060127-2

WITHOUT THE use of anything but sticks and their own hands, a group of fishermen cut an illegal channel in the Carmel River Lagoon sandbar this week.

The group failed in its first attempt to breach the sandbar Tuesday afternoon, fleeing the scene just before the arrival of two state park rangers at about 3:30 p.m. According to Pam Armas, Monterey sector superintendent for California State Parks, they apparently returned later to complete the work. Armas said their actions violated the federal Endangered Species Act, because they could harm threatened steelhead trout.

A neighbor, longtime Carmel resident Annette Thorn, witnessed the group’s first try to connect the lagoon with the sea after a spate of dry weather caused the opening, created by county bulldozers Dec. 27, to close.

Thorn, who has played a key role in talks between local residents and government officials over the breaching of the sandbar, informed the men that what they were doing was illegal and could jeopardize the survival of young steelhead.

“I tried to explain the situation, but they weren’t having any of it,” said Thorn.

She said the suspects identified themselves as fishermen.

“They said they felt the way the lagoon has been managed has hurt the fish,” Thorn said. “They said there were no signs saying they couldn’t do it.”

Actually, there is a sign prohibiting the breaching of the sandbar — it’s posted on a bulletin board adjacent to the parking lot at Carmel River State Beach.

And even if they didn’t see the sign, according to Armas, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

“People are responsible for knowing the park rules,” said Armas. “If we posted signs for every park regulation, all we would have is signs. People will be cited if they are caught [breaching the sandbar].”

The unauthorized breach came less than a month after Monterey County Public Works bulldozers cut a southerly channel in the sandbar to drain the lagoon after heavy rains. Since then, Armas said the regulatory agencies have taken a hands-off approach, content to let nature take its course.

“We’re trying to maintain a natural process under unnatural circumstances,” said Armas.

While the fishermen who opened the channel may have had the best of intentions, their actions could end up causing considerable harm. Instead of angling the direction of the channel to slow its current, they cut the breach directly out to sea, creating a swift flow of water that could sweep young steelhead into the ocean.

“Most of these fish aren’t able to live in the ocean water yet,” explained John McKeon, who works for the National Marine Fisheries Service as a natural resource management specialist.

According to McKeon, studies conducted by NMFS just six weeks ago — which analyzed gill tissue samples — determined only about 30 percent of the young steelhead in the lagoon could actually survive in the sea at this point in their development.

Unauthorized breaching could also drop the lagoon to a dangerously low water level, causing further peril to steelhead.

“If the fish don’t manage to escape to the south end of the lagoon, they are susceptible to predation and their opportunities for growth are limited,” said McKeon who, like Armas, enjoys fishing.

McKeon said the actions of a few individuals do not represent the fishing community as a whole.

“You can’t paint all fishermen with one brush,” he said. “Most of the fishermen I know are very conservation-minded. But as with any group, there are some people who are unaware or just don’t care.”

Frank Emerson, who coordinates fish rescues for the Carmel River Steelhead Association, defended the role of the fishing community in the rehabilitation of the local steelhead population.

“If it weren’t for the efforts of anglers, steelhead probably would have disappeared from the Carmel River,” he said.

Fishermen trying to catch steelhead are subject to stringent regulations. Fishing is only allowed from Dec. 1 to March 7 on Wednesdays and weekends. Barbed hooks and bait are not permitted, and all fish caught must be immediately released.

“They try to make it as challenging as possible,” said Emerson, also a fisherman.

Like McKeon, Emerson said it is essential steelhead are not swept out to sea before they are ready to go. In the brackish lagoon, the young fish thrive on a steady diet of high- calorie creatures such as briny shrimp, arthropods and worms, he said.

“It’s a very critical phase of their life,” Emerson explained. “We need to get the word out that [unauthorized breaching] is not permitted.”