CalOceans News

Heading off ocean doomsday

Several reports released this week underscored the urgency of ocean protection efforts like California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA).  Scientists warn that climate change, overfishing, habitat loss and acidification are driving marine systems to the brink, and cited marine protected areas as a critical part of the solution to buffer against growing pressures and allow nature to rebound.

On June 20, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)published a study that concluded the state of our oceans is more dire than previously thought and warned “this is a very serious situation demanding unequivocal action at every level. We are looking at consequences for humankind that will impact in our lifetime.”

A story in the San Francisco Chronicle noted, “damage to marine life would harm its ability to support humans.”

While the findings are grim, the IUCN report does offer concrete steps we can take to reverse the downward trend in ocean health. The report summary specifically calls for the need to… 

“establish a globally comprehensive and representative system of marine protected areas to conserve biodiversity, to build resilience, and to ensure ecologically sustainable fisheries with minimal ecological footprint.”

Also this week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a reportthat called for more marine reserves and protected areas in U.S. waters, particularly in coastal areas. It noted their value both for wildlife and for people:

“establishing a marine reserve not only protects and helps to restore the habitats and populations of organisms within the reserve, it can also support and enhance the habitats and populations throughout a region. This in turn supports human communities by protecting places and resources valued by people for their intrinsic and economic values.“

Finally, a study published in Nature on June 22 underscored the worldwide importance of the California Current, likened to the Serengeti, for the survival of top ocean predators like sharks, sea turtles and tunas. The study emphasized the value of protecting habitat “hot spots.” One of the authors was quoted in the San Diego Union Tribune calling for an ecosystem based management system (like a network of marine protected areas).

The message for California is clear: global scientific consensus supports the need for timely implementation of the MLPA. A statewide system of marine protected areas will function like an insurance policy against environmental changes, boosting resilience, enhancing our understanding of marine systems, and safeguarding vital resources. 

On June 29, the California Fish and Game Commission will meet to discuss the timeline for implementation of the southern California protected areas approved last December, and to review marine protected areas proposed for the far north coast. 

Reached via email, Dr. Mark Ohman of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said, “It is in both the short and long term interests of the state of California to implement the MLPA plan sooner rather than later.”

With so many jobs and businesses depending on the productivity of our ocean, it’s clear that ocean protection must remain a top priority for our state, with completion of the statewide network of protections called for in the MLPA as job number one.

• Tags:
• mlpa
• Marine Protected Areas
• south coast mpa
• implementation timing
• Fish and Game Commission

Commission supports north coast community plan

Today, the California Fish and Game Commission met in Sacramento
to begin considering protections for the state’s far north coast. For the first time in the six-year MLPA process, the Commission received a unified marine protected area plan.

The unified plan was designed by north coast fishermen, conservationists, business owners, and tribal leaders, and endorsed unanimously by policy experts on the Blue Ribbon Task Force. 

North coast stakeholders were the only regional group to agree on a single plan, rather than sending on competing alternatives for state officials to compare. The plan would protect about 13% of state waters between Alder Creek and the Oregon border, including Ten-Mile, South Cape Mendocino,
Reading Rock and Pyramid Point.  It would also protect traditional tribal
harvest, and avoid harbors to ensure safe access to fishing grounds for local
fleets.

The local plan has the support of all of the coastal cities, countries and
harbor districts in the North Coast as well as more than 40 fishing, environmental and agency groups, and the broad community approval was evident during the public comment session at today’s meeting, in which 70 citizens spoke about the importance of a healthy ocean for the north coast’s economy and way of life.

In the end the Commission offered unanimous support for the stakeholder proposal and directed staff to follow the guidance provided at the beginning of the meeting by Resources Secretary John Laird to try to identify a path forward that would respect continued tribal traditional uses in north coast marine protected areas.

The Commission will consider the north coast MLPA again at their April meeting in Folsom.

• Tags:
• mlpa
• Marine Life Protection Act
• north coast
• Marine Protected Areas
• FGC
• Fish and Game Commission

Approved: Sweeping south coast ocean health plan

In a landmark decision, the California Fish and Game Commission voted 3-2 yesterday to adopt a network of marine protected areas that will stretch from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. These protected areas will join others that dot the coast from Santa Barbara to Mendocino, forming part of the statewide system of underwater parks called for in the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). 

The Commission voted in favor of a compromise plan that combined ideas from fishermen, divers, conservationists and scientists. The plan was designed to balance environmental and economic considerations. Peer-reviewed studies show that well-designed marine reserves boost fisheries yield and profits.  They also improve coastal tourism and
recreation opportunities, which are big business in southern California,
accounting for 80 cents out of every dollar spent by visitors.

Yesterday’s conservation milestone was heralded in media all over the state:

California has led the nation in establishing marine reserves, an idea conceived in response to steep population declines of rockfish, cod, lobster, abalone and other ocean dwellers despite catch limits and other fishing regulations. Scientists who helped draft the plan argued that some species could disappear entirely without fishing bans in a diverse assortment of underwater canyons, kelp forests, sandy seafloors and rocky reefs.

