CalOceans News
Showing all articles with tag: Marine Life Protection Act.
Jan. 21 is Underwater Parks Day!
January 13th, 2012Mark your calendars: Saturday, January 21 is the fourth annual Underwater Parks Day. It’s a time to celebrate California’s other state parks…the ones in the ocean!
There is a lot to celebrate in Southern California, where a new network of underwater parks, or “marine protected areas,” was created on January 1 to protect coastal jewels like south La Jolla, Laguna, Point Dume, and Naples Reef. South coast aquaria will have interactive exhibits, videos, speakers, and tidepool tours to introduce local residents to the sea creatures these undersea refuges are designed to shelter. Click here to find an event near you.
If you prefer to celebrate outside, consider joining Santa Barbara Channelkeeper for a kayak tour of Campus Point, or a Goleta River clean-up. Or help Heal the Bay clean up Westward Beach before
enjoying a guided nature walk of Point Dume.
If you live in Orange County, and consider yourself a sharpshooter, why not enter Laguna Bluebelt’s photo contest . From Crystal Cove to Dana Point, the Orange County coastline has several
underwater parks that offer stunning vistas and thriving sea life.
If you’re in Northern California, please considering joining Half Moon Bay Surf Club, Surfrider Foundation and Ocean Conservancy to celebrate Underwater Parks Day with a beach cleanup at Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay.
Lastly, if you want to learn more about the new underwater park at the mouth of the Tijuana River, come on out February 4 to take a guided nature walk and hear special guest speaker Dr. Octavio Aburto from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography talk about the aquarium of the world, Baja’s Cabo Pulmo. The Cabo Pulmo marine protected area boosted fish numbers by a record-breaking 463% over 10 years.
We look forward to seeing California’s sea life flourish like Baja’s, thanks to the system of marine protected areas our state is creating through the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA)!
A great year for ocean protection
December 19th, 2011As 2011 draws to a close, we reflect on a year of progress for ocean conservation in California. The state’s network of underwater parks moves ever closer to completion. Southern California ocean fans are eagerly awaiting the grand opening of new marine protected areas at south La Jolla, Laguna, Point Dume, Naples Reef and other hot spots in January 1. And progress continues on the far north coast, where an underwater parks plan will be finalized next year.
Fall and winter are primetime for whale viewing on the California coast. Recently, visiting humpbacks made state and national news. Winter is also a fantastic time to go bird watching, or observe the annual, epic mating rituals of elephant seals at protected areas like Ano Nuevo or Piedras Blancas. Finally, seasonal low tides make for great tidepooling at Fitzgerald
Marine Reserve, Point Lobos, and Salt Point.
On California’s far north coast, conservationists, local residents, state officials and tribal communities have come together in support of a vision for the future where underwater parks and traditional tribal harvest co-exist in support of long-term ocean health. To cement that partnership, Hawk Rosales of the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council wrote an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee in which he said native tribes will “celebrate this significant progress and will stay focused on building a brighter future – for tribes and for California.” You can listen here to a radio interview in which Hawk discusses the growing partnership between the state and North Coast tribes.
Finally, the North County Times delivers this uplifting report from the marine reserve in Cabo Pulmo, Mexico, where the sea life has grown an astonishing 1,067 percent, much to the delight of the sharks, groupers and other predators in the region – and the humans that love them! It provides a positive example of the sort of benefits California can hope to derive from the creation of our own network of underwater parks through the Marine Life Protection Act.
A Healthy Ocean Harvest
October 31st, 2011This month, we are thankful for the great strides being made in marine protected area creation, research, and education in California. Read on for the latest news:
Court upholds northern California marine protected areas
The big (and really good!) news this month was a Superior Court decision that upheld California’s authority to create underwater parks along northern California’s coast under the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). This ruling is a win for the economy, environment and the millions of visitors who flock to our shores every year. It’s also good news for the South Coast, where a series of marine protected areas are slated to go into effect on January 1. California worked hard to include divers, surfers, fishermen, business leaders and other groups in the planning process, and the court’s ruling validates the state’s community-driven approach.
Getting the word out in Southern California
With the eagerly awaited opening day for southern California’s new underwater parks just weeks away, Surfrider and Reef Check are teaming up on a series of public forums designed to raise awareness about the protected areas, and answer any questions people might have. They are hosting events in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. To find one near you, check out this flyer.
A different kind of lobster hunt
Monitoring the plants and animals that live in and around California’s new underwater parks will provide a detailed picture of the current state of our ocean so we can track changes over time and make even better decisions going forward. Gathering this information requires an all-hands on deck effort, which is why innovative partnerships such as the one taking place between lobster fishermen, state wildlife regulators and scientists in San Diego are so important. This collaborative study will establish a baseline for California spiny lobster populations. And scientists need your help! Anyone who catches a tagged lobster is encouraged to document the catch at taggedlobster.com.
“Thank You Ocean” says “thank you MPAs”
California’s Thank You Ocean Campaign, a nonprofit partnership supported by the State of California, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Ocean Communicators Alliance, has unveiled a new page dedicated to MPAs (click here for the Spanish version). In addition to lots of great info on the MLPA and the iconic waters being protected, you can find a series of podcasts, including this recent story that explains that importance of adaptive management.
Spreading the word in Southern California
October 26th, 2011With the eagerly awaited opening day for southern California's ocean parks just weeks away--the new system of marine protected areas that will dot the coast from Santa Barbara to Imperial Beach will go into effect January 1--local groups are working to spread the word among ocean users. Surfrider and Reef Check are hosting a series of informational forums to raise awareness and answer questions about the Marine Life Protection Act and the plans for southern California. They will hold events in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego in November. For date and location information, check out this flyer.
Ocean protections upheld
October 17th, 2011A California Superior Court ruled today to uphold the state’s landmark ocean conservation law, the Marine Life Protection Act. The judge ruled in favor of the California Fish and Game Commission, which created 22 marine protected areas from San Mateo to Mendocino County in 2010.
Today’s ruling denied Coastside Fishing Club’s petition to set aside 150 square miles of marine protected areas and upholds the state’s authority to safeguard California’s ocean habitat and wildlife through the adoption and implementation of new protected areas.
The Marine Life Protection Act was passed in 1999 and calls for a statewide network of marine protected areas, which have been proven throughout the world to improve the health of the ocean, restore sea life and habitat, and boost local fishing economies.
“This victory means that millions of visitors to northern California can continue to enjoy the new underwater parks that dot this coastline like a string of pearls,” said Karen Garrison, Co-Director of NRDC’s ocean program. “It’s good news for ocean life, and good for the region’s
recreation and tourism businesses.”
Despite a broad, inclusive process that incorporated input from diverse stakeholders who invested tens of thousands of hours into designing 150 square miles of marine protected areas, a challenge to
these important ocean safeguards was brought by Petitioners Coastside Fishing Club, United Anglers of Southern California and Bob Fletcher.
“This is a huge win for places like Point Reyes Headlands, the Farallon Islands and Montara
Marine Reserve, which can now continue to thrive,” said Samantha Murray of Ocean Conservancy. “The protections offered by California’s science-based marine protected area network will boost the health of the entire coastline, so today’s decision is not only legally correct, but also a critical win for the future of our ocean.”
New south coast parks will be worth the wait!
August 26th, 2011After more than two years of planning, we are gearing up for the grand opening of southern California’s new underwater state parks! Originally, the marine protected areas were scheduled to open on October 1. However, the State is still working to make sure the final rules match up to the plans proposed by our community and approved by the Fish and Game Commission. So, we will have to wait a few more weeks to celebrate.
