| In 2003, California saltwater fishing came to a | | | | yelloweye than previously thought and allowed |
| virtual halt due to a crisis in the number of | | | | both industrial and recreational fishermen to |
| bottomfish, or groundfish, that were available. The | | | | continue angling in the shallows, with some |
| population level decreased to the point that these | | | | restrictions regarding daily limits on rockfish crop. |
| slow-growing and slow-breeding species could not | | | | Most of the restrictions, however, remained on |
| support themselves while being harvested. | | | | deepwater fishing, since this is where many of |
| Therefore, during certain seasons, fishing was | | | | the rockfish specimens breed and grow. In fact, |
| practically shut down, with coast-wide closures | | | | catch-and-release methods for recreational anglers |
| and limits on catch-and-release activity. | | | | were disallowed because fish caught at such |
| The species that were restricted in California | | | | depths could not survive the release. |
| during this crisis specifically were breeds of | | | | Therefore, while some fishing continued as usual, |
| rockfish, including cowcod, yelloweye rockfish, | | | | the brunt of the fallout was taken by areas south |
| canary rockfish, bocaccio, and other large, | | | | of Cape Mendocino, where a 4,000 square mile |
| deepwater rockfish. The population was so | | | | Cowcod Conservation Area was created in the |
| reduced that, had the harvest continued, they | | | | 1990's. Here, the major concern was for bocaccio |
| most certainly would have become an | | | | rockfish, the population of which was so severely |
| endangered species. With the return of California | | | | reduced that experts predicted that, even with |
| fishing allowances, new restrictions were placed on | | | | absolutely no harvest, it would take over a |
| the quantities, types, and depths at which fishing | | | | century to recover the population. |
| was allowed in order to preserve the population | | | | While new regulations affect the rockfish |
| of rockfish. Since this crisis, the fishing industry in | | | | population and angling as a sport for these breeds, |
| general along the west coast has had to make | | | | fishing in California continues to thrive for such |
| sacrifices and accept losses in revenue due to | | | | species as tuna, mackerel, halibut, corbina, and |
| limitations on fishing. | | | | bass, most of which can be caught either near |
| By far, southern California sea fishing is more | | | | the shoreline from a pier or on the surface of |
| popular than other areas of the state, and this | | | | shallow waters. Most of the regulations on fishing |
| was the area that was largely affected by the | | | | affect only deepwater fishing and species. These |
| restrictions and bans. Fortunately, there was an | | | | species can even be angled for in conservation |
| assessment of the population of rockfish that | | | | areas, since they are found in the shallows and on |
| withdrew many of the shallow area restrictions on | | | | the surface, where rockfish are almost impossible |
| fishing before the industry was greatly affected. | | | | to locate. |
| This assessment showed a higher population of | | | | |