CalOceans News

Protecting our protections

Consider the rockfish. These astounding fish become more reproductively viable with each passing year, leading scientists to call (and not sarcastically) for the conservation of BOFFFFS: Big, Old, Fat, Fecund, Female Fish. There aren’t many left in California, traditionally home to one of the planet’s largest number of rockfish species, but the state’s ambitious plan to create a statewide network of underwater parks will hopefully bring the BOFFFFS back.

We’ve made a lot of progress already, with marine protected area networks in place for the Central and North Central regions of the coast. But the state’s ongoing budgetary woes mean agencies, nonprofits, community groups, and fishermen have to work together to make the protections work.

A fascinating story from KQED-FM’s Quest program talks about plans to study and enforce California’s new marine protected areas. The fact is, it’s going to take a concentrated, ongoing effort. And enforcement is far more effective when paired with education, something CalOceans is dedicated to helping with.

It’s heartening to hear that, while the game wardens are tasked with patrolling more waters while facing staffing cuts and furloughs, fishermen and non-profits have been stepping up to help educate people about our new ocean parks and support monitoring needs. It shows the collaborative spirit necessary to make the Marine Life Protection Act work: Californians coming together to create a legacy of ocean conservation for future generations.

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• marine life protecton act
• mlpa
• enforcement
• wardens
• monitoring
• state budget

Cooperative enforcement ensures success of marine protected areas

The 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.

• Tags:
• department of fish and game
• enforcement
• Marine Life Protection Act
• Marine Protected Areas
• noaa
• wardens