▁population ▁of ▁giant ▁sea ▁bass ▁was ▁in ▁trouble . ▁A ctions ▁were ▁taken , ▁resulting ▁in ▁protection ▁from ▁commercial ▁and ▁sport ▁fish ing ▁that ▁went ▁into ▁effect ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁it ▁is ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁population ▁size ▁of ▁Gi ant ▁Sea ▁Bass ▁in ▁California ▁may ▁be ▁increasing ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁under ▁protection ; ▁however , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁hard ▁data ▁to ▁support ▁it . ▁ ▁The ▁total ▁bre eding ▁population ▁in ▁California ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁is ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁individuals , ▁of ▁which ▁ 4 0 ▁to ▁ 5 0 ▁return ▁to ▁spawn ▁around ▁Catal ina ▁Island ▁each ▁year . ▁Gi ant ▁sea ▁bass ▁remain ▁under stud ied ▁in ▁the ▁Mexican ▁portion ▁of ▁its ▁range , ▁although ▁efforts ▁are ▁under way ▁to ▁monitor ▁the ▁population ▁size , ▁gen etic ▁connect ivity , ▁and ▁fish ing ▁pressure ▁along ▁the ▁Pacific ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁B aja ▁pen ins ula ▁. ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁California ▁De pt . ▁of ▁Fish ▁& ▁Game , ▁species ▁description ▁Sp ot ting ▁Gi ant ▁Sea ▁Bass , ▁a ▁citiz en ▁science ▁project ▁to ▁identify ▁individual ▁giant ▁sea ▁bass ▁▁▁ ▁Category : Pol y pr ion idae ▁Sea ▁Bass , ▁Gi ant ▁Category : F ish ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 <0x0A> </s> ▁Saint - Martin - S ain te - C atherine ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁commune ▁in ▁the ▁Cre use ▁department ▁in ▁central ▁France .