CalOceans News

Underwater parks heralded in press

The New Year brought new protections for some of southern California’s most iconic coastal areas, including La Jolla, Laguna, Santa Monica Bay, and Catalina Island. On January 1, the state celebrated the grand opening of a string of underwater parks that stretches from Point Conception to the border with Mexico.

These “marine protected areas” form the southern section of the statewide network called for under California’s landmark Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). The network will be complete once planning is finished for the far north coast region, later this year.

Stanford biologist Larry Crowder explained the importance of this network approach on KPCC public radio: “California made a really innovative step here, to link marine protected areas in a network... this helps fish and other marine life feed and breed…a single protected area doesn’t achieve what a network of linked protected areas would do.”

Dozens of scientific studies have shown that marine protected areas boost fisheries health and resilience, which is good news for California fishermen, since 2011 saw the collapse of kelp and barred sand bass and depleted halibut populations that led Marina del Rey anglers to open their famous halibut derby to other species.

The news about California’s new underwater parks was heralded in press all over the state, including Capital Public Radio, Coastline Pilot, Laguna Beach Independent, Malibu Daily Breeze, and Ventura County Star, which quoted Ocean Conservancy’s Greg Helms:

"By protecting hot spots like South La Jolla, Point Dume and Laguna, we are charting a course towards greater sustainability, and that means better fishing, diving, kayaking, tidepooling and birding for our children.”

Southern California residents were overwhelmingly supportive of the protections during the two-year public planning process. According to the Los Angeles Times many are already involved in citizen science and monitoring programs to help ensure their success.  As the San
Diego Tribune notes, fishermen and university scientists are working with volunteer groups like Reef Check on a baseline study that will help inform future management discussions.

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Spreading the word in Southern California

With 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.

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Keeping California's prime fishing spots open

California’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.

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