Tigers and Chinas and Canaries, Oh My: Help needed

[Biodiversity_guy 0]

The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission is considering establishing an underwater park out at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula (Neah Bay area) for scuba divers and to protect an amazing area of high species diversity. They need to hear from lots of folks from around the country, as a major consideration for doing this is to increase ecotourism to this part of Washington State.

 

Please take a few minutes and send an email to the Dept of Fish and Wildlife requesting they establish an underwater park within that portion of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary lying within the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Tell them to protect this priceless treasure by placing it off limits to fishing and invertebrate harvesting.

 

Comments should be sent to WDFW Rules Coordinator Lori Preuss at Lori.Preuss@dfw.wa.gov

 

To see what a Tiger, China and Canary rockfish looks like, go to http://biodiversityguy.smugmug.com/

 

Details:

That small portion of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary lying within the Straits of Juan de Fuca is home to a very special assemblage of marine rockfish species. I am not aware of anywhere else in the continental United States where one can easily encounter Tiger, China, Canary, Quillback, Yellowtail, Black and Blue rockfish species. It is also home to amazing creatures such as basket stars and giant pacific octopi, kelp and krill, and an astounding diversity of soft corals, sponges, anemones and other marine invertebrates.

 

Long-lived species of rockfish cannot easily support intense fishing pressures. Black, China and Tiger rockfish live to be 50, 75 and over 110 years, respectively. Even when rockfish are not directly targeted, they are often taken accidentally as bycatch when anglers are fishing for lingcod, halibut, Cabezon and other sportsfish. Because they have a swim bladder full of gas, when they are rapidly brought to the surface the swim bladder expands and they are unable to swim back down, even in a catch and release setting.

 

For this reason conservationists are working to create an ecological reserve within that portion of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary lying within the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

 

Such a marine protection area will not only protect a portion of the population of these sensitive species, it will also help bring national and international attention to the wealth of fish and invertebrate species found in Washington State’s waters. The assemblage of rockfish that can be seen there is the most diverse in all of Washington’s waters, so designating this area will be a great boon to state ecotourism efforts.

 

The ecological value of ecological reserves such as this is clear. As documented in the publication The Science of Marine Reserves, 2nd edition, published by the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), “no fishing” reserves increase the biomass, density, body size and species diversity within their borders. Some of the most important benefits occur beyond the borders of reserves. Boosts in growth, reproduction and biodiversity can replenish fished areas when young and adults move out of the reserve. Studies from Alaska demonstrate that lingcod tagged within a reserve moved more than 50 miles out of the reserve before being recaptured.

 

Please take a couple of minutes and submit a brief email. Your help is requested and needed to help us make the case for marine conservation!

 

[elmo 0]

Saw that proposal for the reserve in the area in the rules proposal. It was only 26 words long, with a map. Pretty scant on information, and no reference to a study on that area or why it is needed. That area is used by fishermen from March to August, as it is protected by the land mass from the prevailing winds and wave action and makes a great area to fish and dive, even in bad weather. I wonder if there was any consideration given to that fact. It also get almost no fishing pressure 6 months of the year, so there is some down time for the proposed reserve area where it gets limited, if any fishing pressure. The area opens up into the Pacific Ocean, as others have stated. Doesn't that immense body of water already provide enough hidey holes for these fish? Why this specific area, as both diving and fishing are both currently legal activities here?

 

I also thought that the WDFW had to use the best and available science when considering a proposal, and I didn't see anything science specific to this area on either the written rules proposal, or in the presentation made by that WDFW commissioner, (Jennings was his name) who talked on the subject. TVW is great!

 

Looks like an attempt at a personal diving playground, in my opinion, by that commissioner Jennings. It would be nice to see some actual science rather than feelings presented to substantiate a need for this reserve. The same commissioner also "guessed" that cabezon numbers were down because divers he knew hadn't seen many. Wow. I guess that based on that logic, when folks drive the logging roads and don't see deer or elk, there must not be any, so we should shut down those seasons as well to protect them.

 

If the WDFW allows that proposal, things are on pretty shakey ground in Olympia.

 

It is also extremely interesting that this proposal wasn't added to the rules proposal until October 16th, yet the date of this post is October 3rd. It is amazing how you knew it was going to be added to the rules proposals ahead of time. Hmmmmmmmm?

Edited November 18, 2009 by elmo

[JackConnick 76]

Well Elmo, the science is this:

 

Rockfish, lingcod and many other species are very territorial. They stay pretty much in the same area, even the same rock most of the times. Secondly, many rockfish species take 20 years or more to reach sexual maturity. When you catch all the large ones, there will be no juveniles for a very long time. They were almost fished out all over Puget Sound and are now protected from Ediz Hook in, but it will take many, many years for them to re-populate, and re-poulate with larger, mature fish.

 

In short, taking a small bio-diverse area and setting it aside is a great move to enable the fish to re-populate and sustain themselves.

