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Courtesy of the HSWRI Aquaculture Program Research Report, a publication of Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute:

Two year old white seabass of 12-20” were relatively abundant in coastal waters this fall and HSWRI researchers made time to capitalize on it for the seabass breeding program.  Special permits allowed the team to legally catch these fish, which otherwise have a 28” minimum size limit and catch limits of 1-3 fish depending on the time of year.  Fishing mainly in the protected waters of Mission Bay and Oceanside Harbor allowed the team to utilize small skiffs or even docks as fishing platforms.  Not surprisingly, the best time for fishing was the first few hours after dusk.  Because seabass is a schooling fish, multiple fish were typically caught when the school came through.  A night light was used to attract baitfish, which in turn brought in the seabass, increasing our odds significantly.  Several nights brought in double digit numbers of seabass that were subsequently transported to the Carlsbad Hatchery.  This method of broodstock collecting is highly efficient compared to the effort required to collect significant numbers of adult fish.  The downside is that the fish will have to be held in isolation for another 1-2 years before they can be added to the main breeding pools.  We have established a 24” minimum size limit for fish in the primary breeding pools because that is approximately when they are sexually mature and also that is a size where they can generally fend for themselves among fish that may weigh 20-40lbs.

Acknowledgements 

This document reports on aquaculture research projects supported by numerous grants, contracts and private contributions.  It also represents the hard work of many dedicated staff and volunteers throughout southern California, as well as collaborators around the country.  This information was contributed by HSWRI staff and compiled by Senior Research Scientist and HSWRI Aquaculture Program Director Mark Drawbridge.

The aquaculture research program has been active for more than 35 years at HSWRI. The primary objective of this program is to evaluate the feasibility of culturing marine organisms to replenish ocean resources through stocking, and to supply consumers with a direct source of high quality seafood through aquatic farming.  Please direct any questions to Mark Drawbridge at mdrawbridge@hswri.org.