MDRA Fishing Club Meetings 2009
January
Annual Swap Meet
February
Annual Awards Dinner held this year at the DRYC facilitiy. A fine dinner and recognition of our top anglers and the many volunteers
MARCH
The Board of Directors was challenged to take action about the lack of fish (halibut, barracuda, yellowtail, bass, croaker etc.) in the Bay. We were asked to consider not having another Halibut Derby. There was concern that public utilities, scientists, universities and conservation organizations were not coordinating and sharing their efforts. No one could tell us what happened to the fishery. The DFG thinks the fish are in a down cycle we suspect its water pollution or red tides. Concurrently we became aware that the MLPA was going to close both ends of the Bay ie; Rocky Point and Point Dume kelp areas. Your Board decided to invite experts to speak at our meetings so we could learn more about the problem.
April
Halibut Derby of 4th and 5th... A big success. See the Halibut Derby Pages.
At the Weds April 8th MDRA club meeting Jim Muro was
presented with the
Perpetual Trophy and had an opportunity to tell the gathering about his
incredible catch of the winning 41 pound halibut.
Jim and his family were all happy and shared the jubilation with an enrapt audience. His name will be inscribed on the perpetual trophy. This trophy has been displayed in several prominent display cases around the marina. Most recently it is in the reception area at the DRYC.
And Speaker:
Mike Shane from the Hatchery gave us report on the White Seabass program including recapture statistics. He also provided a tutorial on how to release fish without killing them. Mike also told us the halibut brood stock collected at our Halibut Derby are spawning in captivity and producing thousands of young halibut. Unfortunately they are required by the DFG to kill the young fish. Mike would like to help us make a plan to receive and release these halibut.
MAY
Heal The Bay gave us a presentation of their efforts to attack water pollution. They have been measuring and reporting on water quality at the beaches. HTB sued the City and got Hyperion to stop dumping sludge in 1988. Recently they have forced the cities to put screens on the storm drains, stopped effluent dumping in Malibu Creek and are getting Malibu Lagoon restored. HTB is currently working on a variety of efforts to eliminate plastic trash in our environment. Bill Beebe also spoke to the Club about getting behind an effort to improve the wetlands fish nursery areas destroyed by building the Marina.
JUNE
The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (SMBRC) gave us an over view of their efforts. SMBRC’s mission statement is “Ensure the long term health of SM Bay and its watershed.” It is a joint effort of Federal and state Governments funded about $60 million a year from US Bonds. This the body that coordinates and shares information about the efforts of public utilities, universities and conservation organizations and publishes an annual status report. They also said they are interested in incorporating a marine life nursery program into the Ballona wetlands. The DFG owns the Ballona wetlands and is on the governing Board of SMBRC. DFG has no money but SMBRC does. There are currently three restoration plans, for the Wetlands, under going environmental impact analysis. MDRA could play a role in this process. We have already helped with trawling in Ballona creek (where we found young halibut) to measure marine life.
JULY
Dr Larry Allen has provided Scientific help at our MDR Halibut Derby weigh-in and been very active in the white seabass program. Recently he has been investigating the life history and recruitment practices of white seabass, halibut, kelp bass and sand bass. He is familiar with our Club, the Marina, SM Bay and his Doctorate from USC is in Marine Biology.
Dr. Larry Allen gave a presentation where he explained where the natural nursery areas are located. Halibut, white Seabass, and other bass start life as fertilized eggs floating in the plankton. The eggs are carried north by the prevailing current in the bight. Some of the eggs get washed inshore where the eggs hatch into fry. The fry nursery is in the tidal backwash of algae and detrious just outside the surf line or into the wetlands and lagoons. This means eggs from PV end up in Malibu and eggs from Malibu probably reach Point Hueneme wetlands. Dr Allen reports that almost no young halibut or white Seabass have been found in SM Bay since 2005. He said our WSB grow out effort is particularly useful during cold water periods. When asked what MDRA could do he suggested we get involved with the Wetlands Project and promote incorporation of nursery areas.
AUGUST
Joe Gully of the LA County Sanitation district gave a presentation titled “Water & sediment Quality on the Palos Verdes Shelf. Joe explained that prevailing currents flow north/west from PV into SM Bay and beyond. Joe trawls at 16 sites, at PV, every three months. Halibut caught in the trawls increased from 1991 to 2001 then crashed. Since 2003 there have been very few halibut or tom cod in their samples. The tom cod disappeared after the worms who lived in the sludge died off. Improved treatment of City and County sewage water has reduced sediment toxicity back to where it was in the 1930s. The conclusion is that water pollution from our sewage plants does not seem to be a problem. This does not include storm water run off which is not effectively measured.
December Meeting
Dinner and Party! Annual Toy Drive. Weds. December 9th.
Upcoming
November
Recap and begin planning the Save the Halibut Derby of 2010. Meeting will include a presntation by Bob Godfrey reviewing much of the above scientific information.
December
Holiday party and toy drive. Elections of Directors.
