Hundreds turn up for San Diego MLPA meeting
A strong showing of anglers and divers and busloads of school children brought in by environmentalists resulted in six hours of public comment to the Fish and Game Commission on the proposed MLPA fishing closures along the South Coast. That was it -- there was absolutely no discussion among the commissioners about the options on the table, some of which have significant impact on fishermen.

There was plenty of grandstanding and posturing by the commissioners. Bloodydecks did a good job of getting folks to show up and had protesters out front, according to sources on hand. The spearfishing and kayak communities were well represented. Enviros relied on their trick of raiding the classroom and bused in at least four buses of kids. At issue was whether something taught in the classroom has more value than something learned from a parent, or vice versa. In favor of the fishing kids, they all actually fish and weren't there to earn a grade.

The bottom line is approval of the IPA is on track for December up in Santa Barbara.

If you want more commentary and observations, below you can find what I posted as the Wednesday, Oct. 20 Fish and Game Commission meeting in San Diego was underway You might want to start at the bottom and read up for a beginning to end chronology. If you have any questions or comments, by e-mail is rich@sportfishingreport.com Well, that's it for the day. Turns out there was no discussion of the options among the commissioners, so I guess I have to found out if and when that will happen. It would not suprise me if the decision is announced just prior to the final adoption vote up in Santa Barbara in December.

Joe Exline, who basically drew all the lines for the fishermen's proposals and knows the intricacies of the MLPA law as well as anyone, used his chance to speak to point out all the manmade intrusions that keep South La Jolla from being a true marine reserve. In reality, all of the Southern California coastline has been so significantly marred by development, the reality of a true reserve is impossible to meet. Just one of the paradoxes of this process.

The crowd at the hotel in San Diego has definitely thinned out as lots of empty chairs can bee seen on the live feed. At this point I'm really just interested in the commissioners discussion of the various options on the table. I would reckon they have to accept the requests of State Parks.

Karen Garrison just fired another salvo in the next battle. I should have pointed out that Greg Helms opened fire. Garrison brought up Dr. Larry Allen's deeply flawed contention that fish counts point to a collapse in the sand bass biomass. His research relies entirely on the counts being compared to previous years without cross referencing data such as water temperature fluctuations. Since I have been in the fish count business my whole life, I am well versed on the conditions that determine whether fish spawn or bite. If you check this summer, for instance, when the water was warm from our only hot spell and stayed warm for a couple weeks, the sand bass that moved up the coast earlier in the year finally had a chance to spawn and the bite was wide open. Allen claims there is no widespread migration and that spawn fishing targets only local fish. He is only guessing. As Helms noted, there is no data.

Kaitlyn Gaffney of the Coastal Conservancy said her group supports the IPA instead of still pushing for Proposal 3. She noted this was in response to commercial fisherman Bruce Steele, a South Coast stakeholder, pointing out at an earlier meeting it was time to recognize the compromise and back the final outcome of the process

Greg Helms, a Santa Barbara-based professional enviro was just up and noted he was part of the Nearshore Fisheries Management Plan that used the lack of available data to assume a minimum level of 20 percent fishing closures along the coast. I have to note percentages are a funny thing. One percent can be 100 percent of the spot where you can launch your kayak safeley and catch fish

Commissioner Sutton rightly pointed out that only the options on the table can be adopted, that is the IPA and its various options. There will be no 9 square mile closure off La Jolla, no moving of the line to Little Dume, no 3 or no 2. The IPA is it and those few changes to be decided -- that's it.

Interruption from this blogger: Let's just get something straight -- fishermen have been hammered with massive time and area closures in the last decades put in place to protect a few overfished -- not endangered -- rockfish species and lingcod. Most of those huge closures are still in place, including 4200 square miles designated as the Cowcod Conservation Zone. The premise behind the MLPA coastal and island closures is flawed. The fact is they are too small to do much more than create some larger individuals of species, which could be accomplished with even smaller-sized closures.This is just a habitat grab.

Commissioner Rogers just rightly pointed out that he was appointed by the same "evil" governor as the others and his appointment six years ago came when the MLPA process was already at full tilt. While that's true, it should be pointed out that Tom Raftican, then president of United Anglers of Southern California, said Rogers was okay, that he was a fisherman on the side of fishermen and we should support his appointment. As it turns out, Raftican had his own agenda and he's already been repaid politically by the recognition of the bogus Sportfishing Conservancy and the possibility of more of the RLFF and oil money. Check it out.
NO ON PROP. 21! Commissioner Sutton just pointed out the massive bond issue that masquerades as creating access to state parks will provide money to create the fishing closures along the entire California coast. Prop. 21 also funds a monstrous bureaucracy, the Ocean Protection Council. It has all the names that gave us the MLPA.br> Commissioner Rogers is sick to his stomach that some parents feel their children have more veracity than others. Maybe it's because their parents are actually in the audience.

Privately owned headlands will keep the peasants out of the Laguna closures. That's my paraphrase of Orange County Coastkeeper Ray Hymstra.