While looking forward to the opening of protected areas at south La Jolla, Laguna, Point Dume, and Naples Reef, you can whet your appetite by exploring some of California’s existing ocean parks. Check out these 3-D swim through videos of Elkhorn Slough and Point Buchon on the central coast. Or watch a live dive tour of the Channel Islands marine reserve offshore from Santa Barbara.
Anyone that has experienced Anacapa Island’s lush kelp forests knows the Channel Islands marine reserves, created in 2002, have produced great results in just nine years: the protected areas are teeming with life. And that’s just one success story among many! A new study from Scripps Institution of Oceanography documented record-breaking benefits from a Baja California marine reserve.
The Scripps report showed the number of fish in Mexico's Cabo Pulmo marine reserve soared 463 percent in a decade. This jewel of Baja was once depleted, but the local community banded together to secure its protection, and now both fishing and tourism are booming in the area.
Marine ecologist Enric Sala said in National Geographic, “[the study] shows that protecting an area brings the fish back, and creates jobs and increases economic revenue for the local communities. I have seen it with my own eyes and, believe me, it is like a miracle, only that it is not–it’s just common business sense.”
The Cabo Pulmo results are extraordinary, but Scripps fisheries ecologist Brad Erisman said in the San Diego Union-Tribune that a similar turnaround is possible in southern California.
We will let you know about the new opening date for southern California’s marine protected areas as soon as the Commission announces it at their September 15 meeting.
Ocean miracle for California?
August 16th, 2011A new study from Scripps Institution of Oceanography has proven marine reserves—stretches of protected ocean habitat—to be even more powerful than previously thought. These undersea parks can transform depleted areas into powerhouses of productivity, boosting fishermen’s catches and profits, as well as tourism and recreation activity.
The report showed the number of fish in a marine reserve near the southern tip of Baja California soared 463 percent between 1999 and 2009. That’s a world record, said authors of the peer-reviewed paper, which was published today in the journal Public Library of Science ONE.
The economic and ecological value of marine reserves is well established. Scientists have studied more than 150 reserves in 61 countries to date, and have found tremendous gains in the size and numbers of plants and animals, as well as increased diversity and resilience.
This news from the Cabo Pulmo marine park in Baja comes at a particularly exciting time for California, since the state will expand its network of marine reserves on October 1, adding critically needed protections for hot spots like La Jolla, Laguna, Point Dume, and Naples Reef.
Octavio Aburto-Oropeza from Scripps, who led the decade-long research project at Cabo Pulmo told KGTV in San Diego that he hopes the success from Baja will inspire smart resource management elsewhere in the world:
"Few policymakers around the world are aware that fish size and abundance can increase inside marine reserves to extraordinary levels within a decade after protection is established -- fewer still know that these increases often translate into economic benefits for coastal communities…Therefore, showing what's happened in Cabo Pulmo will contribute to ongoing conservation efforts in the marine environment and recovery of local coastal economies."
Marine ecologist Enric Sala said in National Geographic:
“Opponents of conservation argue that regulating fishing will destroy jobs and hurt the economy–but they are wrong, and there are real-world examples that prove this. A scientific study published today by the Public Library of Science shows that protecting an area brings the fish back, and creates jobs and increases economic revenue for the local communities. I have seen it with my own eyes and, believe me, it is like a miracle, only that it is not–it’s just common business sense.”
The Cabo Pulmo results are extraordinary, but Scripps fisheries ecologist Brad Erisman said in the San Diego Union Tribune that a similar turnaround is possible in southern California.
Local groups are hard at work laying the groundwork for success. From citizen science programs like MPA Watch to public private partnerships like Orange County Marine Protected Areas, and education events and materials by local aquaria, many organizations are already spreading the word about the protections going into place on October 1.
The new southern California ocean parks are just one piece of a statewide system called for in the Marine Life Protection Act, MLPA, designed to improve the health of marine systems for the benefit of all ocean users. The Cabo Pulmo study is just further evidence California is on the right track.
Marine Protected Areas Digest Volume I: Eyes on the Water
April 29th, 2011Welcome to the premier issue of Marine Protected Areas Digest, your monthly summary of news on the efforts to protect California’s special ocean places. In December, we scored a huge victory when the state approved lasting protections for southern California gems like La Jolla, Laguna, Catalina, and Naples Reef, but there is more work to be done to keep the planned ocean parks on track, and ensure divers, surfers, kayakers, tidepoolers, boaters and fishermen know about them. We hope you’ll join us in spreading the word!
Each month we’ll share news about local ocean protection, research, and education efforts – and opportunities to get involved! This month, we focus on two programs that are helping to track activities in current and planned marine protected areas. These monitoring efforts help educate area users, gather valuable data and promote smart ocean management.
* MPA Watch – Last year, Monterey Coastkeeper and The Otter Project created an innovative citizen science program, where volunteers help collect data on coastal and ocean use to help inform management of central coast protected areas. Now, Heal the Bay is launching a similar program to track uses of the soon-to-be-created marine protected area at Point Dume near Santa Monica.
* Aerial Surveys – Santa Monica Baykeeper and Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission have teamed up with volunteer pilots from LightHawk on a series of flyovers to document use in and around planned south coast protected areas. You can see their findings, and a map of the marine protected areas coming soon to a coastal zone near you, here.
Happy Earth Month, and here's to protecting the other 70% of the planet (the blue parts!)
Positive tone continues on the north coast
March 7th, 2011As the unified proposal for a network of marine protected areas in the north coast continues to move forward, the State of California is scrambling to find a way to honor traditional tribal uses without sacrificing much-needed protections for northern coastal waters. Humboldt County’s North County Journal published an article last week on the search for a solution, a process in which tribal leaders, state officials and conservationists expressing a shared desire to balance the needs of conservation with the cultural traditions of native tribes.
The search for a solution has a positive and collaborative tone, and we at CalOceans hope to see it brought to a successful conclusion. And it’s encouraging to recall that we’ve seen issues of tribal rights successfully and fairly negotiated in the south, central and north-central regions. Following a directive from California Resources Secretary John Laird, the Fish and Game will work with tribal parties to ensure both the Marine Life Protection Act and tribal traditions are respected. From the article:
“We’ve had a couple meetings with Secretary Laird and his assistant. They expressed a will to work with us to come up with a solution that we can all live with... I believe that we all have the same goal in common, and that is to manage and protect our resources in as safe a way as possible, and that can only be done through a joint effort.” - Yurok Tribal Chair Thomas O’Rourke Sr.
Jennifer Savage with the Ocean Conservancy agrees. “Both the local community and the Blue Ribbon Task Force have been steadfast in supporting traditional, non-commercial tribal uses within Marine Protected Areas.”
The North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group made up of fishermen, conservationists, scientists, recreational ocean user and local businesses created the unified proposal last year to meet the ecological requirements of the MLPA while minimizing socioeconomic impacts. The plan, which enjoys broad support from north coast residents and elected officials, has been approved by the Blue Ribbon Task Force and is currently under review by the Fish and Game Commission.
Legislative panel reviews south coast ocean protection plan
February 17th, 2011The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture met today in Sacramento to review the ocean protection plan approved in December for California’s south coast as part of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) implementation process. The Joint Committee heard presentations from MLPA Initiative and Department of Fish and Game staff as well as public testimony.
Agency staff, elected officials and stakeholders testified about the inclusiveness of MLPA planning efforts. The Department received 18,000 emails during the south coast process, which included more than 50 public meetings with 150 hours of public comments.
