Sacramento Bee: Fishery legislation is redundant, wasteful – and harmful

By D.B. Pleschner

As an ocean scientist, actor Ted Danson needs to go back to school.

In his recent commentary he distorts the health of California fisheries and the precautionary management that already protects marine resources, including his “little fish” known as forage species.

California has done an excellent job managing forage species.  Besides strict fishing quotas and other restrictions, the state implemented no-take reserves, including many adjacent to bird rookeries and haul-out sites, to protect forage.  Danson does not tell readers this.

To propose legislation like Assembly Bill 1299, as if no regulation exists, is redundant, fiscally wasteful and disrespectful of California’s management history.

Read more at:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/17/3773246/fishery-legislation-is-redundant.html