Believe it, we're next.

[CAPT'N]

Stormcrow,

as a scientist I am surprised that you are not familiar with the research at Long Beach College. They have done extensive studies on releasing deep water rockfish, and have had a 80%+ survival rate after 24 hours. In fact they monitor many of the fish for days to see how long it takes for chemical levels in their blood to return to normal, and normal feeding activity to resume.

In fact, DFG has a new brochure on releaseing fish, it should be accessible by now at their site. I encourage allto search it out, read it, and implement the release of all small rock fish.

Check it out,

Capt'n

[JSAUCE818]

This is a Good thread...

[Tail Chaser]

Most State, Federal, and college studies funded by grants and/or public funds need to be scrutinized with a fine tooth comb. I hate to be a *** regarding this but biologist working under grants or for the State/Fed's need to find issues to continue to get funding. No problem, no funding. No funding, no job......Correct?

If a biologist is working for me (the public) we have every right to question the integrity of there work. They should be required to prove there findings and submit those finding for peer review.

And I agree with Broken Rod about the ESA. This law is the biggest pile of crap I have ever read. The bottom line is that it does little more than restrict land use (indefinitely) in area's.

The recovery plan is always habitat restoration which basically means restricted (human) land use. During the land use restrictions very little is done (most of the time nothing is done). No restoration, and seldom any captive breeding, why is that?

Only in rare cases does the act or the politicians provide funding to get a species on a real recovery path if a real recovery can or even does exist.. The California Condor is the only local species that comes to mind. Ton's of money is spent on the studies to include a species on the list but almost nothing for recovery. That dosen't smell to good in my book.

The endangered species act has been abused, under funded, and does very little to truely help endangered species recover. Its a great tool for land closures though.

I am sure that the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly, the Southwestern arroyo toad or some endangered fungus really deserves the full force of the state and federal government along with its resources to protect it. An all inclusive act such as the ESA is ripe for abuse or does the Spotted Owl really need old growth forests to live in?

The law needs to be re-written. Fully fund the recovery of a species (if a real recovery plan will work) or don't list the species at all. Half *** measures are a abuse of the public trust and funds.

How about closing down Glamis. California's #1 Sand Dune Riding area.
They were protecting the dunes from tire tracks.:Gay Fight: The tracks would be there till the next wind blows.
You wouldn't even see most of the tracks unless you were flying overhead in a helicopter:rolleyes:
Guess this is what happens when politicians/lawmakers have never stepped out of an office there entire life.
Then find out, OH MY GOD There's been people in the ocean and enjoying our land.

[Stormcrow]

Stormcrow,

as a scientist I am surprised that you are not familiar with the research at Long Beach College. They have done extensive studies on releasing deep water rockfish, and have had a 80%+ survival rate after 24 hours. In fact they monitor many of the fish for days to see how long it takes for chemical levels in their blood to return to normal, and normal feeding activity to resume.

In fact, DFG has a new brochure on releaseing fish, it should be accessible by now at their site. I encourage allto search it out, read it, and implement the release of all small rock fish.

Check it out,

Capt'n

I have never heard of anything like that. Safe release of Rockfish? Nearly impossible depending on depth. Are you referring to Long Beach City College or Cal State Long Beach? I would love to see this information and so would several people I know....

And now, someone has mentioned rewriting the entire endangered species act?????????? How did we get to this? The Arroyo Toad? Santa Ana River Wooly Star? Coachella Valley Fringe Toad Lizard? California Freshwater Shrimp? Yes, they all have recovery plans in place....

[jplee3]

Stormcrow,

as a scientist I am surprised that you are not familiar with the research at Long Beach College. They have done extensive studies on releasing deep water rockfish, and have had a 80%+ survival rate after 24 hours. In fact they monitor many of the fish for days to see how long it takes for chemical levels in their blood to return to normal, and normal feeding activity to resume.

In fact, DFG has a new brochure on releaseing fish, it should be accessible by now at their site. I encourage allto search it out, read it, and implement the release of all small rock fish.

Check it out,

Capt'n

I thought I read/heard something supporting this somewhere. More specifically, that you can use a hypodermic needle to slowly allow the air out of the swimbladder so that the fish will be 'normalized' or something along those lines... EDIT, nevermind what I said. I came across this:

http://www.thecalifornian.com/apps/p...ORTS/805150305

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/release.pdf

[CAPT'N]

The research was done by Cal State Long Beach graduate students under the direction of Prof/Dr. Chris Lowe.

He received a B.A. in marine
biology at Barrington College, a M.S. in
biology at Cal. State Long Beach and
his Ph.D. in zoology at the University
of Hawaii. In 1998, he was hired as a
professor of marine biology at Cal
State Long Beach where he runs a
shark lab. Over the last 20 years he
has used and developed acoustic
telemetry techniques to study move-
ments, behavior and physiology of
sharks, stingrays and gamefishes.
Much of his recent work has involved
quantifying the ecological importance
of offshore petroleum platforms, the
effects of catch and release practices
on gamefishes, and techniques to opti-
mize MPA design.

I was fortunate enough to sit in on a presentation by Prof. Lowe. Both the rock fish release , and the oil platform studies were fascinating.

As far as puncturing the stomach of a rock fish, it is almost certain death. There are some very interesting concepts to rock fish release. www-csgc.ucsd.edu/NEWSROOM/NEWSRELEASES/2008/BringRockfishDown.html

Capt'n

[CAPT'N]

By the way, it is NOT the swim bladder, but the stomach that has been displaced by the bladder.

[CAPT'N]

Here is more information

www-csgc.ucsd.edu/NEWSROOM/NEWSRELEASES/2008/documents/printBAROTRAUMA_BRO-2008.pdf

[Stormcrow]

I thought I read/heard something supporting this somewhere. More specifically, that you can use a hypodermic needle to slowly allow the air out of the swimbladder so that the fish will be 'normalized' or something along those lines... EDIT, nevermind what I said. I came across this:

http://www.thecalifornian.com/apps/p...ORTS/805150305

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/release.pdf

Thats very good info. I also heard from Don Iovino that needling LMB causes more harm than good. This was a good read. Its even supporting in a way because the DFG admits that Crating floaters is difficult to do and time consuming adding that most anglers will simply ignore that. Its too bad.

[pyronut]

OK the dfg closes good fishing areas like the islands, Horseshoe kelp, Palo verdes Point, Barn kelp and several other areas, Do you really think they will ever open these areas again. Come on I have seen several places closed for BS reasons and told by govt officals that they will reopen in a few years. Well I live here in Vegas and I have recently seen huge areas of the desert closed because the BLM dose not want to patrol them. Where do you think it is going to change there in California when you have a underfunded, undermaned, and totally misrun DFG. Once these areas have been closed they will never be opened again.

Myself personally I will be there to fight any other closures. The DFG needs a major overhaul there and be run correctly not run by a bunch of money hungry, Lazy people who only make excuses and not changes. Seems funny when I lived there license fees have almost tripled sence I moved away but you have fewer and fewer officers to enforce the laws already in place.

This is just my 2cents...

Pyronut