Senator Pavley spoke about the strong science behind the Marine Life Protection Act, “I am impressed by the science available to back up the MLPA…Looking at the monitoring results from the Channel Islands, and based on scientific studies from around the world, we know that marine protected areas work.”
Senator Kehoe spoke about the proven benefits of marine protected areas as well, “Marine protected areas are essential to protecting species and habitats in our ocean wilderness, and restoring a thriving marine ecosystem that will benefit our oceans and fishermen.”
Lieutenant Governor Newsom sent a letter to the Joint Committee that offered support for the south coast plan, which he called a “balanced marine protected area network that protects the region’s most iconic ocean areas while leaving nearly 90 percent of state waters open for fishing.”
Newsom’s letter cited the economic importance of ocean protection for the state, since “Southern California’s coastal economy employs more than seven million people and contributes nearly $900 billion to the overall state economy,” and urged the Joint Committee’s “continued support for the Marine Life Protection Act.”
Assemblymember Chesbro, who chairs the Joint Committee, explained that the Committee does not have authority to make changes to the plan, and emphasized the importance of ongoing public participation as California works to complete the statewide marine protected area network called for under the MLPA. He said, “It is critical that we have ocean users as partners in conservation.”
Support south coast ocean parks!
February 15th, 2011On Thursday, February 17, the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture will meet in Sacramento to discuss the marine protected area plan recently adopted for California’s South Coast. The plan would create a string of underwater parks that stretches from Santa Barbara to the border with Mexico, preserving some of southern California’s richest and most beloved ocean areas for current and future generations to enjoy.
Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro, Chair of the Joint Committee, has convened the hearing as a follow-up to the January 21 meeting on the North Coast Marine Life Protection Act process, and the 38th Annual Fisheries Forum, which will be held on February 16.
The South Coast hearing will include brief presentations by MLPA Initiative and Fish and Game Commission staff as well as a public comment period.
The current South Coast marine protected area plan was developed over two years of careful study and negotiations among local divers, fishermen, scientists, business owners, and conservationists. It will protect iconic ocean areas like south La Jolla, Swamis Reef, Laguna, Point Dume, and Naples Reef while leaving nearly 90% of the coast open for fishing. The community was overwhelmingly supportive of this plan, attending over 50 public meetings, providing more than 150 hours of testimony, and submitting tens of thousands of emails and letters urging protection of favorite surf, dive, tidepooling and kayaking areas.
Members of the public are invited to attend the hearing from 10am-12pm at the State Capitol Building, Room 4202.
If you can’t attend in person, please consider writing Assemblymember Chesbro to voice your support for the common sense ocean protection plan adopted in December for southern California. You can see the official map of the planned marine protected areas here.
Protecting the ocean and traditional tribal uses
February 11th, 2011California’s Marine Life Protection Act is well-known for its visionary leadership on ocean conservation. Last week the State advanced this leadership – taking action to incorporate respect for tribal traditional ocean uses as part of its ocean conservation efforts. Everyone, state officials and stakeholders alike, has expressed an interest in ensuring that traditional tribal uses of California’s marine resources—and the tribes’ stewardship practices--are incorporated into networks of underwater parks along the coast. Last week California turned that from a promise into a reality in Sonoma County.
In a precedent-setting victory, both for the tribes and ocean conservation, the Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to ensure continuation of Kashia Pomo traditional tribal harvest at Stewart’s Point. Stewart’s Point lies smack in the heart of a Sonoma County marine protected area created during the North Central Coast regional marine protected area planning process last year. Conservation organizations and tribal leaders had worked together on the proposal adopted by the Commission.
Archeological evidence indicates the tribe has used Stewart’s Point for 12,000 years to collect mussels, abalone, seaweed and fish, and hold ceremonies. The Commission’s decision ensures those traditional practices can continue while still protecting sensitive plants and marine wildlife in the surrounding area.
This welcome announcement follows closely on the heels of newly-appointed Natural Resources Secretary John Laird’s commitment to working with tribes and tribal communities. In his first month on the job, Laird has already sat down with a number of tribes and more meetings are planned to ensure their interests are considered as the state moves towards the completion of the MLPA process.
"I believe they are listening and I believe they are hearing us," said Thomas O'Rourke, chair of the Yurok Tribe. "Bottom line, we all want the same thing, and that's to protect our resources. We understand each other there."
Kudos to Laird for his leadership in directing the FGC to prioritize the issue of tribal rights (you can read about how state officials are approaching the matter in the North Coast here). This is strong evidence that stewardship for our environmental and cultural resources go hand-in-hand.
Commission supports north coast community plan
February 2nd, 2011Today, 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.
Shoulder to shoulder on the North Coast
January 25th, 2011While the approval of a network of marine protected areas for southern California has hogged all the recent press on the Marine Life Protection Act, the North Coast process has been moving along right on schedule.
In fact, we’re only a week away from the Fish and Game Commission
meeting at which the North Coast's landmark unified proposal will be presented.
So it’s good to read articles like this one that show the strength in solidarity of the North Coast community. Fishers, environmentalists, tribes, recreational users, and local businesses stood up at a hearing last week in Eureka to reiterate their support for the Unified Proposal.
Under the plan, 13 percent of state waters will be protected through the creation of 17 marine protected areas. The plan, developed by the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group, earned unanimous support from the Blue Ribbon Task Force in October.
While the Regional Stakeholder Group--which includes representatives from the conservation, business, tribal, and fishing communities--started out working at cross purposes, they found common ground in their desire to balance the region's economic and environmental health, protect tribal harvest, and embrace the opportunity for self-determination.
We hope they can maintain this unity, and continue to focus on the public benefits of smart and science-based ocean protection throughout the Commission process!
Approved: Sweeping south coast ocean health plan
December 16th, 2010In 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.
Decision day for south coast MLPA
December 15th, 2010It'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.
Heard at today's MLPA meeting
December 15th, 2010More than 100 divers, surfers, fishermen, scientists, business people, and elected officials testified at today's Fish and Game Commission meeting on the Marine Life Protection Act. A few of their comments follow:
“We are on the side of fishermen. Marine protected areas protect their business," said lifelong ocean activist Jean-Michel
Cousteau.
“I was part of the research group that conducted the five year review of the Channel Islands marine reserves established in 2003. We found increased size, numbers, and overall biomass inside the protected areas, and those trends have continued. Now, we are starting to see patterns of density that show spillover into open areas,” said Dr. Jenn Caselle of UC Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute.
“Please create a blue belt to compliment our city's green belt," said Tony Soto, speaking for Laguna Beach Mayor Iseman.
"Now is the time to act and provide this much needed protection for our ocean ecosystems,” said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal.
“Santa Barbara Channelkeeper is one of the many groups that stands ready to help the Department of Fish and Game with education, outreach, and monitoring,” said Kira Redmond, Executive Director of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.
“I believe the Marine Life Protection Act is our best chance to preserve the beauty, majesty, and productivity of California’s iconic ocean places,” said Karen Garrison of Natural Resources Defense Council.
“As a realtor, I know people move to Santa Barbara because of our spectacular coast and ocean. I support marine protected areas because they
are good for my business and our economy,” said Prudential California realtor Kalia Rork.
Yvon Chouinard: Set Gold Standard for Ocean Health Care
December 7th, 2010Check out Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard's opinion piece in the Santa Barbara Independent reflecting on the need for marine protected areas in Southern California.
