Good news from Tim Frahm of Half Moon Bay! Tim has been instrumental in maintaining catch and release steelhead angling in Pescadero Estuary, and beach fishing at San Gregorio beach. These areas had been slated for closure under certain proposal options being considered by the North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group, which is sending its recommendations to the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force for adoption. As you can see in Tim's message below, the Pescadero and San Gregorio options apparently are not going any further. What I learned from this process is that letters and presentations at stakeholders meetings do make a big difference in the outcome. I plan to track this process through the next levels, which culminate with adoption by the Fish and Game Commission, and will keep you posted.
The marine mammal closure refers to a recommendation from DFG for a "special closure" of the coast, 300 feet out, from Pescadero Parking lot south to Bean Hollow Parking lot. The rational is to protect harbor seal from harassment. We will be paying close attention to this one if it goes to the next level.
You can keep up to date on developments at:
www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/northcentralcoast.asp
In the meantime, many thanks to Tim and all who wrote letters on behalf of our cause.
Dougald Scott
NCCFFF Steelhead Committee Chairman
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FFF:
We may have prevailed. I chatted yesterday with Irina Kogan, staff at the Gulf of the Faralones Sanctuary, one of the "stakeholder" members. She was a member of the group which was still contemplating and recommending closure of Pescadero on Tuesday morning (groups 1 and 3). The final recommendations being forwarded from her group and those recommendations from the other sub groups, did not include any MPA restrictions on Pescadero lagoon/estuary!! Happily, there was an evolution of thought in those groups after our public presentations and during their final deliberations. Additionally, regarding the San Gregorio Beach closures, they also were modified. One array still has a San Gregorio closure, but it is limited to "off shore". Apparently, there was discusson re; our comments about striped bass and that was convincing to enough to remove the SMR designation from the beach.
There is some type of Marine Mammal exception closure near (south) of Pescadero, but she was unable to explain it in detail- it happened "at the last minute". We will need to check on that. All of the maps should be on line by next week, so we can confirm all of this.
This is exceptional news for our positions - it is worth continued diligence tho, in case the issue crops back up in the Blue Ribbon or Science Committes. I'll continue to follow it.
A couple of things to keep in mind -
1. There are a number of folks out there, who seem to have it in for Catch and Release for steelhead. We should keep paying attention.
2. Some folks don't believe that there is sufficent value in a concerned local fishing group, to offset the "impact" of recreational fishing. We should continue to work on our conservation issues - continue to advocate for restoration and protection of our streams and aquatic habitats, but we also need to be advocates for fishing and our fishing heritage. We are often the only "eyes and ears" that our fishing resources have. We carry the stories of the streams and historical recollections well beyond what agency staff have time to experience. We have value -- PLUS WE LIKE FISHING.
Special thanks to Victor Inouye for stirring the pot, and Dougald for helping us make the case. Also a special thanks to all who wrote letters on behalf of Pescadero Catch and Release steelhead fishery.
Tim
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