Santa Rosa Press Democrat
April 23, 2007

Editorial
Ocean Havens

State officials deserve praise for steps toward preserving coast Compared with the state's success at preserving open space and natural resources, California's efforts to protect marine areas off the coast have been abysmal.

But the state took a step in the right direction 10 days ago when the California Fish and Game Commission approved the first phase of a network of protected areas that, by 2011, is expected to span the entire California coast. This campaign originated with the passage of the landmark Marine Life Protection Act in 1999, followed by years of scientific research, heated political debates and seemingly endless public testimony.

It all culminated with the commission's decision on April 13 in Bodega Bay to approve a series of marine protection areas from Santa Barbara to Half Moon Bay. The next phase will involve creating similar protected areas stretching from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena.

The driving force in all of this is the growing recognition that the status quo was not working. Federal authorities had already designated seven species of rockfish as overfished. Other research has shown a dramatic decline in the average size of some fish populations off the California coast.

The state seeks to restore these declining fish populations with the help of preserves ranging from the least-restrictive recreational management areas -- which allow recreational fishing -- to state marine reserves, which are off limits to all fishing and other activities.

History has shown that fish populations grow 30 percent larger in size and are significantly more abundant inside these types of protected areas.

There's no question that when these protected areas are approved off the North Coast -- public hearings are expected to be concluded next year -- they will take a toll on the local fishing industry and related businesses. But declining marine populations have already been doing that in various ways.

While the restrictions on the Central Coast are extensive, only 8 percent of the waters were designated as fully protected marine reserves. This leaves 92 percent of Central Coast waters open to recreational and commercial fishing.

Rather than being too restrictive, as some contend, these areas are the stepping stones toward ensuring that the diverse marine life that exists off the coast today will still be there a century from now.  Marine areas need the same level of protection as national parks and forests. State Fish and Game officials deserve credit for recognizing this and deciding to make California a leader in ocean conservation.