Dana Point airs concerns over proposed barred sand bass fishing regulations

A potential change to recreational fishing regulations for the barred sand bass has drawn the Dana Point City Council’s attention.

On Tuesday, council members unanimously authorized City Manager Mike Killebrew to send a letter on its behalf to the California Fish and Game Commission outlining its concerns.

“Barred sand bass is a sought-after species for many anglers and fishing charter operators, who rely on this fish as a primary target during peak fishing seasons,” the letter signed by Mayor Matthew Pagano read. “A reduction in bag limits and potential restrictions could impact the livelihoods of local businesses and may discourage recreational fishing participation in our waters.”

The letter invited the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to maintain open lines of communication with the city’s stakeholders, including anglers fishing from “piers, breakwaters, kayaks, small boats, and commercial passenger boats.”

It also called for enhanced scientific data to better understand barred sand bass population dynamics.

Regulations on barred sand bass are intended to protect fish populations while allowing for year-round fishing access.

Current Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations for Southern California allow anglers a “bag limit” of up to five bass of any combination of species caught per day, with a minimum size limit of 14 inches.

Those regulations have been in place since 2013 when the department cut the bag limit in half from 10 per day. The agency also increased the size limit by 2 inches.

The changes were made out of concern for kelp bass and barred sand bass stocks.

People fish and enjoy the low tide near the jetty outside the Ocean Institute in Dana Point.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

More recently, the department had been supportive of cutting the bass bag limit down by one fish per day with a three-year sunset.

But a Jan. 7 notice from Fish and Game Commission Executive Director Melissa Miller-Henson noted that estimates in Southern California show a “severely depressed” barred sand bass population.

After consulting with various stakeholders and receiving guidance from the commission’s Marine Resources Committee, the department is now asking that a broader set of options be considered.

The commission is set to discuss making bag limit changes specific to the barred sand bass, instead of having it lumped in with a combination of other bass species.

In addition, commissioners may assign different bag limits between zero and five per day between June 1 and Aug. 23, which is spawning season, and between one and five per day for the rest of the year.

The proposed changes, which will be discussed during hearings later this month and in April, are intended to reduce the number of barred sand bass fished, especially during spawning months when they are most vulnerable, according to the notice.

Donna Kalez, owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, called on Dana Point city officials to send a letter to the commission in light of the proposed changes.

“Sand bass is 100% recreational fishing for our seniors, our children,” Kalez told council members. “This will impact us. If it’s a closure, it’s really going to impact us.”

Dana Point City Council gave Killebrew the go-ahead to send the letter with little deliberation, save for Councilman Mike Frost calling the move a “no brainer.”