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I may have a worm's eye view of this subject but it is hard for me to believe that recreational fishing has "decimated" the stocks of Calico's and Sand Bass. We are out there on the water and we see what people catch and keep. It would surprise me if on a given day any more than about 25 of these kinds of fish are killed by recreational fishers off the San Diego coast. Most days the take is probably far less.
I suppose that the party boats with their many clients who just want to take home some sort of trophy regardless of species or size, probably hurt the population a bit. Even if that is the case we are talking about a very large ocean here. While some areas are heavily fished, many habitats likely receive little or no fishing pressure.
On the other hand, Scripps is known for its good science and if they say that the fish stocks have been reduced, I am sure they are right. The important questions are, "what is the real cause?" and "how can the situation be reversed?"
In the unlikely case that recreational fishing is the cause, the solution is simple. Shorten the seasons, reduce the limits or if the situation is dire, go to C&R only for the species proclaimed to be in danger. I think that most recreational fishers would happily embrace such regulations if they were based on reliable scientific data.
I am just guessing but I suspect that the real cause is more likely related to the changes in water temperature, food supplies and/or pollution. Maybe these fish are victims of the exploding seal and sea lion populations that have occurred in the places where these fish typically live and breed.
Just my opinion.
Bob
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