California’s “Marine Protected Areas” Mean Closures to the Public

By Gordon C. Robertson, Vice President, American Sportfishing Association

Without a doubt, for recreational fishermen, 2008 will go down in the history books. Decisions made by the Governor’s appointed Blue Ribbon Task Force and the state Fish and Game Commission mean that public access to designated areas of state marine waters between Point Arena and Pigeon Point, a 360-mile stretch of ocean along California’s Pacific Coast, will no longer exist.

Protection sounds like a good thing, but in this case, protection really means an end to something, a closure. A decision to close coastal areas off to recreational fishermen without careful consideration could have disastrous consequences for regional economies, recreational fishermen and potentially the environment.

Protecting and conserving marine life is important. Recreational fishermen are conservationists first and foremost and are concerned about maintaining California’s marine resources. But, the truth be told, it’s not recreational fishermen – and women – who are negatively impacting the marine life, yet we will be the ones mostly impacted if closures are enacted.

A recent report from AnglerSurvey.com shows that 60 percent of anglers release most of the fish they catch; 18 percent release all the fish they catch; and only 21 percent keep everything they legally can. Relaxing and spending quality time in nature and with friends and relatives, away from the pressure of everyday life, consistently are the top reasons for being a recreational angler. A willingness to practice catch-and-release helps to ensure the future of the sport and the involvement of future generations in protecting our natural resources.

Recreational fishermen are concerned about the health of the ocean environment and the well-being of all fish species. We are stewards of the environment and advocates for sustainable fishing and conservation. It is in our self interest to protect fish and sensitive habitat for our children and grandchildren. The fact is that creating marine protected areas and maintaining the ability to recreationally fish in them are not mutually exclusive.

From the dedicated to the occasional fisherman, most people can vividly recall the first time they ventured out onto the Pacific in search of a catch. The memories are full of rich emotion and peace with nature, carried on from one generation to the next.

We cannot let this “pursuit of happiness” come into question as Californians work to manage the state’s coastal waters via the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), legislation passed in 1999 to “sustain, conserve and protect” California’s marine resources while effectively shutting down access to recreational fishing.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force and the Fish and Game Commission need to adopt a common sense marine protected area proposal that balances the conservation of ocean resources and access to recreational fishing. After all, recreational fishermen pay for fisheries conservation through the licenses they purchase and the excise taxes they pay on sportfishing equipment. They are invested in resource management and part of the solution. Their footprint is minimal and their contribution great. Let’s get this right today so our coasts and our traditions are preserved for future Californians.

Gordon C. Robertson is the vice President of the American Sportfishing Association. He can be reached at grobertson@asafishing.org.