As said that new marine protected areas would affect recreational and commercial activities off the coast off Point Dume, despite support for the other two by residents. Many Malibu residents remain divided over three different proposals for a Marine Protected Area, the city council at its Monday night meeting voted unanimously in favor of one.
The task force will then recommend that proposal to the Department of Fish and Game, which will vote on its final approval Dec. 10. The council will also recommend in the letter that the task force conduct timely evaluations of the selected proposal to ensure its effectiveness. The MLPA is a state-required program pending adoption to improve and preserve marine ecosystems.
It is told that the MLPA will implement one of three proposed types of marine protected areas for restricting commercial and recreational activities along the southern coast, including one off Point Dume. Council members said they chose the first proposal because it is a fair compromise of the other two, and would equally meet concerns of their supporters.
Charlotte Stevenson, a marine biologist at Heal the Bay, said that none of the proposals would change the current public access. She told if the access point is private, it’s going to stay private. Stevenson also said that marine protected areas actually benefit the fishing industry in the long run.
