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Pushing, shoving erupt at meeting on fishing restrictions
November 10th, 2009, 12:48 pm · 8 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, science, environment editor
Emotions ran so high at a meeting in Los Angeles to decide possible restrictions on coastal fishing that one man in the audience began yelling in a threatening manner, then got into a shoving match with another man before being escorted from the room by officials with the state Department of Fish and Game. 
The man was not identified, and was not arrested, Fish and Game officials said. He had been standing among fishermen holding up placards in support of their preferred restriction map when he began his outburst at the Sheraton Gateway hotel near Los Angeles International Airport.
“You have not listened to us,” the man shouted.
When a member of the blue-ribbon task force for the Marine Life Protection Act asked that he remain civil, he seemed to grow more agitated.
“Tell me to shut up? Come outside and tell me to shut up,” he said.
Another unidentified man confronted him and a brief shoving match followed.
The task force is expected to decide today on boundaries for fishing restrictions along the Southern California coast, including Orange County’s. The proposed marine protection areas range from limited restrictions on fishing to total bans on some parts of the coast.
In each of the three most recent proposals, much of the Laguna Beach coast would be closed to fishing.
The state-sponsored effort seeks to establish new marine protected areas up and down the California coast; Southern California is the third to be considered.
The proposals have ignited controversy and opposition among the sportfishing community in Southern California.
Tuesday’s meeting can be seen live via Web streaming.
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MPLA= Screwing the sportsmen of So Cal
These people really like fishing!
The MLPA closures are a terrible idea. It will place undo pressure on “spots” that do remain open. Certain fisheries like our white seabass are at their highest levels in decades. I understand that people want to protect our native species, but there are better ways to do this. Our own Dept of Fish and Game has disagreed with the MLPA’s on basic design. Also, the fact that CA is in a financial crisis makes the timing of these closures an absolute crime. More liberal programs designed to bankrupt the state and it’s residents
The white seabass are at high levels due to the SD breeding program and the curbing of the overfishing from the 1960s, 70s & 80s.
By having protected areas, the ability of these spots to absorb said “pressure” will increase.
There may be some secret ‘spots’ that are unpopularly impacted, but the science shows that this approach will be greatly beneficial for the fish AND the sportsmen.
To state that the DF&G is against the MLPA is false – http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/
I keep seeing these type of statements – ‘The economy is down, so we should throw all environmental protections by the wayside!’ ‘A crime!’ Such rhetoric!
How many of the people making these statements spoke up for protection during the boon years?
You know the answer – None.
I support the protections.
glad to see comments..remember, no obscenities (that includes names commenters use to label themselves), and no personal attacks.
JohnnySokko says:
November 10, 2009 at 9:11 pmThe white seabass are at high levels due to the SD breeding program and the curbing of the overfishing from the 1960s, 70s & 80s.
Yes, Johnny, you’re making my point for me in regards to the breeding program being a viable solution for bringing back fish populations. No closures were necessary. As for the “curbing”, what are you talking about? White seabass were very much considered a gamefish in California during those decades.
JohnnySokko says:
There may be some secret ’spots’ that are unpopularly impacted, but the science shows that this approach will be greatly beneficial for the fish AND the sportsmen.
The science shows? Secret spots? Statements like these just reflect the the ignorance of people who mean well, but don’t explore the facts. Have you seen the different closure charts? The idea that these “spots” are secret is preposterous. Approximately 2/3 of Catalina would be closed under the current proposal. What do you think happens to the remaining sections? Pressure? You think? Same thing with the mainland coastline.
DF&G originally opposed the closures sponsored by the MLPA’s. Since then senior bureucrats have been brought into line by knowing where their bread is buttered. They capitulated their oppositional stance about five years ago.
And as far as the economy goes….. Yeah, let’s kill millions in tax dollars and licensing fees. That makes about as much sense as all the social programs CA is currently running for its illegal immigrant population. We’re cutting education and basic public services, but it would be politically incorrect to take $$’s away from illegal immigrant programs. More dollars wasted when we can’t afford it.
The MLPA process is runaway militant environmentalism at it’s finest. One thing these people do not realize is that when you remove people from the environment they become much less interested in saving it. Fishermen were the first conservationists on the west coast. The Tuna Club of Avalon, The International Gamefish Association, and Trout Unlimited all started life as a groups of conservation minded sportsmen. They did so voluntarily without any cajoling from the Sierra Club, Earth First, The Center for Biological Diversity, or the Government. Sportsmen in southern california have also played an enormous role in the white seabass recovery along our coast. I have never seen a member of the Laguna Beach City Council, Peta, or the World Wildlife Fund donate one second of thier time to raise, catalog, and release these fish into the sea. It has been fishermen and thier children who have done the heavy lifting and made real contributions to restoring out coastal environment. Just remember, every toilet that get’s flushed, toll road that get’s built, and bmw that goes to the car spa contributes to our declining water quality. Banning families from from a day’s fishing will not cure what ails our coastline. It will only deminish the number of people willing to do something about it!
Amen.