30 • April 8 - 21, 2016 • The Log


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Recreational Take of White Sea Bass


The state of California is still conduct- ing a stock assessment of white sea bass, meaning up-to-date data meas- uring the effectiveness of restoration efforts is not yet available. State offi- cials, however, released data of the total white sea bass take for commer- cial fisherman and recreational anglers between 1936 and 2000. Below is select data of the recreational take of white sea bass.


Year Take (in lbs.) # of fish 1936 105,516


8,793 1939 221,784 A HOPE white sea bass grow out pen is located in Huntington Harbour. The restoration program was launched more than 20 years ago by the Harbour Reel & Rod Club. Sea Bass From page 29


based program is unique to anywhere else in the world but could definitely be adapted to enhancing other species of fish given the proper support and funding,” Albright said. “This program continues to be successful and there are ongoing discussions to expand it to other species of fish locally, such as California halibut.”


Harbour Rod and Reel Club


A white sea bass restoration pro-


gram was launched at Huntington Harbour more than 20 years ago, when the Harbour Rod & Reel Club (HRRC) debuted its grow out program in 1995. Hetzler said the white sea bass pro-


gram was started to help replenish the species’ population. “I volunteered to head up this pro-


gram. We convinced the Huntington Harbour Anglers (another older Huntington Harbour fishing club) and the Bolsa Chica Foundation, a local conservation group dedicated to


enhance the Bolsa Chica wetlands, to support the development of a Huntington Harbour white sea bass grow out program,” Hetzler said. A nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization was established in 1995 and the grow- out pen was built in 1996, Hetzler said. “What is unique about this program is it was solely developed from donat- ed funds and operated entirely by vol- unteers,” Hetzler said. “The hatchery was built from mitigation funds received from the San Diego Gas & Electric Company when they built the nuclear electric plant in San Onofre. The hatchery operating funds are obtained from an enhancement tax added to California salt water fishing licenses sold to recreational fishermen from Santa Barbara to San Diego.” Hetzler said the grow-out program


has, to date, released about 50,000 fish. He added the collective effort to bring back the white sea bass population has succeeded and the state is now looking into replicating the program to pre- serve other fish species. “One of our fish released in 2003 was caught in 2015 having been free for 12.6 years. We have no weight on


the fish as the hatchery only received the head of the caught fish,” he said. “Many of the operating procedures developed by the HOPE pen are now being used by other pens. “The white sea bass stocks have


fully recovered and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife are in the process of reviewing the program for enhancement of other depleted fish stocks such as halibut, bass and other species,” Hetzler continued. Several fish species could benefit


from a similar replenishment program, Hetzler said. “Other fish considered for enhance-


ment are kelp and sand bass, especial- ly the sand bass. Barracuda stocks also appear to be very low,” he said. “There have been a number of other programs that have made a major impact on the recovery of sea bass stocks including reducing the fish catch by recreational anglers, the reduction of the commer- cial catch by limiting the fishing period and moving the gill net fishermen off- shore three miles from any land mass including islands.” For more information on OREHP visit tinyurl.com/jutokkf.


1980: 1982:


October 1986: November 1990: March 1992: January 1994: October 1995: 2001: 2002:


White Sea Bass Replenishment History White sea bass stock depleted to 10 percent of historic catch


Assembly Bill 1414 establishes Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP) Hubbs Sea World Research Institute releases 2,000 juvenile white sea bass Proposition 132 passes, banning drift gillnets in marine protection zones First legal-sized white sea bass (marked and raised in hatchery) was recaptured Drift gillnet prohibition in marine protection zones goes into effect Marine fish hatchery becomes operational in Carlsbad


More than 100,000 white sea bass were released in southern California waters White Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan completed


October 2004: One-millionth white sea bass was released


December 2006: 1.21 million fish released June 2007:


Oldest adult fish (13.31 years) recovered in Ventura (released off Santa Barbara in 1994)


June 2008: 100th hatchery-raised white sea bass recaptured 2013: Research underway to determine stock assessment


Sources: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ocean Protection Council


Source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife


18,482


1944* No Records No Records 1949 750,036 1954 488,052 1959 119,364 1964 173,892 1969 34,824 1974 40,896 1979 7,032 1984 67,478 1989 14,227 1994 157,048 1999 435,271 2000 716,298


62,50


40,671 9,947


14,491 2,005 3,408 586


8,365 3,353


14,721 28,544 37,410


*Sportfishing records not maintained due to World War II


Source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife


Total Catch of White Sea Bass


California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has conducted annual reviews of the white sea bass fishery since 2001; the published total catch for each review is listed below. The opti- mum yield is 1.2 million pounds.


Year Total Take Less Then (in lbs.) Optimum Yield


2013-14 481,557 2012-13 581,349 2011-12 665,774 2010-11 824,518 2009-10 678,262 2008-09 534,701 2007-08 763,759 2006-07 519,551 2005-06 436,809 2004-05 398,584 2003-04 466,957 2002-03 959,177 2001-02 1,196,673


40.1 48.4 55.5 68.7 56.5 44.6 63.6 43.3 36.4 33.2 38.9 79.9 99.7


(percentage)


Parimal M. Rohit photo


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