Love et al.: Declines in rockfish recruitment and populations 
499 
Blue rocktish 
Figure 5 
A comparison of impingement and diver observations of olive rockfish, blue rock- 
fish and bocaccio from King Harbor, Redondo Beach (1974—94, Stephens 4 ) and 
the SCE Redondo Beach station (1977-94, this study). 
periods if the adults suffer low 
mortality. A similar phenomenon 
has been described for California 
sheephead [Semicossyphus pulcher) 
which exhibit episodic recruitment 
related to anomalous events in cur- 
rent flow (Cowen, 1985). 
The reverse of this phenomena 
has occurred for at least some of 
the inshore rockfish species, par- 
ticularly blue rockfish and olive 
rockfish. In the SCB, both species 
are near the southern end of their 
usual geographic ranges and 
large-scale recruitment may occur 
only during cold-water cycles, as 
occurred during the 1960s and 
early 1970s. During this current 
warm-water period, recruitment 
waned and the adult population 
was expected to decline slowly. 
However, the continuing fishing 
pressure on the populations accel- 
erated this process. 
On the basis of current flow in the 
SCB, it is likely that even during 
periods of successful recruitment, 
many of the rockfishes in southern 
California are generated from 
southern California adults (Reid et 
al., 1958; Schwartzlose, 1963; 
Browne, 1993). If true, the sharp 
drop in the adult populations of 
many rockfishes is particularly 
troubling and raises the issue of 
recruitment overfishing. This is a 
particularly strong possibility be- 
cause there is little incentive for rec- 
reational anglers to decrease fish- 
ing activities on shallow reefs. 
These rockfishes are caught as part 
of a species assemblage that in- 
cludes not only various rockfishes, 
but also such species as kelp bass 
(Paralabrax clathratus ), Pacific bar- 
racuda (Sphyraena argentea), Cali- 
fornia sheephead ( Semicossyphus 
pulcher ), and ocean whitefish ( Caulolatilus princeps). 
As long as even moderate numbers of any recreational 
reef species are taken, recreational vessels will con- 
tinue to fish on rockfish-depleted reefs and continue to 
reduce already low numbers of rockfish. Because vir- 
tually all inshore reefs in southern California are 
heavily fished, successful recruitment will likely 
continute to be hazardous. 
Acknowledgments 
This work was conducted through a cooperative 
agreement with the Biological Resources Division, 
U.S. Geological Survey, contract number 1445-CA- 
0995-0386. As usual Lyman Thorsteinson was very 
supportive of our work. We would like to thank John 
Stephens for providing the King Harbor survey data. 