Commissioner Rogers just misrepresented the MLPA law by indicating that the process did not allow them to address water quality issues. The fact is water quality is covered by the act and the process went out of its way to avoid impacting the discharge of solids and pollutants into our waters. He was part of that choice. One more reason Richard Rogers is my nominee for hypocrite of the year.

Joe Nguyen is up. The speardiver has been an untiring force in the battle for a fair outcome to the MLPA process. He's one of the reasons the spearo clan has done so well -- although it all just feels like losing.

"Why are you taking away my childhood?" asked one youngster who regularly kayak fishes La Jolla. Then a little old lady showed a video of her elderly neighbors in an exclusive Laguna enclave and they want their waters completely closed. I wonder, did any of them ever fish? Why do they have a say?

The young fishermen are getting their say and doing a great job. Most telling was when a young man named Otto looked the commissioners in the eye and said he wanted to do a poll of his classmates to see who fished. His teacher said he had to ask the principal, the principal said he had to call the district and the district said. "Yet these kids are getting bused here!" Otto objected. It's controversial indeed that entire classrooms are brought to a public meeting. That's the antithesis of individual thought.

Commissioner Rogers just pointed out a 12-year-old made a better shot on a seabass than the one his dad had in the same picture. I have to say

A diver just pointed out that he sees abalone all the time, a sign that the closure is showing signs of working. I feel like Paul Weakland, but it must be pointed out that withering foot disease respected no boundary lines and has been the biggest bar to abalone recovery

The biggest MLPA ripoff is Laguna Beach stealing the ocean from the other citizens of California. The residents of this town of bad art, overpriced restaurants and sobriety checkpoints aren't content to enjoy what they have created on land, they somehow feel they should be able to control the ocean, too. State laws are clear -- it belongs to everyone. I have never lived in Laguna but have fished there my whole life. Now I can't fish there because some little old ladies don't like the idea. They keep saying, over and over, that the resource is diminished, yet the Balboa Angling Club white seabass record has been broken each of the last two years with fish over 60 pounds and the thresher shark fishing this fall has been incredible. Since they are both migratory, we only lose opportunity and gain no protection.

Earl Warren, representing everyone from Los Pescadores to the LA Rod and Reel Club made a stirring presentation making the case that the recent court ruling invalidates the entire MLPA process and demanded that the commission act in that accord. He also chastised the commissioners on the panel who have a closed mind and are railroading the process.

I really just want the surfers to leave so my old fat okole can get a few more waves. Why they support fishing closures that do nothing for their ecosystem is beyond me. One Surfrider representative note the abalone have disappeared. It has been illegal to take abalone in So Cal for over 20 years. Has that fishing closure worked?

Surfrider on parade! Butt the hell out surfers, please all move to Indo.

The issue of access for shorebound anglers is huge in the South Coast process. With some of the best access for kayakers coincidentally adjacent to the most expensive real estate in the world, it's no wonder the kayakers are losing big.

Bob Fletcher just asked the commission to postpone making any decision in the South Coast or North Coast until he receives the information he won access to in a lawsuit against the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force and Science Advisory Team

An interesting aspect of the South Coast project is the Fish and Game Commission is actually being asked to make several choices that affect the boundary lines. All of these options were part of the regulatory package and so the choice does not hinder the scheduled overall approval of the IPA in December.

THIS PROCESS IS FRAUDULENT AND CORRUPT! said Tommy Gomes, a stakeholder in the MLPA process and a member of a commercial fishing family that has been in Point Loma since 1892.

So frustrating to have to wade through so much misinformation. Yes, tide pools have been damaged by people trampling and collecting. Unfortunately, this has continued in areas already put off limits. Some hope complete closures will be different. Do you?

Nothing like having a bunch of brainwashed kids (just repeating what they're told, not thinking) take up precious time talking about protecting coral reefs -- when we don't have any in California.

You could just overhear Dan Richards asking why no members of the public have been able to speak yet. It's true, the enviros have lined up a lot of local political support.

So many people signed up to comment -- over 600 speaker cards turned in --- even politicians being kept to one minute

Department of Defense up and noted the "safety" closures are fully in place at San Clemente Island. While not officially part of the MLPA, this means the upper West end of the island is now permanently closed. That's the area that includes the Nine, a famous yellowtail and bluefin spot. It must be said closures at Clemente would have been much worse without the DOD.

Interesting at least to see the self-serving comments, for instance the councilwoman from Del Mar supporting the IPA -- they blocked a fisherman's proposal for their beach because they were worried about sand replenishment and outfalls. All through this process cities have been most worried about being able to drop their poop in the water.

A crowded room and a divisive start, what with commissioners Rogers and Richards going back and forth and the audience getting involved to the point that President Kellogg having to calm the scene down. State Parks up right now and doesn't want commercial fishing in Crystal Cove State Park, wants recreational fishing at the State Parks in the proposed Swami's closure in a strip along the coast adjacent to the State Parks there.

Commission meeting underway in San Diego -- last time before approval in December

The meeting started off with a lifesaving award to Warden Jorge Paz. The only person to comment was the ever-present Paul Weakland. He thanked Jorge and noted the wardens are against the MLPA closures and consider them unenforceable.