In his opinion editorial entitled "Setting a Gold Standard for Ocean Health Care," Chouinard talks about the business and cultural value of ocean protection:
...This philosophy of responsible enterprise has taught me my most important lesson as a businessman: Doing the right thing for the environment makes for good, financially sound business. At Patagonia we’ve found that every time we’ve elected to do the right thing, even when it costs twice as much, it’s turned out to be more profitable in the long run. It has allowed us to contribute to conservation organizations working on behalf of the world’s natural areas and wildlife, including the marine life in California’s coastal waters through the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA).
The ocean and the sea life it sustains are a part of our natural heritage and should be managed in trust for future generations, yet less than one percent of the ocean is protected. Each year the fish get smaller and less numerous. This is a disturbing trend we are seeing in oceans worldwide...
...The MLPA is a forward-looking law that calls for a network of MPAs along the length of the California coastline. That network has already been mapped out for the central part of the state, and the California Fish and Game Commission will make a final decision on protected areas for southern California during their meeting in Santa Barbara on December 15. Public comments will be accepted, so if you care about the future of the southern California coast, please attend and make your voice heard.
The MLPA takes us a step towards making the 21st century the Century of the Environment, as Edward O. Wilson calls for in his 2002 book, The Future of Life...
And let’s not forget the short-term payoffs: California’s coastal economies depend on a healthy ocean. According to the National Ocean Economics Program, southern California’s coastal economy employs more than 7 million people and contributes nearly $900 billion to the overall state economy. The vast majority of coastal visitors come for reasons other than fishing: they come to dive, walk the beach, surf and watch wildlife.
As legendary environmentalist David Brower once said, “There’s no business to be done on a dead planet.” Perhaps that’s a bit grim, but it reminds us that we need to overcome the sensibility that business and environmental stewardship are mutually exclusive. We can use business to inspire and implement solutions to our environmental challenges.
In other words, start close to home and see where it leads. A network of MPAs along California’s coastline will bring major ecologic and economic benefits to the state, and set a gold standard for ocean protection we can hope to replicate around the world.
Keeping California's prime fishing spots open
November 18th, 2010California’s Marine Life Protection Act was passed to safeguard the health and productivity of ocean resources, and well-designed marine reserves have been shown to boost fishing yields and profits. By protecting the places where fish and shellfish feed and breed, California can rebuild depleted fish populations while leaving the vast majority of coastal waters open to fishing (see a map of fishing areas left open under a compromise marine protected area plan proposed for southern California).
Bill Weinerth has been fishing off California’s coast for more than 50 years. In an opinion editorial in Saturday’s Ventura County Star, he said:
I say that if we don’t set aside some key spots now, we won’t have any reason to pass on our fishing knowledge; there will be few fish left. Our fishing experiences and traditions are falling into myth: I couldn’t take my boys back to the places in Malibu where my dad taught me and expect to pull in the same size and quantity. The simple fact is, the fish we do catch are smaller and it’s harder to get them.
My sons, skilled fishermen, have to go farther out every year for those smaller fish. The fishing culture of my childhood is not there anymore — but I believe that marine protected areas can help bring back some of what we’ve lost.
Weinerth’s experience of fewer and smaller fish is borne out by the data. According to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s research, California’s commercial fishing revenues have declined by more than half since 1990, and the number of fishing boats calling at California ports has declined by nearly three quarters in the same period.
A well-designed system of marine reserves and protected areas would help rebuild California’s struggling fishing industry. It worked at the Channel Islands, where, five years after the state established a network of marine reserves, a study found that sportfishing had increased, as had commercial landings for some of the Island’s largest fisheries: squid, urchin, lobster and crab.
Plans for southern California’s new marine protected area network will be finalized by the Fish and Game Commission at their December meeting in Santa Barbara. Ocean advocates, who dominated the public comment session at the Commission’s October meeting, are expected to make a strong showing again, urging protection of treasured places like La Jolla, Catalina, and Naples Reef off the Gaviota Coast.
Tide turning in support of MLPA
November 10th, 2010As southern California rounds the home stretch on its landmark ocean habitat planning effort, citizens are standing up in record numbers to support conservation. The California Fish and Game Commission will finalize plans for the south coast’s Marine Protected Area network at their December meeting in Santa Barbara.
The rising tide of support for ocean protection was clear, as divers, students, kayakers, surfers and conservationists formed a sea of blue at last month’s Fish and Game Commission meeting in San Diego.
More than 1,000 southern Californians attended in support of the compromise plan, and thousands more sent emails or signed petitions supporting an ocean protection plan that will keep the region’s sea life and economy healthy for years to come.
Southern Californian business leaders have come out strongly in support of Marine Protected Areas, citing the economic importance of a healthy ocean. To date 137 businesses, including Patagonia, Pacific Gallery, and Prudential Realty Group, have signed a letter in support of the Marine Life Protection Act, pointing to the 15 million jobs and nearly $800 billion in wages in the coastal economy that depend on a healthy, productive ocean.
More than 2,500 people signed petitions on Care2.org and Change.org telling the commissioners how important the waters of South La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Naples Reef, Swamis, Rocky Point, Point Dume and Catalina are to them.
Finally, the region’s elected officials have joined their voice to the chorus of support, with 47 city, county and state representatives signing letters in support of the MLPA. Six city councils have also passed resolutions in support of the effort.
Southern Californians have made it clear they support this effort to safeguard the health and beauty of California’s coastal waters for future generations. This is by far the biggest expression of grassroots support for ocean habitat protection in California history – with six weeks to go!
State officials back north coast ocean plan
October 27th, 2010Yesterday, the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force voted unanimously to recommend the marine protected area plan developed by local stakeholders for state waters between Point Arena to the border with Oregon.
The north coast was the first region to submit a unified plan supported by both fishermen and conservationists, and the residents of Humboldt, Mendocino and Del Norte Counties are urging state decision makers to respect their shared vision for sustainable ocean management.
After nearly a year of study and negotiations, the divers, fishermen, seaweed harvesters, tribal and business leaders, and conservationists tasked with designing marine protected areas for the north coast came together to develop a unified plan that balances economic and environmental concerns. The group agreed on the need to protect tribal harvest and fishing access.
The stakeholder plan was developed with public input gathered during
300 hours of meetings, in addition to 20 public workshops. It would
protect about 13 percent of state waters, including treasured areas
like Reading Rock, South Cape Mendocino and Ten-Mile Beach. The plan
would maintain fishing access at all North Coast harbors and allow
ongoing traditional, non-commercial tribal harvest.
During their two day hearing, the Blue Ribbon Task Force heard from the stakeholders, as well as science advisors and members of the public before passing a motion supporting the unified plan. Final authority rests with the Fish and Game Commission, who will make a final decision in 2011.
North Coast MLPA stakeholders produce landmark unified plan
September 1st, 2010The Marine Life Protection Act’s community-driven approach is bearing fruit in the North Coast, where local stakeholders have agreed to a single unified proposal for a network of marine protected areas that will stretch from Point Arena to the border with Oregon.
After a rough start, the 32-member Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG)—which includes harbormasters, surfers, sport and commercial fishermen, seaweed harvesters, tribal and business leaders and conservation representatives—has found common ground. The group agreed to protect key habitat areas like Cape Mendocino, Vizcaino, Pyramid Point, Reading Rock and South Humboldt Bay. There was also unanimous support for ensuring that traditional non-commercial tribal uses can continue. All protected areas were designed to avoid harbors to ensure safe access to local fishing grounds.
