Ignorance on Fishing

Mr. Kapelus’ letter on Jan. 5 demonstrated the ignorance of the people of California concerning the commercial fishing industry in this state.

The law banned gill netting not only within three miles off the coast but also within one mile off all the islands. This has eliminated fishing in over 95% of waters that were topographically feasible to fish. For years the state has, by law, limited the combined length of nets carried and used by any California gill net vessel to one mile or less. Mesh size has also been regulated to allow juvenile fish to escape and to prevent entrapment of sea birds.

Greedy special-interest and user groups have abused the initiative process and used the ignorance and gullibility of people like Mr. Kapelus to ban one of the cleanest, most highly regulated fisheries in the country.

The law was supposed to compensate fishermen it displaced, but the state has decided to rip us off instead. The Department of Fish and Game collected more than $7 million to be used for compensation. However, only a small fraction will be disbursed. The state will keep the rest.

Maybe Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress), the bill’s author, or Mr. Kapelus, would be interested in purchasing the equipment in which I have thousands invested. They can display it as a memento of the hardship they have caused people in an industry and way of life that is no more.

ED LUSK

Ventura