GROUP SEEKS TO AID AREA'S MARINE LIFE; CHANNEL ISLANDS SANCTUARIES URGED.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

Concerned about the severe depletion of marine life around the Channel Islands, an area environmental group is pushing for the state to establish new marine reserves, where fishing would be banned, off portions of the shore.

Noting that state fish-and-game officials have authority to create marine reserves, the Channel Islands Marine Resource Restoration Committee wants that power used to create such zones off 40 miles of the six islands' 169 miles of shore.

``We're at the point right now where some species are extinct or rapidly approaching it,'' said Evans Hughes, a committee spokesman.

Rock fish are dwindling, he said, citing state studies showing the number caught by commercial party boats around the islands dropped from about 1 million in 1979 to 163,000 in 1996.

The species often lives to be 150 years old and spawns around age 25, according to Hughes. He said fishermen have caught too many rock fish before they had the chance to multiply.

He noted that parks officials spent three days in October scouring the ocean floors around Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara Islands to count white abalone and found only four. Only five were found last year in five days of searching around Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands, he said.

There were as many as 40,000 white abalone in the early 1970s, before commercial divers harvested 2,200 pounds of the shellfish during a seven-year period, according to Gary Davis, a senior scientist at Channel Islands National Park.

``There aren't very many of them left,'' Davis said.

Although contamination from farm run-off water may be a contributing factor, Hughes said the depletion is primarily the result of too much fishing for commerce and sport.

In 1980, a federal marine sanctuary was established in the vicinity of the islands, but environmentalists say the federal legislation is too weak - not banning fishing in the sanctuary.

``It means you can't drill through the seabed,'' Hughes said. ``It keeps you from flying so low that you disturb the birds. But it doesn't address the marine life in the area.''

William Ballantine, a marine biologist in New Zealand who spearheaded a drive to create 14 no-take or no-fishing zones in his country, met with committee members and others Thursday in Oxnard. While such zones do not create plentiful supplies of nearly extinct species, he said, they help prevent further problems.

``No-take areas are an insurance against your detailed management's not being perfect,'' he said.

The initial proposal calls for marine reserves on six of San Miguel Island's 24 miles of shoreline, 4.5 miles of Anacapa Island's 12.5 miles, 11 miles of Santa Rosa Island's 44 miles, 1.3 of Santa Barbara Island's 5.6 miles, 14 of Santa Cruz Island's 65 miles, and three of San Nicholas Island's 18 miles.

Reaction by those in the fishing business was mixed.

Russ Harmon, owner of 11 boats at Cisco's Sport Fishing in Oxnard, said he fears the measures are draconian.

The 40 miles of shoreline where the group wants to ban fishing represent 72 percent of the areas preferred by fishermen, he said.

``I don't think the ocean is overfished,'' Harmon said. ``And I'm sure there is some pollution that's involved here, too.''

Kathy Oleson, co-owner of the Oxnard-based Sea Ventura boating operation, said she supports the proposal because she has seen the degradation of marine life since the early 1980s.

``If some people saw the same things above water, they'd be alarmed,'' she said. ``It's time to get the word out.''

Ballantine said there was some resistance to no-take zones in New Zealand, but he gained support by reminding fishermen that preserving species has long-term benefits.

The 25-member committee, formed about six months ago, will publicize its goal before approaching state officials sometime next year, Hughes said.

``We'll try to take the emotions and the rhetoric out of this,'' he said. ``Let the people make up their minds. If you want to preserve this resource, here's your chance to do it.''