California’s wetfish producers have filed lawsuit to provide greater protections for anchovies, sardines and squid, setting the stage for a major battle over one of the state’s dominant fisheries. The wetfish is also know as forage fish, live near the bottom of the food chain but make up a substantial percentage of California’s commercial catch, including 97 percent of all landings in Moss Landing and Monterey.
Diane Pleschner-Steele, executive director of the California Wetfish Producers Association, said that in December environmentalists filed suit to change how the federal government manages those fisheries. He added that if this would prevail then fishermen would lose the industry.
Global growth of fish farms took much of the forage catch to feed their salmon, tuna and other top fish predators popular with consumers. Environmentalist group Oceana has raised the issue about forage fisheries, and in December filed suit to force the federal government to consider impacts on the broader marine ecosystem when setting limits.
Last year, the National Marine Fisheries Service declined to adopt an ecosystem-based fishery management plan. Environmentalists later sued, and have often complained that the fishing industry dominates that process. Geoff Shester, Oceana’s California program director, said his group is trying to force federal regulators to take a broader approach to setting catch limits and does not want to destroy fisheries.
