Why are bocaccio still a species of concern when we are now seeing so many of them in Southern California and they appear to be well on their way to recovery?
A. Many anglers have said that bocaccio are abundant in Southern California, and it’s true that anglers are currently seeing many bocaccio. This is because 1999 was one of the more successful spawning events for bocaccio. Hopefully those fish will survive to spawn themselves. On the other hand, while the 1999 event was good, NMFS scientists tell us that it was not as good as they thought when they established harvest levels in 2000 for the next three years. Scientists use complex, state-of-the art computer modeling programs to determine the overall health of the fishery. Information including catches (both commercial and sport), the age of fish caught, abundance measures of larval bocaccio and research (fishery independent) fish are all used in these models. The Secretary of Commerce has accepted these analysis methods as appropriate and they are the tools used to guide management decisions. All indications are that more stringent management measures are needed.
