Tom’s Update: July 2026
Sand Bass Tagging Project Underway
PIER recently kicked off its Cali-Baja Sand Bass Tagging Project alongside the captain and crew of the Point Loma from Point Loma Sportfishing. The first day of fieldwork was a tremendous success, with the team deploying more than 375 tags on barred sand bass.
This collaborative research is designed to better understand the transboundary movements of sand bass between California and Baja California, generating information that will help improve the management of this valuable coastal fishery. Additional tagging trips are planned over the coming months from above and below the border.
In the meantime, if you catch a tagged Sand Bass, please report it on the PIER website.
PIER’s EFP testing and gear development work has now officially started. The PIER team celebrated the 4th with some early season exempted testing outside of San Clemente Island. With NOAA permissions now granted, PIER will be working with local fishermen to develop methods that are responsible and compatible with our local small to medium scale fleet. We hope to develop tools and markets that will help our local fishermen remain competitive.
