It is found that the commercial fishing boat Morning Light moored in Morro Bay is stacked with gleaming galvanized metal tubs laden with fishing lines and hooks. Fisherman Bill Blue is busy getting the boat ready for a day of fishing for sablefish and thornyheads in the deep waters off the Central Coast. According to him the Morning Light is one of three Morro Bay commercial fishing boats that have taken to the water in recent weeks as part of an innovative community-based fisheries management programme.
It is said that the fishermen are using a new fishing permit issued by federal fisheries regulators that allows them to experiment with traps and hooks and line to catch bottom-dwelling species that have historically been caught by trawlers. Beside Bill Blue other fishermen involved in the programme are David Rose on the Nikki J and Roger Cullen aboard the Dorado. According to them obtaining the exempted fishing permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service is part of a cooperative effort by fishermen, harbour officials and environmentalists to rebuild the Central Coast’s commercial fishing fleet using less-disruptive harvest methods than those traditionally used.
Blue is of opinion that the area’s commercial fishing fleet has been nearly destroyed in recent years by closures and ever-increasing regulations intended to protect a handful of deep-dwelling fish species, which are considered to be depleted. Rod Fujita, a scientist with Environmental Defense, told that if the programme becomes successful then the model could be adopted by fishing communities in other parts of the country.
He also said that it will provide the Pacific Fisheries Management Council with the real on-the-water experience they will need to develop new ways to fix the long-suffering West Coast groundfish fishery. Rick Algert, Morro Bay’s harbour director, informed that this will help secure what remains of California’s fishing heritage and working harbors, promote a variety of improved fishing methods and ensure supplies of sustainably harvested seafood for consumers.
