COMMISSION APPROVES BOTTOM TRAWLING ON SOFT BOTTOMS

Stockton, Calif. (March 7, 2008) -- In a move that will set fishery management back 10 years, the California Fish and Game Commission kept three areas open to bottom trawling allowing the trawlers to drag their gear across the seafloor, but more importantly shifting the burden of proof of efficacy of trawl gear from the trawlers back to fishery managers. In implementing a section of bottom trawling legislation supported by United Anglers of Southern California and an array of environmental organizations, the Commission adopted finding that changed the liability for proof that this is a clean fishery back from the trawlers to the state, while keeping open large areas of state waters to the draggers.

“What we saw was the commission, based on anecdotal and contrived information and in the face of virtually every piece of documented scientific data, certify that bottom trawling minimizes bycatch, is likely not damaging seafloor habitat, is not adversely affecting ecosystem health, and is not impeding reasonable restoration of kelp, coral, or other biogenic habitats,” said United Anglers of Southern California President Tom Raftican. “By a 3-1 margin they voted to keep the trawlers scraping the seafloor in the Santa Barbara channel, at the same time shifting the burden of responsibility for this destructive gear back on the state.“

In spite of even the Department’s own data showing bycatch at nearly 300%, President Richard Rogers and the commission endorsed what recognized experts consider highly destructive gear. President Rogers stated that the global evidence proving the destructive results of bottom trawling was “irrelevant to California fisheries” and reference to the national and international scientific literature is “disrespectful” of the Commission and Department of Fish and Game.

“What the commission appeared to fail to recognize is that bottom trawling is called bottom trawling because the gear drags on the bottom,” noted Tom Raftican. “If the gear didn’t touch the bottom it would be a midwater trawl and we have no problem with that when done correctly.” United Anglers of Southern California has consistently supported clean commercial fisheries and was one of the first supporters of the American Albacore Fishing Association’s bid to become MSC certified, a goal it achieved in 2007.

“The trawlers did a good job of convincing the commission that they have a unique fishery so that current scientific data on trawling does not apply. We disagree,” added April Wakeman of UASC.

One of the more disturbing factors was that at the February commission meeting President Rogers had specifically asked Tony Morton of NOAA what NOAA could do to reduce the high bycatch rate in the federal groundfish fishery. When both UASC and Oceana presented data that showed the bycatch data in the California Halibut Trawl Grounds presented by the Department of Fish and Game was even higher than the federal fishery, the commission didn’t appear to care.

The commission ruling seems to pave the way to reopen the soft bottom areas of Monterey Bay to bottom trawling. Longtime commission observer Paul Weekland was silent on the issue.