Fish and Wildlife ponders bluefin tuna regulation

SACRAMENTO — Southern California anglers could soon be facing tight restriction on bluefin tuna catches south of Point Conception, as the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) discussed a restrictive policy to address overfishing and keep pace with federal and international regulations. The Fish and Game Commission considered a proposed regulation at its Feb. 11 meeting in Sacramento to limit the catch size of Pacific bluefin tuna and dictate how the species is filleted while at sea. According the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Pacific bluefin tuna stock is estimated to be less than 4 percent of its “unfished abundance.” “It’s a pretty severe state of overfishing,” Marci Yaremko, DFW’s state and federal fisheries program manager, said, adding the 4 percent mark is “extreme” and “pretty serious.” IATTC recommended a reduction in catch of 20 to 45 percent for the entire range of stock. To meet this goal and help restock the Pacific bluefin tuna population, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted in November 2014 to reduce the bag limit for bluefin tuna to two per day. The bag limit reduction from 10 to two per day is projected to reduce the catch 30 percent, which is within the 20 to 45 percent range...