Marine POACHING Areas (MPA)

Just like we predicted, the dirt-bag poachers have targeted the MPA's  for their dirty deeds. After only 15 days of the regulations being in effect for the South Coast MPA.

Luckily, DFG was patrolling on a Sunday morning and busted these guys with 47 California spiny lobsters in their possession. In addition to illegally taking the lobsters from an MPA, the divers were well over the legal possession limit of seven lobsters per diver, and all but five of the lobsters were undersize, using scuba gear. One diver claimed they were all his, so his buddy didn't get cited.

http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/dfg-marine-wardens-snare-poacher-inside-new-marine-protected-area/

The President of the California Wardens Association testified several times that they didn't have the manpower to protect all these areas they created, the public testified it would lead to increased poaching and increase pressure on other areas and reduce access, but the corrupt powers in control didn't listen. F&G Commission ignored the warnings, and rammed it up the rear end of California's angling community.

I personally would like to thank The Surfrider's Foundation, National Resources Defense Council, The Packard Foundation,  The Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Ocean Conservancy, The Sierra Club, Governor Grey Davis, 1999-2000 Democrat Assembly and Senate Members (that's who voted for it, straight down party lines), Assembly-person Fred Keeley (D) of Santa Cruz, Governor Schwartzenneger (friggin carpetbagger Rhino-screw him- I don't care if I spelled that a-holes name wrong) F&G Commissioner Mike Sutton  and Richard Rogers , and several other that crammed this BS law down our throats. I hope they all rot in Compton. There is an entire segment of "conservation organizations" that will never see another dollar from me, and I will do everything in my power to bring their demise, including removing their tax deducible status to dry up their donations.

After being a 7th consecutive generation Californian, I moved to Oregon last year to escape the corruption and demise of California, and after 15 months, the only thing I miss is you guys and my nice warm delta Striped Bass fishing. My California lifetime fishing and hunting  licenses will never be used again. My family came to California in 1840, and I am disgusted with what has resulted in California. 

You guys can come up to Oregon and fish, just don't bring anybody else. We have enough loonies up here, we just have enough sense to keep them all rounded up in one part of the state so we can keep an eye on them, and we only let the legislature meet for 90 days a year so they can't screw it up too much, and that is during the rainy season. Oregon put their MPA's where people don't fish (smart), so it naturally protects fish stocks, not closing down the few access points available.

BTW, I have hooked, caught and released more and larger Sturgeon up here on the Columbia and the Umpqua in 9 months than I caught in a lifetime of fishing the delta. You never had a sleigh ride until you have been towed by a 11 footer for 2 hours. I have hooked more "over legal" fish up here  than I have landed in Cali in my lifetime.

I'm packed and ready to move.  What is your address? 

Thanks for the report troutnut, will look further into the details you have posted. Your avatar pic, where is it from?

so what do they get a misdemeanor? if these things are as serious as they claim it should be a felony.

The DFG is gaming us, they're using this event to try and promote their efforts in mlpa enforcement.


Someone posted that story on spearboard too and the locals down in socal said that the spot they were caught in was a reserve long before the mlpa. during the mlpa they just took the existing reserve and made it larger.  So if it was today or five years ago, had they been caught with all those lobsters they would have been nailed for the overlimits/shorts/taking from a marine reserve anyway. 

This just further drives your point home troutnut....the poachers have probably been doing that for years and the only reason they got caught now is because of the initial beef up of enforcement. Once its been in place for a bit and they stop vigorously enforcing it there the poachers will just have a bigger playground.   

I'm packed and ready to move.  What is your address? 

Salem, Oregon-
What is crazy sick up here is you can buy a 3bd/2ba/2 car garage 1600sqft house with a 20'x25' shop and RV/boat for $150k, no sales tax, my property tax is $1600( and they moan about it being TOO high) and my income tax is about the same. My commute is beautiful, they call a bad traffic day a 20 minute delay, and I am SURROUNDED by awesome places to fish and hunt. I should have moved 30 years ago.

The DFG is gaming us, they're using this event to try and promote their efforts in mlpa enforcement.


Someone posted that story on spearboard too and the locals down in socal said that the spot they were caught in was a reserve long before the mlpa. during the mlpa they just took the existing reserve and made it larger.  So if it was today or five years ago, had they been caught with all those lobsters they would have been nailed for the overlimits/shorts/taking from a marine reserve anyway. 

This just further drives your point home troutnut....the poachers have probably been doing that for years and the only reason they got caught now is because of the initial beef up of enforcement. Once its been in place for a bit and they stop vigorously enforcing it there the poachers will just have a bigger playground.   

The last 4 California Governors have cut into the Wardens, and grew the size and scope of DFG and the department's responsibilities without adequate budgetary compensation, because it gets them ZERO votes. Fire a cop, firefighter or school teacher, the entire electorate and both political parties grind your face in the mud. Couple that with unscrupulous business people and their lobbyist (Stew Resnick) that rape and pillage the public trust, and clueless general public voters that think everything is hunky-dory. and we get the mess we have. It's like having your house on fire and instead of putting it out, you pull weeds in the back yard instead. Californians are more worried about legalized pot, gay marriage, illegal alien sanctuary cities than the complete loss of wild game and the destruction of the economy in their state. That is why I am a refugee from The people's Socialist Republic of Kalifornia seeking asylum in Oregon.

I couldn't agree more about the poachers REALLY getting down to business when the initial enforcement push disappears. The DFG probably had to bring wardens in from Yreka to man the boat to chase these guys down.
Here is another from 3 months ago:
latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/poachers-132-lobsters-redondo-beach.html

Thanks for the report troutnut, will look further into the details you have posted. Your avatar pic, where is it from?

one of my friends emailed to me years ago, I think it's great!

Yeah I don't think its gonna get much better here in Ca unless some major things happen.....the only problem is, geographically, there's nowhere else on this planet I'd rather live right now.  I have Big Sur to the south, miles and miles of surf and dive options to the west, Ab diving/sonoma wine and Brews to the North and Snowboarding/Mountain Fun to the east.......all within a couple hours drive each direction. 

For me, that alone is worth the hassle/taxes/cost of living.....at least it is at the moment.  When I do leave it will be to another country