Commissioner Richard B. Rogers voted in favor of the plan, saying it struck an "elegant balance" between conservation and fishing interests. "The overarching goal is to return California to the sustainable abundance
I observed growing up," the lifelong scuba diver said.

Commissioner Michael Sutton, founding director of the Center for the Future of the Oceans at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, called the protections "good news for everyone who cares about the future of our fisheries and the future of our marine ecosystems."
-- Los Angeles Times, December 15, 2010

The MLPA planning effort has sparked an incredible outpouring of public support from elected officials, local businesses, community organizations and scientists. Tens of thousands of southern Californians attended meetings, made public comments or signed petitions supporting improved ocean protection.
-- Dana Point Times, December 16, 2010

“It’s like a savings account for our ocean. Set a little aside so it can recuperate and thrive and we will all ... benefit from the interest.”
-- San Diego Union Tribune, December 15, 2010

Marcela Gutierrez with Wildcoast says a variety of groups and the public have been working for two years on plans to create the underwater parks. "This is a trailblazing effort. It's one of the first of its kind in the world. The whole conservation community is watching, and it's great for our coastal oceans going forward." Gutierrez says the MPAs ultimately will become fish nurseries that will benefit fishermen.
-- Public News Service, December 15, 2010

For more information visit www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa.

• Tags:
• Marine Life Protection Act
• mlpa
• South Coast
• Marine Protected Areas
• Fish and Game Commission

Decision day for south coast MLPA

It's a historic day for southern California: after two years, and 50 public meetings, the ocean protection plans developed by local stakeholders are up for a vote before the Fish and Game Commission. 

The Marine Life Protection Act calls for a new kind of conservation, grounded in science, and focused on whole ecosystems.  Marine protected areas are a proven tool that allows sea life and habitats to thrive safe from disturbance, boosting the health and productivity of the ocean. By setting aside a few small areas where fish and shellfish feed and breed, California can enjoy more bountiful and sustainable harvests, and more resilient and diverse marine systems. 

Our nation has been protecting treasured landscapes for over a century, and it's high time we extended that conservation ethic offshore, creating a system of underwater parks.  The compromise plan before the Commission would protect popular areas like south La Jolla, Catalina Island, and Point Dume while leaving nearly 90% of the coast open for fishing. 

Hundreds of divers, surfers, business people, elected officials, and kayakers are expected to speak up for ocean protection at today's meeting in Santa Barbara.  Let's hope the Commission recognizes the wisdom of investing in a strong marine protected area network before it's too late. Like ecological savings accounts, our state's new marine protected areas will pay dividends for years to come, in the form of more and bigger fish, and a healthier ocean for all.

• Tags:
• Marine Life Protection Act
• mlpa
• Fish and Game Commission
• marine protected area

Southern California ocean protection effort advances

The California Fish and Game Commission held their meeting of the year on the Marine Life Protection Act in Ontario this week.  They heard over four hours of public testimony from seventy-five south coast residents, each weighing in on marine protected area plans for the south coast.
 
Many surfers, scientists, divers, and conservationists lobbied for stronger protections for iconic ocean areas like Rocky Point and south La Jolla, but the commission voted 3-2 to maintain the compromise plan known as the “Integrated Preferred Alternative” as their proposed project.
 
The compromise plan draws from three stakeholder proposals developed over a year of study and negotiations among different interest groups.  It would protect beloved ocean areas like Naples Reef, Dume underwater canyon, Laguna, and Swamis Reef while leaving the vast majority of the coast, including most of the region’s most popular fishing grounds, open for fishing. 

“We applaud the Commission’s decision move forward with this vital ocean protection effort,” said Greg Helms of the Ocean Conservancy. “New research unveiled at last month’s American Association for the Advancement of Science conference shows that well-designed marine protected areas provide both economic and environmental benefits.  With so many southern California businesses depending on the health and productivity of our coastal waters, we can’t afford to delay protection.”
 
The Commission’s decision indicates initial support for the compromise plan, but a range of options will be analyzed in environmental review, including proposals developed by conservationists and fishermen. There will be further opportunities for public input at Commission hearings over the coming months, with a final decision expected later this year 
 
“The compromise plan is a step in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement,” said Marcela Gutierrez of WildCoast. “By strengthening the protections around Palos Verdes and south La Jolla, we can better meet the science and increase benefits for fish and fishermen.”
 
For more information on the Marine Life Protection Act, visit www.caloceans.org, or www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa.

• Tags:
• Fish and Game Commission
• ipa
• integrated preferred alternative
• Marine Protected Areas
• South Coast

New ocean sanctuaries are good for fish and people

The Sacramento Bee editorialized about California's new ocean health plan over the weekend. The editorial applauded the State Fish and Game Commission for their leadership in passing this visionary marine protected areas plan, and noted "these new sanctuaries will serve generations of Californians."

The Bee went on the explain, "these near-shore sanctuaries will help rebuild delicate reefs and kelp forests," and "recovery will help all fishermen and people who like to observe without "taking" marine life – such as scuba divers, kayakers and schoolchildren examining tide pools."

• Tags:
• Fish and Game Commission
• Marine Life Protection Act
• Marine Protected Areas
• North Central Coast