Legal???

My buddy was diving down here in Monterey County yesterday and reported that the stretch of coast he was diving was littered with 3 foot pieces of rebar with a ton of hooks on each one. They were attached to plastic jugs/cheap buoys.

The buoys had numbers on them, and a boat came later in the day and picked them all up and took a bunch of Lings/cabs that were hooked. 

I sent the info to DFG to alert them and to see if this was poaching or some kind of legal practice...

If it IS legal...how the F can something like this be allowed?

 

Any of you guys have any insight??

Sincerely,

Jim

Most likely a commercial guy. I see them working the kelp beds with a ton of hooks and PVC pipes that have hardened cement in it.

Yup....comm rockfish.  There are areas South of Monterrey County where the structure would indicate a rf wonderland yet they're completely devoid of fish.   

F*CK!

That's so messed up!!!

 

Would suck if all his jugs filled with water.  They blame recreational fisherman for the declines then we hear of stuff like THIS.  Wrong on SOO many levels!

They blame recreational fisherman for the declines then we hear of stuff like THIS.  Wrong on SOO many levels!

Exactly dude...the area where this happened is beautiful and full of life and a joy to dive and explore....makes me sick to my stomach thinking of those pieces of rebar with hooks on them just catching fish after fish...

 

Sincerely,

Jim

so, so wrong.

Seems like Darwinism....If a fish is stupid enough to bite a piece of rebar with a load of hooks on them then...he deserves to get eaten.

They blame recreational fisherman for the declines then we hear of stuff like THIS.  Wrong on SOO many levels!

Meh....its more of, what happens when mpa's and depth restrictions confine everyone into smaller and smaller areas, there's only so much real estate.  I don't think its prudent to cast such a narrow shadow on the commercial fisheries either.  Some have a greater impact on smaller areas....just like recreational fisherman. 

yup those are commercial methods. they call em stick fishing the dump a shit load of sticks around kelp areas mainly for the live rock fish market. although it pisses you off jim i find it to be a much better method then dragging nets an killing thousands of fish. majority of the time these guys toss back the larger breeder fish because they get less money per lb for them, and it helps to keep the population going.