Let’s Go Fishin’: Mussel quarantine along the coast

The old saying used to go, “Months with an R in them are safe for shellfish.” This saying may still hold true most years, as fall and winter months host less chance for red tides than summer months. The good news is that there are many other ocean fish that are safe to eat and in season.
The Department of Health has announced a sport harvest quarantine for mussels and bi-valves along the coastal waters of California, including Santa Cruz. This includes clams and oysters that are susceptible to domoic acids and toxins that occur during the red tides. The quarantine will last through October. However, it does not include commercially harvested shellfish that may be available at restaurants, farmers markets and grocery stores.
Sport fishermen have been happy catching salmon, rockfish and halibut in recent weeks. Halibut seem to be the main focus, with boats taking up to three or four fish per boat and flatties weighing up to 23 pounds. Rockfish and lingcod fishing has been also good as the spring weather gets behind us and calmer summer waters lie ahead. Salmon continue to be caught by local boaters out of Santa Cruz, with a fish per boat on average. These are some nice-sized delicious-eating salmon. On the beaches, striped bass are taken by beach casters, which is a fun way to fish during the summer.
Hans Haveman of H&H Fresh Fish works the local farmers markets and supplies salmon from Oregon and Washington, along with local halibut.
“I was happy to see the interest in salmon from the consumers,” Haveman said. “They loved the fresh salmon and appreciated its availability.”
Commercial salmon season has closed locally until June 25. Before the season close, the Chinooks or King salmon were fetching premium dollar for fishermen, as a new market price was set by wholesalers this year, bringing more than $7 per pound to the fishermen.
Retail prices were more than $20 per pound and worth every penny for those that got a taste of our wonderful “krill-fed” kings from the Monterey Bay.
Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at

ca************@ya***.com











. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 7:06 to 8 p.m. Thursdays.