The stakeholders have been working since February to develop a marine protected area plan that would balance ecological and economic concerns. After over 300 hours of meetings, in addition to 20 public workshops and open houses held throughout the North Coast from Casper to Smith River, the stakeholders settled on this landmark unified plan, the first of its kind in the Marine Life Protection Act process.
While the total area protected under the plan is less than in other parts of the state (the proposal calls for 13 percent of coastal waters to be protected, versus 16 to 20 percent found in other regions, conservationists and fishing groups alike were proud of their achievement.
"Everyone talked about a unified community proposal at the beginning of the MLPA process, but I wasn't expecting to pull it off. Sure enough though, everyone came together and we did it. It's a great accomplishment” said Adam Wagschal, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreational and Conservation District Conservation Director.
“The important thing is that we have a unified plan that blends conservation and consideration of the close connection most of us have with harvesting sea life—one our local communities can work together on, for the benefit of the entire region," said Bill Lemos, consultant to NRDC.
A brighter--and better managed--ocean future
July 21st, 2010“The ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security.”
With those bold words, President Obama made history on Monday. The president signed into law an executive order creating a national ocean policy to coordinate and streamline the management of our marine resources. This is a landmark day for ocean advocates, and promises to fix the clunky, wasteful and uncoordinated system where agencies often worked at cross purposes.
Waterways are managed by more than 20 federal agencies—in addition to local and state governments—and subject to more than 140 different laws and regulations.
The national ocean policy creates an overarching framework under which the work of all ocean and Great Lake resource management would take place, in concert.
The new policy includes the use of marine spatial planning to help protect ecosystems while accommodating a variety of uses. The idea of setting aside certain areas for the well being of sea life is nothing new in California--we're doing it now through the Marine Life Protection Act.
The national policy will create a platform of sound science on which to balance business needs with ecological considerations. Three cheers for President Obama’s bold vision in creating this national ocean policy. We here at CalOceans look forward to a bright future for our ocean, its inhabitants and the people who rely on them.
North coast ocean stewards working together
July 14th, 2010One of the amazing things about California’s coastline is how diverse it is. The central part of the coast bears almost no resemblance to the southern portion, both with their own stunning array of sea life and habitat types, from rocky reefs to kelp forests and pillars.
The north coast of California is similarly unique—and this region has been subject to far less human interference, leaving its fisheries relatively healthy compared to their southern counterparts (you can, for example, still harvest abalone on the north coast, in limited quantities). It is a region with a rich history of living with and off the sea, and through the MLPA, we have a great chance to keep its traditional commercial, recreational and subsistence fishing practices alive and well.
This op-ed in the Eureka Times-Standard by former Assemblywoman and Sonoma resident Virginia Strom-Martin, who sits on the MLPA’s Blue Ribbon Task Force, tells the story of the north coast’s efforts to create a holistic plan for ocean conservation, calling it the most open and transparent process she’s ever been involved in.
Last week, north coast residents had a chance to learn and ask questions about the ongoing marine protected area selection process at a series of Open Houses throughout the region. Now the regional stakeholders will gather to reach a consensus on a final network of MPAs to present to the Fish and Game Commission later this year.
As Strom-Martin says, “It is only by working together that we can ensure a healthy ocean and successfully teach future generations to be good stewards for our precious community assets.” Hear-hear, and kudos to all the north coasters working to create a legacy of ocean health for their part of California.
Goldilocks and the north coast
May 18th, 2010It’s all about finding that balance, as Humboldt Baykeeper’s Pete Nichols notes, between the immediate demands of our fishing economy and the long-term goal of a healthy California ocean. Somewhere in the midst of all the Marine Life Protection Act meetings and proposals lies the “just right” compromise.
This recent article from the Eureka Times-Standard reminds us to keep the Big Picture goal of a marine protected area network that works for the whole North Coast in mind – and what better way to regain that perspective than to take in the coast from 1,000 feet? You can literally see it all.
LightHawk, a nonprofit organization that operates under the slogan of “championing environmental protection through the unique perspective of flight,” provided the aerial tour with the help of The Ocean Conservancy and Humboldt Baykeeper. Lighthawk hopes to offer several more tours to different interest groups and decision-makers as the North Coast process moves ahead.
Saturday's flights included members of the media, a member of the science advisory team and a member of the regional stakeholders group, who were toured around by volunteer LightHawk pilots Lew Nash and Mike Sutton.
Marine preserves pay
May 13th, 2010Marine Ecologist Enric Sala (a National Geographic Explorer and Scripps Institution of Oceanography Professor) explains that the "economy versus environment"frame for ocean protection is a false choice. We can have more fish and catch them too with well-designed marine protected areas and reserves.
Sala says that marine preserves can increase the quality of fishermen's catches in the near term, increase their long-term job security, and boost tourism and recreation. As Sala puts it, a marine reserve is a savings account and you have to keep up a principle balance in order to maintain an income from it.
Additionally, marine reserves actually create jobs, and for just a fraction of the cost of what we're currently spending on unsustainable fishing subsidies.
Spreading the word about new ocean parks
May 4th, 2010Ocean Conservancy's Samantha Murray and Bolinas fisherman Josh Churchman have been busy spreading the word about the North Central Coast's new ocean parks.
After driving the length of the north central coast study region and distributing maps and fliers illustrating the new regulations, they penned this opinion piece for Santa Rosa's Press Democrat.
You don't have to stop by your local bait shop to read about the latest regulations - download a full color flier with detailed coordinates and regulations established by the new north central coast MPAs, and check out detailed maps of San Mateo and Marin county's new MPAs.
Opening Day for Northern California's New Undersea Parks
April 30th, 2010We’ve been waiting a long time for this day, and it is finally upon us! Tomorrow, after over 2 years of hard work by a dedicated group of divers, fishermen, conservationists, and other local interests, the north central coast marine protected area system will go into effect, protecting iconic areas like Point Reyes Headlands, Bodega Head, the Farallon Islands, and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.
The new underwater parks will include about 86 square miles of fully protected marine reserves, along with other areas that will receive additional protections but where some fishing is allowed.
Three cheers for the hard working Regional Stakeholder Group that literally met for hundreds of hours to develop this plan. By protecting these special ocean “hot spots,” key feeding and breeding grounds, we’ve taken a great step forward in our efforts to ensure the long-term health and productivity of California’s ocean.
Now get out there and go see some of our new ocean parks. Here are a couple upcoming opportunities: guided tidepool explorations at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach and Duxbury Reef in Bolinas. Hope to see you there!
A Wave of Change for California's Ocean
April 28th, 2010The following video, produced by photographer Kip Evans, explains how California's Marine Life Protection Act, and the science-based system of marine protected areas it will create along our coast, will help restore the ocean to abundance.
A Census for Sea Life
April 23rd, 2010For all the armies of scientists and thousands of hours spent researching the sea, it’s amazing how little we still know about it. For example, we still don’t know exactly how this Californian water worm glues things together underwater (although the Navy sure would like to figure it out!).
Fortunately, there’s a global Census of Marine Life being conducted right now, and the decade-long project is set to be completed and the findings released in October. The census has involved more than 2,000 scientists from more than 80 nations, who thus far have discovered more than 5,000 new forms of marine life. Researchers think there may be several times that many yet to be found.
The ocean, it seems, is like the rainforest: the more we learn, the more we realize how little we actually understand! But as research progresses, we learn more about what makes our oceans work, and this understanding allows us to make better decisions about how to manage our aquatic natural resources.
Here in California, scientists are embarking on the most comprehensive study of coastal ecosystems ever as part of the science follow-up to the Marine Life Protection Act. They are in the water now gathering basline data on kelp, fish, and other sea life, and will be collecting information both inside of and around northern California's new marine protected areas to track their progress.
