The authority has conducted public hearing over the impending enactment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) or “no-take zones” along the Southern California coast. It is told that the development of MPAs is in direct response to the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), enacted into law by the state of California in 1999. In these two months there were eight open houses held in Southern California to receive public input for the planned MPA network. The process has been stakeholder driven, balanced with scientific research.
It is observed that the process has included input from sport anglers, commercial fishing operators, kayakers, divers, bird- watchers and other interested participants. Satie Airame, science and planning adviser to the project, opined that a common misunderstanding exists that MPAs allow for no recreational activities. These areas will remain open to kayaking, scuba diving, surfing and boating — however, the MPAs prohibit any collection of marine life or habitat, including fishing, in those designated areas.
It is also noted that MPAs exist worldwide and said there are 124 published studies to date that indicate no-take zones help mitigate the impacts of overfishing, development and pollution on marine life and habitat. Locally, 11 MPAs were put into effect at the five northern Channel Islands in 2003. About 80 percent of the area is still open to fishing, while the entire region is open to other aquatic activities.
Annie Reisewitz, director of communications for Strategic Ocean Solutions and a member of the MLPA outreach and education team, said the South Coast Study Region involves a 64-member MLPA South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group (SCRSG) with representatives from recreational angling, diving, commercial fishing, ports and harbors, conservation, business and government agencies with MPA-related responsibilities.
