Press Releases

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - August 16, 2006 - The California Fisheries Coalition (CFC), a group representing 23 commercial and recreational fishing organizations, seafood processors, kelp harvesters and coastal communities was greatly disappointed yesterday during the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) hearing in Monterey.

Late yesterday evening during the hearing on the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), the Commission selected a group of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for CEQA analysis. The Commission's preferred alternative resulted from a combination of Fish and Game staff's recommended alternative, "Package P," and the MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force alternative, "Package 3R."

Vern Goehring, CFC manager said, "The Commission is obviously rushing to provide the Governor with a claim of ocean protection, choosing to clearly put political science ahead of biological science. The CFC encouraged the Commission to move forward with a plan balanced soundly on environmental, sociological and economic benefits, not bad science and political rhetoric."

The CFC is concerned that the Fish and Game Commission has conducted no modeling and has used questionable and inadequate science to quantify the impacts or benefits of their preferred plan. The CFC's scientific review of the MLPA, conducted by three of the most highly respected and renowned marine scientists, concludes that larger marine reserves only provide larger "illusions of protection." The scientists agreed that, "The MLPA science advice recommended a collection of quantitative prescriptions about size and spacing of MPAs. It appears to us that those prescriptions were pulled out of the air, based on intuitive reasoning." The Commission has been presented with no scientific evidence or impact projections that have warranted taking away vital fishing grounds. They have received testimony from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) that overfishing is not taking place, fishing efforts are already down and fish stocks are up. NOAA found that new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are not needed to rebuild the several stocks of groundfish.

Tom Hafer, of the Morro Bay Fisherman's Organization said, "It's not fair trying to protect the ocean entirely on the backs of men, women, families and small businesses. We are being used as a scapegoat, a political pawn and cover up to divert attention from pollution and development."

According to David Crabbe, a Monterey-based squid fisherman and vice president of the California Wetfish Producers Association, "There is a tremendous amount of inequality taking place. MPAs (areas allowing limited and no fishing) are the only ways being evaluated to conserve the oceans. The 1999 Marine Life Protection Act seeks to integrate environmental AND fisheries management issues. The Commission seems to have ignored that comprehensive fishing regulations are already in place. CFC fishermen have shown their willingness to comply with existing regulations and support full implementation of the MLPA. There is no such thing as a fishing 'free-for-all' anywhere in California warranting such extreme regulations."

There is still hope for the fishermen as the Commission has included Package 1, "the fishermen's package," in the CEQA analysis. The CFC is confident that the analysis will result in Package 1 showing the least environmental, social and economic "unintended consequences" of all packages being considered. Goehring concluded, "It's important to note that following the CEQA process, the Commission can correct this misguided action."

Established in 2004, the statewide CFC was formed with a single purpose - to provide a mechanism for recreational and commercial fishing groups to work together in a proactive manner on the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative to ensure a credible, fair and science-based outcome. The California Fisheries Coalition (CFC) consists of 23 ocean-dependent recreational and commercial fishing associations, seafood processors, abalone growers and kelp harvesters, contributing $5.5 billion annually to California's economy. Coalition membership encompasses more than 14,000 commercial fishermen, in excess of 4,000 fishing vessels, several million recreational anglers and more than 200 seafood companies. Approximately 172,000 people are employed by CFC partner businesses.

For more information and copies of the peer review reports visit www.cafisheriescoalition.org or call (916) 444 - 8194.