Lingcod stocks WAY up?!

"Lingcod stocks way up: Remember the doomsday reports of how lingcod populations had been about wiped out along the Pacific Coast? Remember all the emergency closures? Now comes the word that lingcod populations are now 60 percent over the level needed for Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/20/SPN4UGBR5.DTL.

___

Can any of you fishbio guys find the primary source material for this claim?  Be interesting to read.

Lingcod do not live as long as rockfish and reach sexual maturity at around age 5.  They changed the regs in 99 and we have seen a recovery in about 10 years.  No voodoo there, just better management and a lot of ling sex.

a lot of ling sex.

I know we were all hoping those crazy fish could just get together...
Now I understand why all the male lings I caught last season were looking so satisfied.

seriously, this is great news. Now I feel bad about grumbling over the whole emergency closure, 1 fish @ 30" daily limit thing a few years ago.

This is great news, but we should wait to see how accurate it is and how it affects/doesn't affect other species/population issues...

Sean (Piscean):  I think it's ironic that you (an environmentally conscientious type if I haven't misread you) are pointing out that you grumbled over the tight ling regs a few years back (I did too, but it wasn't as hard to catch a 30" ling up here...).  I feel that many similar reactions will be seen in the years/decades to come as people see the positive effects of the MLPA process.  I can't wait for the day when even a hardcore redneck who spat fire at the MLPA can admit that it helped us have more of what we want:  a beautiful world! 

News like this will likely drive me to release less lingcod this year, but the shift in my policy won't be much...

Sean (Piscean):  I think it's ironic

You & Me both AK  , that's why I mentioned it.
 I have seen (from a personal fishing perspective) management successes in my lifetime like Cali Halibut & White Seabass, so I know it can be done.
I am very happy for the Ling stocks though, even if I stopped fishing tomorrow. I don't think the info will change the numbers of Lings I keep over the season (last year I caught & kept plenty, & released plenty too). It might make me feel better about it though like you said, and that's like icing on the cake.

Sometimes it's tough being an ocean harvester & an enviro but what are ya gonna do? As a wise man once said (in canoe & kayak magazine) "we all end up living the contradiction" in one way or another.
 Somewhere a school of 10" blue RF is hearing this news & thinking "how can you all call yourselves evironmentalists! Don't you know what this means for us!!!"

Good news!  I'm almost out.

What kind of effect does the ling population have on the rockfish population? I know they love to munch them.

What kind of effect does the ling population have on the rockfish population? I know they love to munch them.

Developed in nature, should be managed by nature...  Healthy lingcod population culls out the slowest of the rockfish population and things should be better all around.

In addition to lings, all rockfish stocks are also on the road to recovery since the 99 reg changes...they just take longer, some take WAY longer.  The problem wasn't lings or Humboldts...it was us.  However we are making things better.

Ask the party boat captains who leave a trail of dead and dying rockfish.

I've never seen a kayaker waste a fish.

Of course in 10 years the MLPA folk will be claiming all the credit...

Of course in 10 years the MLPA folk will be claiming all the credit...

Yep, after all, everyone knows that it's impossible to manage fish stocks using using tools like seasons and catch and size limits.

I wish you were wrong Josh...but I think you are so right.