Northern California's new MPAs go into effect May 1
April 8th, 2010Today, California’s Fish & Game Commission voted unanimously to move ahead with plans to protect Point Reyes Headlands, Bodega Head, the Farallon Islands, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and other northern California ocean hot spots with a new network of underwater state parks.
Last August the Commission approved a marine protected area plan for state waters between Pigeon Point and Point Arena. The plan, designed by local stakeholders and based on the best available marine science, will set aside the region’s richest kelp forests, rocky reefs, and canyons to boost the health and productivity of the entire coastline. It will go into effect on May 1, 2010, and the Commission has already approved plans for university and citizen scientists to monitor the new protected areas to track their effectiveness.
The network includes 21 marine protected areas designed to protect the region’s most sensitive sea life and habitats while - leaving almost 90 percent of the coast open to fishing.
Science Magazine: MLPA balances nature and politics
March 25th, 2010California's ocean is more than just an iconic attraction--it's also an economic powerhouse, driving millions of dollars in revenue each year for tourism, recreation, fishing and other businesses. And all of those industries stand to gain when the state's science-based marine protected area network is complete.
This Science Magazine article highlights new scientific tools and research that enable local stakeholders and State decisionmakers to design a network of ocean sanctuaries that will boost both fisheries health and profits.
Bioeconomic computer models allow California to implement the Marine Life Protection Act in a way that will maximize ecological benefits and minimize short-term economic impacts.
According to UC Santa Barbara's Chris Costello, protecting the places where fish and shellfish feed and breed will increase the sustainability and productivity of fisheries. Bioeconomic models suggest that the kelp rockfish fishery would double in value under the plan currently proposed for southern California.
Science Magazine calls the Marine Life Protection Act, which combines extensive public input with the best available science, a model for other states and countries looking to protect their ocean resources.
Good for the economy and environment
February 23rd, 2010Several new studies released at this week's American Association for the Advancement of Sciences conference have found that well-designed networks of marine reserves can provide both economic and environmental benefits.
Scientists from UC Santa Barbara, Scripps Institute and Stanford University were quoted over the weekend:
Steven Gaines, Dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara said in Science Daily, "There is plenty of new evidence to show that if reserves are designed well, they can benefit both fish and fishermen,"
UC Santa Barbara’s Andrew Rassweiler said in Science News that a new southern California marine reserve network could boost fishing industry profits: “People fishing can make more money with smaller impacts on the species being fished.”
Science Magazine cited the Channel Islands and Great Barrier Reef marine reserve networks to show that protecting small areas can produce big returns. A five-year study in the Channel Island found rockfish numbers up by 50%, and their size up by 80%. And predictions of economic losses from the Great Barrier Reef protections have proven completely unfounded--the number of recreational fishing licenses has gone up since the reserves there were created.
Several of the studies emphasized the importance of community engagement in creating an effective marine reserve network. California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) is being implemented through a participatory public process. Stanford scientist Stephen Palumbi said in the San Diego Union Tribune that the MLPA is also rooted in sound science: “There are probably 120 to 150 studies of how reserves function within their borders, and even small reserves tend to give positive results.”
Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Ed Parnell, who has proposed protections for the reef and kelp beds at south La Jolla, said: “We know what the benefit will be for the species in the reserves. They will increase in density, and they will increase in size.”
This fact sheet summarizes the new marine reserves research.
Ocean science lecture series kicks off February 9 and 10
February 5th, 2010As the north coast Marine Life Protection Act planning process ramps up, many area residents are thinking about their local ocean--and the plants and animals that live there--in a whole new way.
Marine protected areas work because, like underwater parks, they protect the whole web of undersea life. The web of life off northern California's coastline includes kelp, krill, fish, invertebrates, even birds. They're all connected.
In order to help the community understand what's at stake with the Marine Life Protection Act, COMPASS and California Ocean Science Trust are hosting a series of ocean science lectures, starting with a presentation by Dr. Karina Nielson called "What is an ocean ecosystem?"
The February 9 seminar will be held in Fort Bragg:
Who: Dr. Karina Nielsen, Sonoma State University
When: February 9, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm
Where: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Larsen Hall
Corner of Fir and Franklin, Fort Bragg
On February 10, Dr. Nielson will be in Bayside:
Who: Dr. Karina Nielsen, Sonoma State University
When: February 10, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm
Where: Humboldt Area Foundation Conference Center
373 Indianola Road, Bayside
A legacy of underwater parks
January 8th, 2010Last week Good Times Santa Cruz profiled several UC Santa Cruz professors, including Peter Raimondi, professor and chair of ecology and evolutionary biology.
Professor Raimondi serves on the Scientific Advisory Team that helps guide implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act, informing decisions about what areas should be protected to balance conservation with continued fishing access. Since the Central Coast network of marine protected areas was established in 2007, he has also been monitoring the ocean sanctuaries to see how well they work.
He says in the article: “The MLPA project is really exciting for me not only because it has a scientific component but because it is going to leave a legacy. A legacy of these national parks in the sea.”
In November, Raimondi and his fellow biologists published a study in the scientific journal PLoS ONE which showed that marine reserves help boost fish populations outside of their boundaries, improving fishing conditions in nearby open areas.
Scientists: Marine protected areas benefit fish and fishermen
January 7th, 2010A new study by Christopher Costello, economist and professor with UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, provides further proof that ocean protection is a win-win for the economy and environment.
Costello published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week explaining that, with the science available, we can conserve fish and eat them too.
Marine protected areas, when placed in the hot spots where fish and shellfish feed and breed, can help rebuild fish stocks and boost fishing industry profits.
Costello, who sits on a panel of science experts helping to guide implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), pointed to the south coast MLPA process as an example of science-based ocean protection that would benefit both sea life and people.
He said the excellent information we have about southern California's marine life and habitats means local stakeholders can design marine protected areas that will keep coastal waters healthy and productive for the long-term and keep anglers in business.
The compromise plan for southern California's ocean will do just that--it's good for fish and fishermen, and leaves nearly 90% of coastal waters open for fishing. Click here to download a map of popular fishing areas that will remain open.
Spotlight on the south coast
December 22nd, 2009The planning meetings have come and gone. The Blue Ribbon Task Force, Regional Stakeholder Group, Science Advisory Teamand general public have all had their say. Now the future of southern California’s coastal waters sits with the Fish and Game Commission, which met December 9, to gather input from the community and MLPA advisors before sending off four marine protected area plans for further economic and scientific analysis.
South coast residents can still weigh in via mail or email, and will have additional opportunities to comment in person when the Commission returns to southern California for three more meetings in 2010.
Although the Commission has adopted the BRTF’s Integrated Preferred Alternative as the “proposed project,” all four of the current proposals for marine protected areas on the south coast remain on the table.
So what does that mean? It means now is the time to remind the Fish and Game Commission that science should guide our state’s resource management decisions. And the conservation plan—also known as Proposal 3—is the only one that meets science guidelines and protects all southern California’s iconic ocean places, like Naples Reef, Point Dume, Palos Verdes, Laguna, Catalina Island and La Jolla. At the December 9 meeting, Dr. Steve Murray of the Science Advisory Team confirmed that Proposal 3 would produce the greatest ecosystem benefits.
Please send an email or note to the Commissioners voicing your support for Proposal 3.
Marine Life Protection Act Initiative
c/o California Natural Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tell them to adopt a plan that will serve the region’s economy and environment. We only get one shot at this and we need to get it right!
