California’s one chance to improve the ocean is days away
Kate Hanley
San Diego News Network
11/06/2009
San Diegans love their ocean. Just head down to the beach or marina any day of the week and you’ll see the evidence. I see it every year on Coastal Clean-up Day, and it has never been more clear than on October 21, when dozens of divers, surfers, birders, anglers and scientists traveled to Long Beach to comment on southern California’s marine protected area plans.
That day, the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force heard seven hours of testimony from south coast residents. And while they were advocating for different outcomes, they all shared a common desire: to ensure we can all continue to work and play on and in a healthy and productive ocean.
As a diver, and Director of Marine Conservation at San Diego Coastkeeper, that goal is close to my heart. That’s why I got involved in the public process to ensure the Marine Life Protection Act is implemented in southern California in a way that works for our people and wildlife.
As a member of the south coast Regional Stakeholder Group, I worked with commercial fishermen, tribal representatives, scientists and agency staff to find solutions that are good for the economy and the environment.
We studied habitat and fisheries data to map out the best possible marine protected area plan for our region. Science shows that marine protected areas produce more and bigger fish, and more varied, resilient ecosystems. By setting aside a few key places, we can improve the health of all south coast waters.
But it’s all about location-you have to protect high quality habitat to get high quality results.
In San Diego, the very best and most productive habitat is found at south La Jolla and Swamis Reef. These eco hot spots provide food and shelter for a variety of sea life, and their protection is essential to the success of this whole effort.
There is broad support for creating marine protected areas at south La Jolla and Swamis. But fishermen have proposed protecting Del Mar and Point Loma instead-areas with drastically lower conservation value.
While fishermen want to minimize short-term economic impacts-a goal we can all agree on–leaving vital fish nurseries at La Jolla and Swamis vulnerable to further damage will actually hurt their bottom line in the long run.
San Diego County fishing revenue has dropped by a third since 1990.
Scientists tell us the best way to stop that downward trend is to pair existing regulations with a network of marine protected areas, since marine protected areas rebuild fish populations both inside their boundaries and in surrounding waters.
If designed well, marine protected areas are like money in the bank-you make an initial investment, and then live off the interest. And there’s no doubt that Swamis and La Jolla marine protected areas are the best investment for San Diego. They will produce far greater returns in the form of healthier kelp forests, larger and more abundant fish and shellfish and more sustainable fisheries.
