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Nature Graffitti Gang strikes again
posted 03/27/01
An octopus decorates the ever-changing rock on Beaverton Valley Road on San Juan Island.
Nature Graffiti Gang’s
Endangered Species Series
China Rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus)
Several populations of bottomfish, including many species of rockfish, like this china, have declined to alarming levels throughout Puget Sound. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife characterize the populations as depressed and estimate that the spawning potential has declined by 75 percent since its peak in the 1970’s. Most scientists consider a population under significant stress when spawn potential is below 60% (WDFW, 1997).
A variety of factors contribute to this depression including fishing, marine mammal predation, changes in regional climate, possible toxin contamination, and near-shore land-use practices (2000 Puget Sound Update, Puget Sound Water Quality Authority). For lingcod and rockfish species, fishing appears to be the biggest factor affecting both the population numbers and sizes of fish (WDFW).
You can help by following all of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fishing regulations and by respecting the eight Voluntary No Take Bottomfish Recovery Zones as established by the San Juan County Marine Resources Bottomfish Recovery Program. For more information on this program and other Puget Sound resource updates, visit Marine Resource Committee Web site.
Sharon Kivisto
and
Matt Pranger
can be reached:
phone:
360.378.3748
fax:
360.378.9748
by e-mail:
news@sanjuanislander.com
by mail:
San Juan Islander
PO Box 1118
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA