Why It Matters: Decisions surrounding California’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) network can impact recreational fishing opportunities and access throughout the state. Remaining engaged in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission’s rulemaking process around MPAs is crucial to ensuring that California sportsmen and women’s interests and voices are heard.
Highlights:
- The California Fish and Game Commission met in October to review fifteen Bin 2 Marine Protection Area (MPA) petitions.
- Seven petitions were granted during the meeting, including two Tribal-led petitions.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted comments ahead of the meeting urging the Commission to accept the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s recommendations.
On October 13, the California Fish and Game Commission met for a four-day meeting with an agenda covering topics from wildlife, inland fisheries, administrative items, and Marine protected Area petitions.
Three full days of the meeting were dedicated to MPA petitions. Following the release of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Decadal Management Review (DMR), 20 MPA petitions were submitted to the Commission in 2023. CDFW is required to complete a DMR every ten years to evaluate California’s MPA network and adaptive management. The petitions proposed an assortment of changes, including changes in take allowance, boundary adjustments, the addition and removal of MPAs, and gear and regulation changes.
Fifteen of the initial twenty MPA petitions remained pending ahead of the October meeting. Following the October 13-16 meeting, seven petitions were granted, and eight were denied, withdrawn, or non-regulatory. Two of the petitions that were granted were Tribal-led, requesting that Carpinteria Reef in Santa Barbara County and Point Sal in San Luis Obispo be considered MPAs and, unfortunately, prohibit recreational fishing other than from shore. The Commission also approved an expansion of Point Dume State Marine Conservation Area, which again limits recreational fishing to shore-based anglers only. None of these reductions were based on an identified conservation need. These petitions must now undergo a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, and other standard rulemaking procedures before regulation can take effect.
MPA petitions are a way for individuals or groups to amend, repeal, or add regulations to the Fish and Game Code. The Commission serves as the primary decision maker on MPA petitions. CDFW manages California’s MPA network and enforces regulations set by the Commission. Ahead of the meeting, CDFW encouraged the public to submit written comments on agenda items. CSF submitted a letter regarding the MPA Bin 2 Petitions, urging the Commission to accept CDFW’s petition-specific recommendations, including the denials of proposals that would further restrict fishing without any specific scientific basis.
The next Commission meeting is scheduled for December 15-16. A discussion hearing on the recreational white seabass fishery is planned for December, with an adoption hearing following in February, as the Commission will consider amending regulations related to the minimum size limit for white seabass. CSF will continue to monitor and take part in these meetings to advocate for science-based fisheries management and looks forward to continuing working with the Department and Commission to sustain healthy marine resources and meaningful angling opportunities.