This unprecedented emergency regulation, adopted in spite of massive opposition by angling groups, is the direct result of decades of poor management of our marine resources by the Department of Fish and Game, Fish and Game Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service and Pacific Fishery Management Council. Rather than properly manage our resources, these "august bodies" have chosen in the past to bow to political expedience and allow the rape of marine resources by commercial trammel and gill nets to continue. Now anglers have to pay for the destruction caused by over fishing by commercial nets and long lines for decades.

"It was a tough decision to make, as is the entire rule making package," admitted Bob Treanor, executive Secretary of the California Fish and Game Commission. "Things look pretty bleak for rockfish fisheries this coming year. Because of the decline of canary rockfish, we are looking for a drastic reduction in overall bag limits and the lengthening of the rockfish closure from the end of January through April or January through June."

Lingcod and bocaccio have been declared as "overfished" by the National Marine Fisheries Service, and rebuilding plans have been developed by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. The spur for the recent action was a letter to the Commission by Robert Hight, DFG Director, recommending an emergency closure of lingcod coastwide, as well as a closure of the southern California rockfish fishery to protect bocaccio rockfish, because the Optimum Yield (OY) set by the PFMC for both species would be exceeded.

"Recreational fishery data through August 2000 indicate the QY's for these two species will be exceeded before the end of the year based on recent years' fishery landing patterns," said Hight. "The optimum yield for lingcod off the West Coast (Washington through California) is 378 metric tons. For lingcod, the projected catch in 2000 for the recreational fishery off California is 271 metric tons. For combined commercial and recreational fisheries, the projected lingcod catch is 522 metric tons."

The Commission decided against closing fishing for rockfish in southern California during the same period as the lingcod closure because "the projected overage in the catch of bocaccio rockfish was not so compelling as it was for lingcod," according to Tresnor.

Fishery conservationists were furious about the lingcod closure, especially when trawlers and gill nets are still allowed to fish, even though all available biological evidence points to them as the main culprit for the destruction of the groundfish fisheries. These nets are the "clear cutters" of the oceans, stripping the bottom of all marine life and resulting in the discard of thousands of tons of "bycatch" non-targeted species.

"I've never been so disillusioned or angry in my entire life!" said Craig Stone, manager of the Emeryville Sportfishing Center. "How can our State and Federal fisheries allow the group most responsible for destroying lingcod and rockfish fisheries, the big commercial trawlers and gill netters, to fish while it closes the recreational fishery, the group that has the least impact, all in the name of saving fish!"

Bob Strickland, president of United Anglers, concurred. "The recreational fishery shouldn't be held accountable for the destruction of the lingcod and rockfish fisheries by commercial trawl nets, gill nets and longlines," he stated. "We need to take them off the water now!"

This emergency lingcod closure is now a fact and the impending rockfish regulations could kick anglers off the water for six months of the year. Anglers must protest this insanity. There are two things we can do to protect the groundfish fishery and the right of the public to access coastal fishery resources.

First, we can still defeat the proposed fishing restrictions for next year by flooding the Pacific Fishery Management Council with letters. After holding hearings in Vancouver, Washington from October 31 to November 3, they will review the data and options and make their final decisions. Send your letter to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR. 97201, fax (503) 326-6831. You can also access their Website at www.pcouncil.org , where an e-mail link is available at pfmc.comments@noaa.gov. Or do it here the easy way!

Second, we must begin a massive campaign throughout the state, enlisting the support of all fishery conservation and environmental groups, to permanently ban all gill nets and trammel nets to stop the plunder of lingcod and rockfish populations.

We must constantly and relentlessly hold the State and Federal governments accountable for presiding over the destruction of groundfish populations. It's not fair for these agencies to ask anglers to "share the pain" when recreational anglers are not responsible for the decline of our lingcod and rockfish fisheries.

It will be quoted in its entirety prefaced by your comments (should you wish to add any) and:

I, as a California recreational angler, adamantly oppose any change in recreational lingcod and rockfish regulations for this coming year, as well as the unprecedented lingcod closure this November and December adopted recently by the California Fish and Game position at your urging.

For decades, the federal and state governments and the PFMC have allowed gill nets, trawl nets and long lines to rape the marine environment. The refusal to stop the "clear cutters" of the sea - gill and trawl nets - has resulted in the current rockfish and lingcod crisis on the West Coast.

Recreational anglers are being asked to "share the pain" when they did not cause the decimation of the groundfish fishery in the first place. All available biological data points to trawl and gill nets and long lines as the key factor in the destruction of California's and other West Coast lingcod and rockfish fisheries.

We request the Council to take three major actions!
* First, maintain the same recreational rockfish and lingcod regulations that were adopted by the PFMC last season, with a limit of two lingcod and 10 rockfish and a two month closure.

* Second, request the California Fish and Game Commission to rescind its lingcod closure this November and December.

* Third, pass emergency regulations to ban all gill, trammel and trawl nets from the California coast.