Written by Jan Buikema July 16, 2009 08:38 am
Ocean sportfishers are an endangered species due to soon become extinct. Are you really willing to let this happen?
This is the start of round three of the California Department of Fish and Game’s plan to completely eliminate the ocean sportfishers here in Northern California, and the people both in business and who fish here are letting it happen by not standing their ground en masse and stopping this disaster.
By Matt Weiser
mweiser@sacbee.com
Published: Saturday, Jul. 18, 2009
It seems a contradiction: State game wardens oppose creating 30 new ocean sanctuaries on California’s coast to protect sensitive fisheries.
The plan would ban or restrict fishing on 153 square miles of ocean between Santa Cruz and Mendocino. The goal is refuge for threatened fish, allowing them to grow bigger and healthier to breed stronger populations in the future.
The need for ocean sanctuaries isn’t disputed. And, in concept, the zones would enhance California’s reputation as a global leader in environmental protection.
There’s just one problem:
How to Save an Increasingly Crowded Ocean
The Clock’s Ticking but the Solution is to Give Equal Footing to Ocean Conservation As Well As Industrial Use
When we look out to the blue horizon, the ocean seems like a calm, vast space. But what we see on the surface of the water is deceiving. Under the water, the ocean is thriving with life and is bustling with industrial uses. Like urban sprawl on land, the demand for space in our oceans and on our coasts is growing. New renewable energy facilities, commercial fishing, recreation, offshore drilling and shipping are all competing for space, and our demands continue to grow. Our ocean is getting crowded at a time when it is vulnerable to major changes.
Friday, 17 July 2009
Along with its recreational fishing partners, NMMA has submitted comments to the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, a group of senior policy-level officials charged with developing a national policy framework for U.S. oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes. President Obama issued an Executive Memorandum on June 12 instructing this Task Force to outline a new National Oceans Policy and develop a framework for “Marine Spatial Planning,” otherwise known as ocean zoning. The Task Force, established last month, is led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), a division of the Executive Office of the President that works closely with agencies and the White House in developing environmental policies and initiatives.
Annie Reisewitz
Thursday Jul 16th, 2009 9:09 AM
Three public open houses are scheduled in Northern California to provide information about California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) planning process. These informal events will introduce members of the public to the planning process to reexamine and redesign marine protected areas (MPAs), provide a forum to ask questions and offer input, and solicit public involvement in the process.
MLPA Initiative Begins Planning Process in California’s North Coast Region
Members of the public are invited to learn about redesigning California’s marine protected areas