The South Coast Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which limit fishing in coastal zones from Point Conception south, are drawing mixed reactions from people who protect the ocean—and people who depend on it for their livelihood.
After several delays, the four MPAs off Santa Barbara County took effect on Jan. 1, closing off about 15 percent of the region to fishing, including areas off Point Conception, Gaviota, Goleta, and Isla Vista.
The Surfrider Foundation, one of the biggest supporters of MPAs, has worked heavily on the South Coast zones for about the past five years. Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, Surfrider’s California Policy Manager, said the group sees them as a way to create larger fish populations and increase ocean biodiversity.
“It’s a holistic way to look at ecosystems,” Sekich-Quinn said. “Instead of trying to protect one species, you’re looking at the whole ecosystem itself, including flora, fauna, kelp, and oil drilling restrictions.”
The California Fish and Game Commission voted to enact the Southern California MPA network in December 2010 at a meeting in Santa Barbara. As the zones were being developed, Surfrider held community forums, including input from fishermen and environmentalists, and backed the hybrid maps the commission eventually adopted.
Because of the compromise, much of the coast was left open to fishing. The result will actually have long-term benefits to anglers, Sekich-Quinn said, pointing to similar MPAs in New Zealand, where fisherman first opposed and later benefited from a “spillover effect” by fishing near boundary lines.
“You have to look at it and say there’s a considerable amount left open, almost 90 percent,” she said. “For them, whether they’re commercial fishermen or sport fishermen, this is an investment in their future.”
Anglers can receive tickets for fishing in the no-take zones, which are enforced by the California Department of Fish and Game. The South Coast MPAs aren’t marked by signs or buoys, but line up with natural landmarks. Since their implementation, groups have worked to get the word out, putting maps in stores to make “weekend warrior” fishermen aware of the boundaries.
Ocean Conservancy president Greg Helms, another MPA supporter, said anglers appear to be adapting well to the new regulations. With the exception of a few poaching incidents, Helms said, the transition has gone smoothly.
“We’re noticing very good compliance,” Helms said. “It’s pretty impressive so far to see that happening, and we’re pretty pleased with it.”
Concerned over declining fish populations, Helms said the Ocean Conservancy believes MPAs can help scientists determine sustainable harvesting levels. In addition, Helms said the MPAs will also increase the quality of recreational activities for divers, whale watchers, and bird watchers in areas where ecosystems are unaffected by fishing.
“If you protect biodiversity, you’re going to get more resilient, more productive marine systems,” Helms said. “That’s a win for everybody, whether you enjoy scuba diving on a local reef or whether you make your living from harvesting seafood.”
Not everyone is pleased with the developments. Several pro-fishing groups, including the United Anglers of Southern California and the American Sportfishing Association, are banding together to fight the MPAs, saying the regulations threaten sport and commercial fishing throughout California.
David Bacon, a professional charter captain in Santa Barbara, represents recreational anglers for the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary Council. Bacon said the no-take zones mean anglers can’t fish in many of their favorite places off the coast of Santa Barbara. They’ve had a significant negative impact on local fishing for years, he said, due to public misperception.
“After reading those wild mainstream media stories, people think there are no fish left, and they think there’s no place left to fish, so why bother fishing?” Bacon said. “The reality is we have very robust fish populations, and we have projects to bring other fish back that are still in the works, and very successfully so.”
Bacon said anglers have already done their part to increase fish populations by using existing management practices like bag limits and seasons. He said he supports the building of artificial reefs, which would strengthen the population while still giving anglers places to fish.
Though only a small geographic percentage of the coastline has been closed to fishing, Bacon said those areas are places where most of the fish live. As a result, the MPAs could have as much as a 60 percent impact on fishing, and a 25 percent hit on business, he said.
Jason Diamond, who owns the charter Stardust Sportfishing in Santa Barbara and sits on the board of the Sportfishing Association of California, is a bit more optimistic. While he said fishermen won’t know the full impact of the MPAs for several years, without input in the bargaining process, it could’ve been a lot worse for the fishing community.
“We did get things minimized quite a bit down in this neck of the woods,” Diamond said. “I’m sure there were a few areas that were very important to us, but for the most part, we’ll have to live with this. It’s not devastating by any means; we just can’t fish in a couple of our favorite fishing spots. It’s kind of a bummer.”
The fishing season has just begun, and Diamond said he hasn’t seen any drop off in business—nor does he expect any. His biggest fear is bad press and having the closures blown out of proportion. In fact, Diamond said, fishing is better now than it has been for several decades.
“There’s just a couple of small areas that are taken,” he said. “The ocean’s so far from being closed. … You can still enjoy fishing in the ocean and all that other stuff just like you did before.”
The Ocean Conservancy’s Helms said it’s too early to tell whether the South Coast MPAs have had any biological effects; that data won’t be available for several years. Helms said he can only hope the areas experience the same benefits seen in the Channel Islands MPAs, where scientists have reported greater numbers of bigger fish within five years.
More solid information on the impacts of MPAs should be coming soon. After California legislators passed the Marine Life Protection Act in 1999, the Central Coast MPAs became the first to take effect in 2007.
Later this year, as those areas reach the five-year mark, they’ll undergo a review by the Department of Fish and Game to see how the restrictions have affected marine life. Helms said that through tracking systems, trapping, and hook-and-line studies, scientists will be able to determine their true impact on the ecosystem.
“Unlike a lot of programs where you do what you think you know is right and you hope, we’re actually monitoring the response of both the biological and economic outcome of these MPAs,” he said. “We’ll be presenting those so people can decide for themselves.”
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas has gills. Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 15-22, 2012.