Coastal Plan Irks Fishermen
Brightly colored sea urchins are plentiful this year on the rocky seabed of Southern California, but divers may soon face new restrictions on where they can collect them.
A state law is expected to take effect along the Southern California coast by the end of the year banning or limiting fishing and similar activities in 10% to 15% of the area from Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border.
But opponents from tribal fishermen in the north to commercial sea-urchin divers in the south say the restrictions would hurt them more than they help anyone else—and they question why the state would make it even harder for them to make a living during these tough economic times.
The south coast, which contains more than 1,000 miles of shoreline, yields seafood sold in markets around the world, including lobsters, prawns, abalones and sea urchins. The area is among several coastal regions where the state Department of Fish and Game is establishing marine protected areas as far as three miles out to sea.
The law was passed in 1999 with the intent of conserving marine biodiversity, much as some sensitive areas on land get government protection.
Advocates argue that marine protected areas are the best compromise between fishing interests and environmental needs. They say that by creating a network of shielded areas, the larvae of many types of fish will spill over into unprotected areas, resulting in more fish overall and ultimately benefiting everyone, including fishermen.Lack of funding and questions about the fairness of the planning process delayed the program for years.
In 2007, with a push from Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, implementation began along the north-central coast, then the south-central. Next is the south coast. Last will be the north coast and, separately, waters off San Francisco.
The plan favored by the Fish and Game Commission along the south coast would create 387 square miles of marine-protected areas, most of which are places where nothing can be removed from the sea. The commission is scheduled to vote in the fall, with implementation likely soon after, if the measure passes.
Many fishermen say they don't understand the need for more marine protected areas in waters off California, where the ocean is already highly regulated.
Bob Bertelli, a 62-year-old commercial fisherman, has been diving for sea urchins, sea cucumbers and abalones for more than half his life. "I'm not going to say there isn't a need for marine protected areas, but they need to be carefully planned and carefully designed," he said, standing atop his 36-foot-long boat, the Dragon, which has served as his home for the past four years.
Mr. Bertelli said the fishing community's concerns have been ignored by the state. He and other fishermen fear that creating no-fishing zones will force the same number of fishermen into fewer, less productive parts of the ocean, hurting the environment and the economy.
"They say they're only taking 10% to 15% of the land off of the coast, but it's all hard-bottom [the habitat for sea urchins]…and some of the best of it," Mr. Bertelli said.
Josh Fisher, who makes his living catching lobster off the Southern California coast, said he was worried the regulations would backfire by opening the door to poachers. He said most fishermen enter the trade because they are independent and like to "go off and do their own thing." Herding fishing into smaller areas would hurt business and make a lot of fishermen uncomfortable, he said.
Tensions remain high between Fish and Game commissioners and fishing communities. Last year, the California Fisheries Coalition, an industry group, filed a conflict-of-interest complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against Fish and Game Commissioner Michael Sutton, but an investigation by the FPCC found no merit to thecharge. The allegation "was simply one effort among many to defeat" the law, Mr. Sutton said in an interview.
Last week, the state Senate decided not to hold a vote to confirm Don Benninghoven, a likely backer of marine-protected areas, to the Fish and Game Commission amid major opposition to him from fishing groups. Officials said they expect this could lead to further delays in implementation of the law along the south coast.
"On land, we have national parks and wilderness areas…we really are bringing to the ocean kind of the same situation we established on land," said Gregory Helms, program manager for the Santa Barbara office of the conservation organization Ocean Conservancy. He compared fishermen today with the loggers and goatherds who fought against the establishment of protected areas in forests in the late 19th century.
Mr. Helms cited the effectiveness of protected areas in other parts of the U.S., such as a marine reserve in the Florida Keys, where he said species such as lobsters and black grouper thrived after implementation.
Other advocates for the new regulations say people who use the ocean for recreational activities such as snorkeling or scuba diving will benefit from marine protected areas, where fish can grow larger and more plentiful.
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