Recreational fisherman are an unrecognized threat to fish populations

Recreational fisherman are a serious threat to certain fish populations, according to a study published in the journal Science, and reported in the Mercury News.

The study analyzed 22 years of federal and state statistics. It found that although recreational fishing accounted for only 4 percent of the total catch nationwide, among "species of special concern,’’ or those species that the federal government classifies as overfished, recreational fishermen catch 23 percent.

Regionally, the numbers are even higher. In 2002 off California, Oregon and Washington, recreational fisherman landed 59 percent of the species of special concern.

That percentage has grown as the commercial catch fell due to lower fish populations and tougher state and federal rules.

"If you kick recreational fishermen off the water, it will kill local communities like Moss Landing, Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay,’’  said Jim Martin, West Coast regional director for the Recreational Fishing Alliance, a sportfishing group in the Mercury News report. "I don’t think people understand how much these coastal communities depend on fishing tourism.’’