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In case you missed it,

 The California Fish and Game Commission voted to approve a network of marine protected areas along the central coast at its August 15th meeting in Monterey, after a two-year public process.

   Public input came from 3 different angles. One was commercial fishermen, the second was recreational anglers and spearfishers, the third from non-consumptive divers and environmentalists.

  Who won and who lost? Depends who you asked:

 

  From Curt's e-mail from Jim Martin we have:

  " The Commission chose the most restrictive options possible and made these decisions with full knowledge that existing fishery management has succeeded in rebuilding important west coast fish stocks such as lingcod. They overrode many of the recommendations of the professional biologists on staff for the Department of Fish & Game."

  I sent that to Berkely White (owner of Backscatter and one of the principles in founding Ed Ricketts Marine preserve some years ago) and he wrote back:

  

   " I disagree with Jim Martin's summary... he's missing the point... First, non-consumptive divers have just as much right to those fish as the fishers.  It is scientifically proven that fish stocks are declining and current management methods are not working.

 

   MLPA reserves are one small step forward to correct years of poor resource management by the DFG.  This will be the first time the DFG actually manages fisheries by looking at the entire ecosystem and not just last years catch on one species.

 

   Unfortunately, the fishermen feel like they have been singled out as the cause of fish decline in Monterey.  This is not the case... poor water quality is the silent killer in this equation. Marine reserves are just one step toward rebuilding this area and it's scientific fact that they work.  Next we'll need to turn our attention to the agricultural industry and also look under our own cars.... our individual consumption.

 

   Both fishermen and non-consumptive divers lost something last week.  Fishermen wanted to keep on fishing.  Non-consumptive divers wanted to protect even a greater area.  We both lost, but this progress will make for better fishing and better diving in the years to come."  


Best Regards.

Berkley


Jim Martin also wrote:  "Environmentalists, animal rights activists and self-appointed shore patrol monitors openly mocked the fishing public who lost treasured public access. They belittled commercial fishermen and charter operators who were put out of business completely with a stroke of the pen."



Berkley's response:


 "This quote is an outright lie..."

  So all sides were passionate about their opinions since the beginning of the public comment period. Who won and lost depends on who you are. I agree with Berkley's statament that is more going on than just fishing. I read a 6-page article in the Monterey area Metro ( their version of the Bay Guardian) about a surfer talking about the rashes surfers get when the beach gets posted for high bacterial count, but surfers like him are hooked on the sport and go in anyway. Other cites have done much to improve water run-off after rains. He was even talking about the amount of raccoon feces in drain pipes that gets washed into the ocean especially after the first rains. Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel have done nothing to improve their systems and say everything is too expensive. There's actually a disease Sea Lions get that begins with San Joaquin, an inland county.

   Here's what did happen:

                                                           

Fishing from Breakwater:
Commissioners approved some no fishing hours on the weekends, but pushed off determining the exact times to a future meeting.  (Handicap fishermen will be exempt from the no fishing hours.) 

Ed Ricketts Conservation Area (Breakwater to Hopkins)
No commercial or spearfishing, but will allow sport hook and line fishing.  No kelp harvesting from Breakwater to Charthouse.  Kelp harvest will have monthly take limits, but looks like the limits were determined by the harvesters.
Hopkins Marine Reserve (now runs all the way to Lovers)
No-take area. Might have it's name changed to Lover's Point Reserve.
Pacific Grove Conservation Area (Lovers to Pt. Pinos)
No commercial fishing, but allows spearfishing and sport hook and line.  Kelp harvesting allowed with monthly limits.
Pacific Grove Marine Reserve (Pt. Pinos to Asilomar)
Boundaries still not defined, but will be a no take area.

Pinnacles Marine Reserve
The small postage stamp boundaries on the Carmel Pinnacles from Package P.  No-take area.
Carmel Bay Conservation Area
No commercial fishing, but allows sport fishing and kelp harvesting.
Point Lobos Marine Reserve
  Adopted package 3R boundaries... now includes Mono Lobo wall and further expansion south.

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