Many people believe that the study carried out for implementing Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) is not up to mark. It is said that livelihoods, jobs and economic well-being, of many individuals, families, small businesses and communities may be threatened by what is determined from research now being conducted for the “Fishery Data Collection and Analysis Project” on the North Coast by Ecotrust.
Ecotrust is a nonprofit conservation organization, retained under contract to conduct — through collection, compilation and analyses of information from commercial, passenger fishing vessels and recreational fisheries — socioeconomic research from Point Arena to the Oregon Border for MLPA. Fishers and ancillary citizens are dubious about the process from start to finish, including the lack of adequate noticing of the Fort Bragg meeting.
It is told that Ecotrust representatives were the targets of universal hostility and welcomed with, “You’re arriving here with zero political support.” Ecotrust Executive Director Ken Wiseman said in his meeting introduction that there is a lot of misinformation out there. I know we have an unpopular law with a lot of people. He also told that Ecotrust is about knowing where [there are] economic impacts and minimizing them as much as possible. Wiseman reported they’ve already spent $1.3 million on the process to this point and they are not required to look at the economic impact.