California's oceans are too big to fail
December 16th, 2009Carl Safina and Sylvia Earle are no strangers to the benefits of marine protected areas. Dr. Earle won the TED prize for her work to protect the planet's "blue heart," and her goal is to see a worldwide network of marine protected areas to keep the world's oceans healthy and sustainable.
Both ocean experts worry about the effects of climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction on sea life. And now, Safina and Earle are calling for a bailout plan for the ocean. At a recent event, they had conservationists repeat, "the oceans are too big to fail."
That's certainly true in California. The coast and ocean are our most iconic attraction. According to the National Ocean Economics Program 2009 report, they drive $22 billion dollars in revenue and 350,000 jobs each year. And the lion's share of that--three quarters of the revenue, and over half the jobs--come from tourism and recreation.
In order to keep those industries thriving, we have to protect the iconic ocean places and wildlife people come to enjoy. If our oceans are too big to fail, then the Marine Life Protection Act is a wise investment indeed for California.
Solutions for a changing ocean
December 4th, 2009Ocean Beach resident Mike Laude has been diving and fishing southern California's waters for three decades. He remembers swimming from Windansea to Bird Rock, "gawking at halibut, lobsters, abalone, moray eels, starfish, urchins, garibaldi, schools of sargo, barracuda, opal eye, and bait fish."
Like many south coast watermen, Laude enjoys watching sea life, and hunting for his dinner amid the kelp forests and rocky reefs. In a December 4 North County Times op-ed he writes about catching lobsters nearly as old as he was, and watching abalone numbers dwindle.
Richard Holt, who serves on the Advisory Council for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, has been fishing and diving south coast waters even longer than Laude. The picture above is from his website, showing a typical day's catch at Palos Verdes from the 1950's (all caught without SCUBA gear.)
Fish and shellfish are getting smaller and fewer each year, and habitat protection is a key part of the solution. Mike Laude has followed Marine Life Protection Act process, and come out in support of the compromise plan for southern California.
Many other divers and anglers, along with scientists, conservationists, and educators are expected to attend a December 9 Marine Life Protection Act meeting in Los Angeles to voice their support for a strong marine protected area plan. The future bounty of our ocean is at stake.
Protecting fish AND fishing access
December 3rd, 2009The compromise marine protected area plan for southern California recommended by the Blue Ribbon Task Force was designed to balance fishing access with conservation. It includes protection for key feeding and breeding grounds like Naples Reef, Point Dume, Laguna, and south La Jolla, while leaving nearly 90% of south coast waters open for fishing.
The compromise plan (also known as the Integrated Preferred Alternative, or IPA) will not effect pier anglers at all, and will allow ongoing commercial and recreational fishing in popular spots like:
- Ellwood and Carpinteria Reefs in Santa Barbara County
- The entire coast of central and southern Ventura County
- Kelp beds in northern Los Angeles County
- Central Malibu and the Santa Monica Bay, including the eastern half of Big Kelp Reef
- The waters north of the Palos Verdes peninsula (including Rocky Point)
- All of Orange County, except Laguna
- North San Diego County, including the Oceanside Pier and Solana Beach kelp beds
- Northern La Jolla and Point Loma
- Most of Catalina Island
Click here to download a complete list (and map) of fishing areas left open under the BRTF's compromise plan.
South coast plan has "something for everyone"
November 17th, 2009The San Diego Union Tribune calls the marine protected area plan recommended by the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force "a good compromise."
The Task Force met on November 11 to finalize their recommendations after receiving more than 10,000 emails and hearing over ten hours of public comment. This level of community participation shows how passionate southern Californians are about their coast and ocean--it's truly the region's most iconic attraction, and many local people rely on the sea's bounty to make a living.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force considered both the economy and environment when weighing options, and recommended a middle ground plan that balanced
the concerns of different user groups
In a November 17 editorial, the San Diego Union Tribune said the south coast plan "will be good for everyone in the long run if it allows our coastal bounty to grow and thrive."
And that is precisely what the marine protected area plan is designed to do. By protecting biological hot spots like Naples Reef, south La Jolla, and Point Dume, it will help rebuild depleted fish populations and restore fragile ecosystems.
Investment banks for fish
November 12th, 2009A new study by UC Santa Cruz biologists, published in the scientific journal PLos ONE, shows that marine reserves can restock waters outside of their boundaries, improving fishing conditions in nearby open areas.
The biologists monitored 58 sites in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, on the
northern shore of the Gulf of California.
They found that baby fish born in marine reserves drifted along the coast, where they could be caught by local anglers.
Study co-author Richard Cudney-Bueno describes marine reserves as investment banks for fish. The more you invest in protecting big fertile fish (who produce exponentially more young--see graphic), the more interest you can collect as the babies disperse in ocean currents.
He emphasized that the location of reserves is critical--you have to protect important feeding and breeding grounds in order to maximize returns.
Luckily, southern California's new marine protected area plan, unanimously approved by the governor-appointed Blue Ribbon Task Force on November 10, would create ocean sanctuaries where big fertile fish, and other plants and animals, can grow and multiply.
BRTF recommends compromise plan for south coast
November 10th, 2009The Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force today voted unanimously to recommend a compromise marine protected area plan for southern California’s coastal ocean.
Their plan a step in the right direction, and includes critical protections for iconic places like south La Jolla, Point Dume, and Naples Reef while leaving nearly 90% of the coast open for fishing. However, it falls short of scientists' recommendations at Rocky Point and Catalina Island.
The Task Force will present their recommendation to the California Fish & Game Commission on December 9, and the Commission is expected to make a final decision early next year.
The Marine Life Protection Act Science Advisory Team met yesterday to assess proposals for Santa Monica Bay, San Diego, and Orange County. They emphasized the important of protecting high quality habitats where fish and invertebrates feed and breed.
By setting aside ecological hot spots--those super productive canyons, reefs, and kelp forests that act as fish nurseries--we can improve the overall health and sustainability of southern California's ocean and fisheries.
The world is blue
November 10th, 2009Water covers 70% of our planet, and yet most of give little thought to what lies beyond our shores. Not so for Dr. Sylvia Earle, explorer in residence at National Geographic.
Dr. Earle has been diving for 50 years, and has seen drastic changes to the health of the ocean, and abundance of sea life during that time.
She believes that marine protected areas--like the ones California is working to create through the Marine Life Protection Act--are a critical part of the solution for the world's oceans.
On NPR Friday, she said, “If there are to be fisherman, there have to be fish. And for there to be fish, you have to protect their breeding areas, their feeding areas, the places where the little ones grow up...We've taken on the order of 90 percent of the tunas, the swordfish, the sharks, groupers, snappers. There have to be some places that the fish can recover and serve as a source of renewal to places that have been so drastically depleted.”
Setting aside high quality, productive habitats as marine protected areas will help rebuild fisheries and restore ocean ecosystems.
Dr. Earle called the world's 4,500 marine protected areas "places of hope," but adds that only 1% of the ocean is currently protected. To ensure the health of our blue planet, we have to do better.
A sea change for Southern California?
October 26th, 2009Oceanographer Sylvia Earle has logged more than 6500 hours underwater during her 50 years exploring the world's oceans. She has seen many changes to plant and animal life over the years, and feels the ocean is now at a tipping point. The good news, she says, is that we still have a chance to "tip things back in the right direction--if we act now."
