After more than a decade of evidence that California’s marine protected areas help sea life rebound and even boost nearby fisheries, the state is now weighing whether to expand them, scale them back, or leave them alone. This sets up a familiar clash between conservation, industry, and everything in between.
The state is considering a variety of changes to the network — a few proposals shrink those areas or remove certain protections, while most propose expanding existing protected areas or adding new ones. The levels of protection can range from a total ban on commercial fishing and certain recreational activities, to highly limited allowances. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is in the process of reviewing dozens of proposals from tribes, environmental groups, the fishing industry and other stakeholders.
The discussion comes amid escalating pressures on our ocean — from plastic pollution and offshore energy efforts to rapidly warming temperatures that have, in recent years, led to some of the worst mass dieoffs of marine life ever seen.
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Ultimately, the decision on whether to approve or deny the petitions lies with the five governor-appointed members of the state’s Fish and Game Commission. A decision is expected this summer.
Some say the state isn’t being bold enough in its approach to boosting protections for marine life, while others argue the existing network is strong enough. There is agreement, however: Marine protected areas can be a powerful tool in boosting certain fisheries and building resilience to climate change.
As a long-time SCUBA diver in both North and Southern California, I can attest to the power of our marine reserves. Recovery around Catalina over the last 25-30 years has been astounding. Preserving underwater treasures like Point Lobos is a must. The damage to our commercial fishing industries seems minute compared to the loss of entire species and industries that the West Coast has experienced from overfishing time and again.
Our ocean is finally starting to recover, but now it has to survive the decision-making process.
I think once you get into SCUBA, you suddenly become an ocean environmentalist. I've always cared about the animals and wildlife, but once I got into SCUBA, I'm definitely hard leaning toward tossing out ALL industry that depends on taking from oceans, and only creating marine, sanctuaries all up and down the entire coast.
As the Feds lift offshore drilling sanctions, it's essential that citizens protect our own environment.
We can all comment to the Fish & Game Commission:
in person at Commission Meetings
via e-mail to fgc@fgc.ca.gov
via mail to California Fish and Game Commission, P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
via delivery to California Fish and Game Commission, 715 P Street, 16th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814