COMMISSION WILL CLOSE OFF AREAS TO ROCKFISHING.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

The California Fish and Game Commission has approved a measure to close two large ocean areas off Southern California to rockfishing, beginning Jan. 1.

The larger area is 4,200 square miles. Its northeast corner starts 20 miles south of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and extends south about 90 miles and west about 60 miles. The area is west of Catalina and San Clemente islands but does affect Santa Barbara Island. The second area, known as the 43-fathom spot, begins 40 miles west of San Diego. It covers 100 square miles.

The area will be closed through Jan. 1, 2002, when the Department of Fish and Game must submit permanent management plans. The National Marine Fisheries Services will file complementary regulations for federal waters, to be effective on the same date.

For the second straight year, the rockfish season will be closed in January and February in Southern California.

``This is pro-active management,'' said Don Schultze, the senior marine biologist for the DFG Marine Region and an Arcadia High graduate. ``This is landmark legislature and fishing management of the future.''

Based on information that the DFG and NMFS has compiled, Schultze says the two areas have only 10 percent of their historic cowcod population. A 1999 federal study found boccacio to be at 5 percent of their pre-fish levels.

``It's going to take 90 to 100 years to restore this fishery to its sustainable populations,'' Schultze says. ``We're down to unfishable levels.''

Although the ban is specifically written for cowcod, anglers cannot disturb fish farther down than 120 feet. Because canary rockfish, boccacio and lingcod sometimes school with cowcod, all of the rockfish species are protected. Other fish, like albacore, are unaffected.

Schultze admits that the closure is not beneficial to sport anglers, but he said the DFG has little choice if it is going to conserve the species for future harvesting.

``People have to come to the realization that there is not a limitless stock,'' he said. ``The ocean is not a bottomless pit and this groundfish is not as productive as we first thought.''

Anglers against the closure have cited inconclusive evidence that the fishery is less than 10 percent. Schultze says El Nino, La Nina and other conditions have affected the species.

``It's hard to monitor the fishery,'' he admits.