The Marine Life Protection Act is our opportunity to create a sea change that will restore depleted sea life and habitats throughout California's coastal waters. If we follow the science and create a strong, science-based marine protected area network, we can turn things around and leave a legacy of healthy oceans for our kids and grandkids.
In this Los Angeles Times opinion editorial, Sylvia explains why the conservation plan--or "Proposal 3"--is the best choice for southern California's ocean. It will protect iconic places like south La Jolla, Naples Reef, Point Dume, and Laguna while leaving nearly 90% of the area open for fishing.
The Los Angeles Times editorial board agrees--they too urge the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force to recommend Proposal 3 to ensure south coast waters remain healthy and productive for generations to come.
Dr. Earle likens marine protected areas to jewels on a necklace: treasured areas where kelp flourishes, fish and invertebrates grow and multiply, and divers, snorkelers, and scientists can glimpse marine life at its healthiest.
Join the Los Angeles Times, along with southern California divers, surfers, educators, conservationists, scientists, and kayakers in supporting meaningful protection for our special ocean places.
South coast MPA plans available for public review
September 25th, 2009The final three stakeholder plans for a south coast marine protected area network are now online.
After nearly a year of study and negotiations, the regional stakeholder group was divided into three teams: one focused on conservation, one on fishing, and a third “middle ground” team was charged with creating a compromise plan with cross-interest support.
The conservation group focused on quality over quantity, designing an efficient network that will deliver quick and substantial benefits with fewer protected areas. Their plan would protect ecological hot spots like Naples Reef, Point Dume, the western half of Rocky Point and the southern half of La Jolla’s reef while leaving nearly 90 percent of coastal waters open for fishing.
The middle ground plan tries to balance the needs of different user groups, but still includes some protection for key sites like Point Dume, Naples Reef and La Jolla.
The fishing group’s proposal would provide the least conservation benefits, since it was designed to leave the best habitat open for consumptive use. Their plan fails to provide any protections at iconic places like La Jolla, the Gaviota Coast and south Laguna.
The three plans each protect similar percentages of the ocean (16% total in marine protected areas, and about 12% in fully protected marine reserves). The real difference is the quality and diversity of habitat. Protecting better quality habitat will produce bigger gains in ecosystem health and productivity.
Healthy oceans are a common goal
September 9th, 2009Fisherman, scientist, and retired Channel Islands National Park manager Gary Davis knows a fair bit about southern California's ocean. He started his career on the San Diego sport boats in the 1950's. Since that time, he's seen the big fish dwindling, until anglers are now fishing for the small Pacific mackerel they used to use as bait.
Davis has watched fishermen and conservationists at odds over plans to protect the ocean, and is urging them, and all southern California residents, to stop fighting over scraps and start focusing on the big picture. Healthy oceans benefit everyone.
Davis believes California needs an ocean nest egg--a little something set aside to ensure a prosperous, and sustainable future. A strong, science-based network of marine protected areas is an integral part of the solution.
South coast MPA proposals finalized this week
September 8th, 2009South coast stakeholders are meeting today and tomorrow in Los Angeles to put the finishing touches on three alternative plans to protect coastal waters between Point Conception and the border with Mexico. The divers, anglers, surfers, business owners, and conservationists on the Regional Stakeholder Group have been divided into three teams--one represents primarily fishing interests, one is focused on conservation, and the third is a "middle ground" room that will work to find a compromise solution with cross-interest support.
As the marine protected area maps take shape, stakeholders are especially focused on key areas like Naples Reef in Santa Barbara and La Jolla in San Diego that provide great recreation, study, and conservation opportunities.
Members of the public are invited to attend the September 10 meeting and provide comments on the ocean protection plans under development. One community group, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commision, has weighed in with an official resolution of support for the creation of marine protected areas offshore from Point Dume and Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Marine protected areas will "re-seed" south coast waters
August 31st, 2009Laguna resident Cindy Love comes from a fishing family. But she's seen some troubling changes to local fisheries in the decade since she dropped her first lobster net off San Clemente pier. In recent years, her nets have been coming home empty, and she's not the only one. The 2007-08 lobster catch was down by 25% from the previous season.
In order to turn things around, and restore the health and abundance to south coast waters, Cindy supports the creation of a strong network of marine reserves.
Coastal recreation is big business in southern California
August 27th, 2009A new peer-reviewed study by economists Linwood Pendleton and Chris LaFranchi found that 93% of coastal recreation in southern California is non-consumptive. Swimming, diving, wildlife watching, surfing, and other no-take activities generate $115 million each year, driving more than 80% of ocean-related revenues, while fishing account for just 2%. The balance of spending comes from visitors who enjoy a mix of consumptive and non-consumptive activities.
The Pendleton and LaFranchi study was commissioned by the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation to help inform efforts to protect southern California’s ocean. It found that non-consumptive ocean visitors spent 40 times more during their visits than sport and commercial fishermen.
This study confirms the findings from a June report by the National Ocean Economics Program, which showed that 75% of California's ocean-related jobs come from tourism and recreation. Protecting the natural resources that attract millions of visitors to the south coast each year is not just a moral obligation for local communities; it’s an economic imperative.
New film on the need to protect southern California's ocean
August 26th, 2009The Baum Foundation has just released a great new film on the south coast Marine Life Protection Act process. Narrated by lifelong diver and Venice resident Lauren Hutton, "A Sheltered Sea: The Southern Passage" highlights the best of Southern California's coast and ocean. It features interviews with local surfers (including Rob Machado), conservationists, anglers, and scientists, who explain what makes the region so special, and why it is critical to protect the area's marine life.
Protecting Santa Barbara's Naples Reef
August 24th, 2009The Gaviota Coast is known for its beauty and biodiversity, and its coastal waters are no exception. Naples Reef, about 13 miles up the coast from Santa Barbara, is the area's crown jewel. Naples is famous among divers for its kelp forests and rocky reefs teeming with lobster, nudibrachs, chestnut cowries, rose anemones, sheephead and rockfish.
Local residents have been working for years to protect the landscapes of the Gaviota Coast, and are now turning their attention to the areas underwater. UC Santa Barbara's Michael Vincent McGinnis explains why it is critical to preserve the natural resources at Naples Reef with a marine protected area.
South coast stakeholders finalize ocean protection plans
August 23rd, 2009This month, the divers, anglers, conservationists, and business owners on the south coast regional stakeholder group are putting the finishing touches on ocean protection plans for Southern California. On September 9 and 10, they will meet in Los Angeles to hear public comments and finalize draft proposals for a network of marine protected areas that will stretch from Santa Barbara to the border with Mexico.
Stakeholders have been divided into three groups, representing fishing interests, conservationists, and a middle ground group representing a cross-section of the southern California community. The middle ground group has been asked to find common ground among different ocean users, and develop a compromise solution everyone can live with.
Each group will propose a network of marine protected areas designed to preserve sea life and habitats while leaving the vast majority of coastal waters open for fishing. The new protected areas are like underwater parks--they allow plants and animals to thrive while providing great recreation and study opportunities for people.
To get involved, become a fan of the ocean on Facebook (www.facebook.com/calocean), or send an email to MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov supporting protection for your favorite dive or surf spot.
Cooperative enforcement ensures success of marine protected areas
August 9th, 2009The Los Angeles Times reported today that poachers caught fishing in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary were fined $10,000. The violators were caught by National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with help from the California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Coast Guard.
"This case is a primary example of what can be achieved through cooperative law enforcement efforts to protect our nation's natural marine resources," said Don Masters, special agent in charge of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, southwest division.
New ocean sanctuaries are good for fish and people
August 8th, 2009The 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."
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