also work on issues that are regional (west coast). It is on these regional issues that we could really add to the effort, and get a lot in return.
Face it, although the Salty Dogs have put in great efforts such as showing up at ODFW meetings, and writing letters, we have a ways to go if we want to have a seat at the bargaining tables, or if we expected that someday our group's name had recognizable clout when mentioned in the fishery-political arena. Coastside has indeed done all this and more, and we should consider a way to create a synergy between us. BTW I hate to use that word synergy because it gets overused, but this is the right context to use it in.
If we want to pursue this, I think we should ask John Holloway (Black Majic) and Janice Green what they think. They have both worked with the RFA folks who represent N. California, so there is a natural connection there already.
In closing, the following memo was just sent out today to Coastside members, and also posted on their website. This is an example of their ongoing efforts:
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A personal request from Bob Franko and Randy Fry:
The New Year brings us a new rockfishing season and a new Optimum Yield (OY). This last September at the PFMC meeting in Seattle, I along with a group of other northern and central California sportfishing reps sat down with members of the Groundfish Management Team (GMT) to go over potential 2004 baglimits and season with a computer model.
What soon became apparent was the fact that it would not be the “overfished” canary, yellow eye, or bocaccio species that would be constricting our season, but rather the “swallow water” nearshore specie. This complex is made up of five different fish; china cod, black and yellow, gopher, kelp and grass rockfish. These are the fish that we are only allowed a combined total of 2 in our 10 rockfish baglimit. Besides the sublimit, what these five rockfish have in common is the high price they bring when delivered alive to an Asian market. Grass and gopher sell for over $10.00 lb. Do the math. The commercial livefishermen, with their stick and trap gear, have only been around for the past 5 or 6 years, but the fact is they are having detrimental effect on what has historically been a nearshore sport fishery. Remember in 1999 we had 12 months and 15 rockfish. Just wait ‘till the new cabezon stock assessment comes out latter this year---don’t look good.
If you remember, this complex was created during the July of 2002 emergency shelf closure outside of 20 fathoms by former DFG’s PFMC rep L.B. Boydstun in order to keep both sport and commercials fishing in within the 20 fathom nearshore.
L.B’s back was against the wall and he did the best anybody could have done in his situation, however, by changing the allocation ratio of these fish from 80% sport/20% commercial to 63% sport/37% commercial we(sportys) got the short end of the stick. To put this another way, 174 commercial nearshore fishermen are allocated 37% of these fish and over 1 million saltwater anglers can fight over the remaining 63%, and if we exceed the OY, another emergency closure.
The good news is the PFMC’s GMT has come out in favor of doing away with the shallow nearshore complex starting in 2005; it’s no longer needed due to the new bocaccio stock assessment showing they are in much better shape and the relaxing of the shelf closure (Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) boundaries. I brought it up in discussion at the GMT in Seattle to do away with it for 2004, but to no avail.
The bad news is this year we will be up against that 63% sport allocation of an OY that was already cut by a “precautionary” 50% of the combined sport and commercial historical landings of the past years.
If your eyes haven’t glazed over by now and you are still reading this, here’s what we need to do to forestall another emergency in-season closure:
1) Try to avoid the “shallow water” nearshore fish this year, the China, black & yellow, gopher, kelp and grass rockfish. If you are in an area where they are prevalent (mostly under 10 fathoms), it would behoove us all to move elsewhere. I am sure most of you prefer eating reds, blues, blacks, browns, coppers and lingcod anyway.
2) Carry a laminated fish identification card in your boat if you have trouble identifying these fish.
3) If fish mortality can be avoided, try catch and release of shallow nearshore specie.
4) Get the word out to your friends to try to avoid the shallow nearshore specie.
The Coastside/RFA web based logbook (
www.coastsidefishingclub.com) will be up and running at the end of the month, and you will be reading more about it in the coming weeks. We will be closely monitoring the new California Recreational Fishing Survey (CRFS) data as it starts coming in. One more thing; if you are asked to take part in a dockside survey by DFG or PSMFC fish counters, please do so with a courteous smile and demeanor—and hopefully with few or no china, black & yellow, grass, gopher or kelp in your bag. Please remember, this is for our own good.
Sincerely,
Bob Franko,
President, Coastside Fishing Club
Randy Fry,
West Coast Regional Director, RFA
Message in Thread: 2004 Rockfish Season ---- Please Read
Hey All
Mark Mc
We have a great ling cod fishery too. If we don't get shut down again by the feds because everyone else has caught their quota we will be fine. We have a great halibut fishery too. I will swap you trips on my boat during tuna season if you are so inclined. Hope to hear more from your club.
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