So, from the LA Times today, the Enviro groups are now going to monitor the MLPA! Wardens won't be the only people on patrol when new fishing restrictions take effect Jan. 1, setting up a network of state marine reserves on about 15% of the Southern California coast. Environmentalists are deploying dozens of volunteers to keep an eye on the region's new Marine Protected Areas through a coalition of programs called MPA Watch. By boat, plane and from the shore, they will monitor fishing vessels, kayakers, divers and any other human activity in the new sanctuaries. And, in what is rankling fishermen, some of those monitors say they will confront suspected violators and report them to the state Department of Fish and Game. The prospect of citizen patrols has drawn the anger of some anglers who are already irritated about losing access to lucrative fishing areas. Critics of the reserves, which are intended to allow depleted populations of fish to recover, have eyed MPA Watch with suspicion, saying that the environmental groups behind them are trying to take law enforcement into their own hands. One group of recreational fishermen crashed a training session in Malibu organized earlier this year by Heal the Bay, a nonprofit environmental group based in Santa Monica. Heal the Bay and other conservation groups from Santa Barbara to Orange County say they will be another pair of eyes on the water, gathering data on all human uses of the coastline, not just fishing, to assess how behavior changes once the protections are in place. This is bullsh**t. Bad law Bad Science. If you see um, Throw a sinker at em.
HOLD ON A MINUTE!!! Ok I hate this MLPA crap myself but right or wrong it is the law. Right now what do we say here if you see someone breaking the law??? Call caltip. How is this any different? I want to know were these people are when the lobster season opens and people are poaching shorts off Santa Monica pier? People taking out of season catches etc??? If they want to waste their time and more importantly money watching for people breaking the law more power to them. Again I will never defend the MLPA crap but if these guys want to spend their time following people so be it. Just make sure you are not breaking the law and at least they let every one know instead of hiding behind rocks a trees and stuff.
Time to educate ourselfs This is the deal for me. All Anglers,and Divers who are fishing from boats need to know about what a Fish and Game Code 2009 violation is. "Interfere with" Means. Any action which physically impeads,hiders,or obstructs the willfull pursuit of game. Also, Actions taken for the purpose of frighting away amimals from the location where the lawfull activity is taking place. If ANY of these Enviro Freaks F-With me when I'm legally fishing outside of a MPA will be reported to Fish,and Game, Dept of Boating,and Waterways, and the Coast Guard. Remember the Wardens are there NOT JUST TO PROTECT WILDLIFE......BUT US AS WELL. WE HAVE OUR RIGHTS. IT'S TIME WE START EXERCISING THEM!!! WE AS ANGLERS ,AND DIVERS NEED TO DEMAND THAT THIS LAW BE ENFORCED!!! It's only gonna get worse people if we as a collective group dont start standing up for ourselfs,and exercising our God given right to fish here in this State. The next 5 years will tell the tale for us.....those that know what I'm talking about will understand what I mean. Start educating yourselfs folks....I know I am. MJ.
Agreed X 10, the door sings both ways so if the invoronuats are doing something illegal by all means NAIL UMMM! I am hopping that it is more of a vialed threat then hands on tactics by the envio's but best everyone knows what they are up to.
Its a Beautiful world we live in . . . a sweet romantic Place, wonderful people everywhere . . . The way they show they care, makes me want to say, Its a wonderful place. . . . . Its a wonderful place. . . . . La La La MJ You hit the Nail on the Head brother, we all need to STAY INFORMED and Exercise our rights as anglers!!
DAMN RIGHT, at least we still got most of the backside of Catalina WSB grounds from Bird Rock, The V's, China and all of San Clemente Island to fish for Yellows and WSB come spring. Thank God for THAT! I know 1 thing, I'm going to be real seletive in my trips from now on, as are many no doubt.
I suggest EVERYBODY keeps record of their fishing Routes on a Scandisk Compact Flash card. It may come down to going to court with your word against theirs otherwise. Also, a video camera is a good thing to keep onboard to record any encounters with these...whatevers. If I ever see ANY of these (Environuts) boats, or persons, in an MLPA area I'm going to call the F&G, throw my catch all over onto their deck, start the film rolling as they throw the catch back...and show it to F&G when they arrive. I'm just kidding...kinda'
can't wait to bounce ball around the edges of the closures, fillet and release all in front of them!!! gotta love the snail trails on the gps!!!!
I know this sounds bad, but when I go the fish and game website and look at their map, I can't tell if my normal fishing are is off limits or not, because I can't read the print or scale it up. I usually fish and hoop at the Dana Point breakwater and out about a mile. Anyone have a link to a good scalable map of the closures.
Try this new map viewer they made...Double click to zoom in, or use your mouse wheel. BIOS Viewer or the attached file
I don't know what all the angst is about down south here, we still have the entire backside of CAT, sans a small pt. by the Farnsworth, all the great WSB and YT spots, and 95% of San Clemente Island to fish (if Navy has open) I'm looking forward to fishing for something "real" come spring! LOL One spot I think they took way too much away, Santa Barbara Island!!
Just think how it would be if these enviro's put forth the effort HELPING people rather than trying to CONTROL them.
The concentration of pressure on the still open areas will just "prove their point." Same thing happened back in the '70s with land closures to dirt bikes; after all the bikes were herded into a few small areas, the greenies/regulators went out there and took pictures of all the damage done . . . . .by those "evil" dirt bikes.
