Fishermen Fail to Delay Gill-Net Ban

Ventura County gill-net fishermen hung up their nets Thursday after their effort to delay a ban on the use of gill nets was denied by a San Diego judge.

Superior Court Judge Arthur Jones denied the fishermen’s request for an injunction that would have allowed them to use the gear until their challenge to a 1990 proposition is heard in April.

In 1990, 55% of Californians voted to outlaw the use of the gill nets, which are anchored to the ocean floor and stretched like volleyball nets to trap fish within three miles of the coast.

A coalition of environmentalists and sportfishermen backed the ballot proposition because they said the nets pose a threat to sea lions, whales and other protected marine mammals.

“I’m very relieved for the sake of the animals that were threatened by these nets,” said Mary Stack, assistant director of the Marine Mammal Center in Santa Barbara.

But local gill-net fishermen said they were devastated by the ruling.

“I’m going to walk out the door tomorrow and have no place to go,” said Hank Hubble, a Ventura-based gill netter. “It’s like a death in the family. It tore my heart out.”

Brian Jennison, a past president of the Ventura County Commercial Fishermen’s Assn., said he thinks between 40 and 50 people in Ventura County might be out of work. “I’m very sad about the way this turned out.”

Proponents of the measure, however, saw the ruling as a sign that the lawsuit would fail.

“This certainly shows that the law is with us,” said Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress), author of the proposition.

“We have a tremendous amount of documentation of the harm that is caused by these nets,” she said. “I’m absolutely delighted that they are finally out of the water.”