Freedivers' Information for proposed
Southern California Closures
Santa Barbara Area
Santa Barbara Area Freediver’s MLPA Concerns
By Matt Bond
I: General
1)
All recreational areas designated as “Shore-based, hook and line fishing
only” must also include
spearfishing. Logic:
Spearfishermen are more selective than hook and line fishermen.
We actually see what we catch before we catch it.
If a certain species is protected, we definitely won’t catch it;
a hook and line fishermen might.
In
both the Conception SMP and the Carpinteria SMP, the DFG says that
“shore-based, hook and line fishing” is permitted in order to minimize
impact on recreation. Spearfishermen
impact the resource the least, so we too need to be protected from the
consequences of the park
designation.
2)
The term “Shore-based recreational activities” must include fishing from
small skiffs, paddle boards, surf skis, kayaks, and other relatively small
floatation platforms. Logic:
Many areas, such as Carpinteria Reef, are far from shore.
Divers use these different types of floatation devices to safely access
fishing grounds. Kayaks and the
like help spearfishermen to be seen by boats, which prevents us from being run
over. They also allow us to safely
store our catch, and let us bring water, food and first aid supplies along when
we dive.
3)Sustenance
fishing in areas close to neighborhoods, like the Coal Oil Point SMR, should
never be restricted. Logic:
There are members of the population who do not own cars or boats and who
get a significant part of their daily protein intake from “sport-caught”
fish and invertebrates, which they catch in areas that are within walking
distance from their homes. People need to feed themselves.