 

Jack

Volunteer Science Diver, Seattle Aquarium

[elmo 0]

So if the goal is to repopulate Puget Sound and the Ediz Hook area, why not create this "dive park" closer to that area? This removal of historical fishing area will concentrate fishing pressure around Waddah and Sail Rock, in the direct pathway that these fish would have to take. Doesn't add up based upon your agruement. Why not create the area around Destruction Island? That would be more centrally located along the coast than the most northern tip.

 

No specific science was provided Jennings to the need for this specific area to become a preserve, other than a nice slide show. He is basing his feelings for that need based on his observation, not science. He showed studies of Black Rockfish off the coast, but nothing as it related to chinas. tigers, and canaries. He need to show the science.

 

He states this new dive park will be an economic boon for the area due to new eco tourism. Where are the projections to support this? How does he account for lost angler trips in these projections. How does the Makah tribe feel about the closure area because it is literally in their back yard? How about tyeh Clallam County EDC or Chamber of Commerce. Did they assist in the economic projection data?

 

Jenning's proposal needs to go the full route through the process, and he cannot be allowed to short circuit the process just because he is a commissioner. Pretty much everyone was surprised by the way he shoehorned the project into the meeting process. He even received a rebuke form the Chair, albeit nicely worded, that things need to go the regular route.

 

Just because he wants something for he and his dive buddies, doesn't mean that he gets to abuse his position as a commisioner and not show his work. Show the specific science for the specific area and the specific need. He has shown none of this. Nice slide show, though.

 

And by the way, diving is a legal activity in this area, so why, if this is such a unique area, hasn't this economic boon already occurred?

[JackConnick 76]

Elmo it has nothing to do with Puget Sound it has everything to do with keeping the population healthy in the area around Neah Bay. I don't think it affects the Makahs , they are governed by Federal Law, not state.

The problem with diving out there has always been one of access, there are really no commercial dive boats, except by special trips. I think he's trying to create a draw.

 

Divers leave only bubbles and take only pictures.

 

Jack

[elmo 0]

Elmo it has nothing to do with Puget Sound it has everything to do with keeping the population healthy in the area around Neah Bay. I don't think it affects the Makahs , they are governed by Federal Law, not state.

The problem with diving out there has always been one of access, there are really no commercial dive boats, except by special trips. I think he's trying to create a draw.

 

Divers leave only bubbles and take only pictures.

 

Jack

 

Well, since the Makah's own the marina that serves as the primary access point, and their economy is reliant upon fishermen and divers, I would think they have a stake in this. They have an economic development council, or enterprise board. Maybe Jennings could approach them with his idea and see if any tribal members would be interested in starting a dive boat business and provide funding in the form of a microloan for a proper dive boat? I would say that he needs to create the draw to prove his "economic boon" statement. Again, more guesses.

 

The Makahs are co-managers of all of teh resources in their area, and they live and fish there 365 days a year. To say that you "don't think it affects the Makahs" is a very shortsighted statement.

 

Fishermen are self sufficient and they buy their own boats to fish that area. The number of private sport boats compared to commercial charters is heavily weighted towards the private boats. Why don't more diver's do this? They also pay into the WDFW through license fees. A non-fishing diver pays nothing, but expects their own park. I dive and fish, and have my own boat. While a non-fishing diver leaves only bubbles, they also ciontribute nothing to the management of the resource through license fees.

 

This area has been fished for years, decades in fact, and has healthy populations in your words. Where is the science that says there is a decline in population, or that this park is needed? I'll give you a hint, there isn't any.

[elmo 0]

Well, since the Makah's own the marina that serves as the primary access point, and their economy is reliant upon fishermen and divers, I would think they have a stake in this. They have an economic development council, or enterprise board. Maybe Jennings could approach them with his idea and see if any tribal members would be interested in starting a dive boat business and provide funding in the form of a microloan for a proper dive boat? I would say that he needs to create the draw to prove his "economic boon" statement. Again, more guesses.

 

The Makahs are co-managers of all of teh resources in their area, and they live and fish there 365 days a year. To say that you "don't think it affects the Makahs" is a very shortsighted statement.

 

Fishermen are self sufficient and they buy their own boats to fish that area. The number of private sport boats compared to commercial charters is heavily weighted towards the private boats. Why don't more diver's do this? They also pay into the WDFW through license fees. A non-fishing diver pays nothing, but expects their own park. I dive and fish, and have my own boat. While a non-fishing diver leaves only bubbles, they also ciontribute nothing to the management of the resource through license fees.

 

This area has been fished for years, decades in fact, and has healthy populations in your words. Where is the science that says there is a decline in population, or that this park is needed? I'll give you a hint, there isn't any.

 

 

Looks like Biodiversity Guy is up for a confirmation hearing tomorrow (2/18/2010), so well see if he becomes a confirmed commissioner.

[elmo 0]

Looks like Biodiversity Guy is up for a confirmation hearing tomorrow (2/18/2010), so well see if he becomes a confirmed commissioner.

 

 

Here is video of the confirmation hearing. Fast forward to 45:00 to see his responses.

Confirmation hearing

 

 

Lets see, he united three user groups against him AND was essentially implicated in ethics violations. In 8 months, he has come a long way.

 

Where there is smoke there is fire.