LAT: California Establishes Network of Marine Reserves

[DeepModem Mom]

California Establishes Network of Marine Reserves
By Kenneth R. Weiss, Times Staff Writer
August 15, 2006

Monterey, Calif. -- The California Fish and Game Commission on Tuesday banned or severely restricted fishing across nearly 20 percent of the waters off central California, establishing the nation's first comprehensive network of marine reserves next to a heavily populated coastline.

The commissioners settled on a network of 27 reserves, stretching from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz counties, that altogether cover slightly more than 210 square miles of state waters. About half of the reserves forbid any fishing; the others ban commercial fishing or impose other restrictions. Some of the areas to be protected are off Point Sur along the Big Sur coast, Ano Nuevo in northern San Cruz County, Piedras Blancas near San Simeon and off Vandenberg Air Force Base.

This set of reserves, more than six years in the making, is expected to be a model as additional reserves are extended along the entire California coast to help depleted fish populations rebound.

Although the California Legislature passed a law in 1999 calling for a statewide network of reserves, the state's plans have been stalled for years by budget cuts, staffing shortages, and ferocious opposition from commercial and recreational fishermen who argued the closures would imperil their livelihood or favored pastime.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with funding from private conservation foundations, revived the process by focusing first on the Central Coast before considering reserves in four other sections of the state's 1,100-mile coastline. Southern California waters, from Point Conception in northern Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border, will be the next battleground in this innovative approach to ocean management....

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fish16aug16,0,5861386.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[mike_c]

1. yay!

:applause:

[BrightKnight]

2. in favor but limited catch and release fly fishing would be better

I am generall in favor of the ban on catching fish.

The Orvis crowd writes a lot of checks to the Sierra Club.

They might consider permitting limited catch and release fly fishing. The cost of fly fishing equipment would limit the number of people doing it.

Bait and spin cast fishing methods both catch far more fish.

[Massacure]

3. When I read this headline I thought they meant as in military marines

What a crappy headline. Way to scare us pro-peace folks.