Fish and Game Commission Adopts Visionary Plan for Protecting Marinelife off the Central California Coastline

First phase of statewide MPA network is a national ocean conservation model.

BODEGA BAY— On April 13, 2007, the California Fish & Game Commission adopted a landmark plan for marine protected areas to protect the scenic coastline and rich marine habitat of the Central Coast. The final plan, the Commission’s “Preferred Alternative,” is a visionary step for restoring marine habitat and bringing back abundant fish. The plan is the result of thousands of hours of work volunteered by marine scientists, fishermen, recreation interests, conservationists and others. This historic event is the culmination of seven years of work since the passage of the Marine Life Protection Act in 1999, which requires networks of marine protected areas along the entire California coast. The Central Coast plan designates 29 offshore areas for protection from Half Moon Bay to Point Conception, and is expected to go into effect later this year.

The Commission’s decision will place a total of 18% of state ocean waters off California’s central coast in some type of protected area, leaving more than 80% of the area available for fishing. Of the overall area of more than 1150 square miles, 8% will be fully protected marine reserves, and the rest will allow limited types of sport and commercial fishing. This makes California the first state in the U.S. to undertake such a large, comprehensive conservation plan to restore its coastal waters.

“The Commission’s decision is a reasonable compromise to protect and restore functioning and sustainable ocean ecosystems,” said Kaitilin Gaffney of The Ocean Conservancy and a member of the Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group. “Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a critical tool that will help ensure that California’s unique ocean ecosystem, fish and wildlife are preserved for future generations. By investing in the ocean now, we can support fishing in the future.”

California’s commercial fishing fleet is landing half the amount of fish it caught in 1990 and the average size of the fish is smaller. Studies show that fish within marine reserves are allowed to grow older and bigger, producing up to 200 times as many young. The Central Coast MPA plan encompasses some of the most well-known areas of the California coast —from Big Sur to the elephant seal rookeries at Point Año Nuevo to Vandenberg Air Force Base near Point Conception. The plan also expands protection for Point Lobos, one of the state’s few existing reserves, where thousands of divers visit each year to experience the vibrant wildlife of a healthy ecosystem.

This landmark decision was made possible by the commitment of the Schwarzenegger administration to an innovative public/private partnership involving expert scientists and a group of local citizens including divers, business owners, fishermen, and conservationists. A balanced package of MPAs was passed on to the Fish and Game Commission after countless hours of public input, scientific review and economic information. The Commission unanimously approved this package as the preferred alternative last August, and voted it into law today.

A survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California in 2006 found that three out of four Californians support the creation of new marine protected areas.

To read the consensus statement signed by over 160 scientists stating that marine reserves are a highly effective but under-utilized tool that can help alleviate the declining state of the ocean, go to http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/Consensus/

To view the proceedings at the Fish & Game Commission today, please go to http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/meetings.html

Key maps, factsheets and resources are available in the table to the right.