Kayak Fishing Assoc of So. Cal. March Newsletter

Kayak Fishing Association of Southern California
Dedicated to preserve and expand kayak fishing opportunities
www.kayakfishingassociationsocal.org


March Newsletter
 

Anglers' Caucus at Fred Hall Long Beach, March 3rd

300 concerned anglers turned out to hear a distinguished lineup of speakers at the Angler’s Caucus in Long Beach. The KFASC was well represented. The presenters included: Mike Chrisman, Resources Secretary; Ryan Broddrick, Director Department of Fish and Game; Phil Isenberg, Chair of the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force; Dr Rebecca Lent, NOAA Fisheries; Don Hansen, Chair of the Pacific Fisheries Management Counsel; David Pfieffer, President of Shimano USA; Bill Shipp, Founder of United Anglers and owner of AFTCO fishing; Bob Fletcher of the Sportfishing Association of California (SAC); Frank LoPreste, San Diego Sportfishing Fleet; Tim Alpers, Alpers Trout Ranch; Jim Martin, Conservation Director for Berkeley/Pure Fishing; Mike Nussman, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association; Tom Raftican of United Anglers of Southern California; and Chris Hall of Coastside Fishing Club.

The speeches were a mixture of the good and the bad. Phil Isenberg reiterated that Marine Protected Areas need not be only no take zones. Several speakers shared encouraging news about a possible interim change in the 2005 rockfish regulations. The recreational community is hoping to regain a month of two of fishing time lost to a faulty survey in 2004. Other speakers warned of the recreational community’s unfortunate penchant to seize defeat from the jaws of victory. As Jim Martin said, at no other time in the modern history of the state has the recreational community had such a strong voice or a more favorable political environment. At the conclusion of the meeting, the KFASC was able to talk directly with Phil Isenberg about shortcomings in the MLPA Draft Master Plan Framework.

Of more importance to the KFASC, the show provided a wealth of opportunities to meet with other recreational fishing advocacy groups. Read more about these meetings below.  


Kayak Fishing Launch Sites Project
Pt. Conception to Pt. Arena

The Central California Launch Sites List project was successfully completed thanks to the generous participation of our kayak fishing friends to the north. The 44-page document lists the most popular launch sites over a wide span of the California coastline. The KFASC submitted the document to the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Blue Ribbon Task Force for use in the MLPA planning process. The goal is a simple one: gaining recognition as a user group. The document was also handed to representatives of United Anglers of Southern California and the Coastside Fishing Club, major political powers in the recreational fishing community.    

 
MLPA Update

The MLPA process stumbled this month as too few Blue Ribbon Task Force members made the March meeting to form a quorum. Selection of a Central Coast Study Area was postponed until the Los Angeles April 11-12 meeting. The Study Area will be the first to go through the Marine Protected Area (MPA) design process. The subsequent meeting is scheduled for May 23 in Sacramento.

These ten alternatives remain under consideration:

Pt. Arena to Pt Ano Nuevo
Bodega Head to Cambria
Pt Reyes to Pt Sur
Golden Gate to Pt Lobos
Golden Gate to Pt Sur
Pigeon Pt to Lopez Pt
Pt Ano Nuevo to Pt Sur
Pt Ano Nuevo to Pt Conception
Pt Sur to Pt Conception
Lopez Pt to Pt Conception

NOTE: These are potential study regions for placement of the first of a new series of MPAs. The entire span of each region is not likely to be designated an MPA!  

Learn more about the MLPA at the state's MLPA Initiative Website www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/index.


Your Help Wanted

The KFASC is on the lookout for recruits to join our all volunteer staff. We have positions for county coordinators, liaisons with fisheries groups, graphic artists, non-profit and incorporation attorneys, and for other jobs we haven’t thought of yet. If you'd like to help, please write news@kayakfishingassociationsocal.org for more information.

 
Who are the KFASC?

You! Our rank and file members are the heart of the organization. We need your backing to act more effectively. Please help us recruit more members by spreading the word amongst your fishing buddies and friends. As always, anyone who wants to do more is welcome to contact us at news@kayakfishingassociationsocal.org. We could use the help.


The KFASC staff is:

Paul Lebowitz, Director
Keith Martin, Webmaster


The KFASC Advisory Board is:

AllKayakFishing, Perry Crosbie
Big Water’s Edge, Greg Knab
Fishingkayaks.net, Keith Martin
Hook1 Kayak Fishing Gear, Mark Ezell
Kayakfishing.com, Dennis Spike
Kayaksportfishing, Jason Morton
La Jolla Kayak Fishing, Jim Sammons
Plastic Navy, Drew Clark

If you have ideas on how we could do better, tell us! We’re doing what we can with limited resources, and learning as we go.