Network of Marine Protected Areas in the Channel Islands of California Helping Restore Depleted Ocean Life - New Study

First five years show that MPA network reversing decades of damaging overfishing

Fox Business
02/11/2008

The network of marine protected areas (MPAs) established five years ago to preserve the natural legacy of California's Channel Islands are improving biodiversity and ocean health without significant effects on the fishing economy, according to conclusions from a five year study of these waters by biologists and economists. State, federal and university scientists presented the results of nearly two dozen research projects during a special session of the California Islands Symposium on February 7th and 8th.

"The historic effort to preserve the natural legacy of this special place five years ago is now paying tangible dividends," said Gregory Helms, program manager at Ocean Conservancy's Santa Barbara, California field office. "It's inspiring to see increases in the population and the size of spiny lobsters and other ocean life so fast, after depleting these waters for so long. Based on these early studies, the vision of restoring for our grandchildren the abundance enjoyed by our grandparents is becoming a reality."

After five years of monitoring, scientists with Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) and other institutions have found that spiny lobsters within the protected areas have grown in both size and abundance. Large, mature lobsters are essential to successful reproduction in this valuable fishery. The study's findings suggest that since lobsters in protected areas are bigger, more robust and more mobile, it is likely that lobsters could "spill over" into unprotected areas, benefiting local lobster fishermen.

Economic analysis over the five year period found that no economic crises occurred, despite predictions to the contrary by commercial fishing interests. Sportfishing was shown to have actually increased since MPA establishment, while commercial landings for some of the largest fisheries in Islands waters -- squid, urchin, lobster and crab -- increased, according to study findings presented by the California Department of Fish and Game. A few species, including sheephead and rockfish, declined at the Channel Islands; however, these species groups are subject to major management restrictions that affect their landing figures, due to significant overfishing in the 1990s.

"We always knew that marine protected areas helped restore depleted fish and wildlife, and now we know they are working for California," said Helms. "By understanding what's working at the Channel Islands, we can create better MPAs all along the state's coastlines."

Data from 2003-2007 presented by Channel Islands National Park, a key enforcement agency for the Island MPA network, showed MPA enforcement is vigorous and compliance high. Rangers with the Park reported enforcement is more effective and efficient in marine reserves which prohibit harvest of any kind. The enforcement study also found a much higher percentage of violations and costly enforcement problems within the two marine conservation zone areas of the network, which allow certain species to be harvested while others are protected.

"California is doing the right thing by not only creating safe havens for fish and wildlife so that they can feed, breed and thrive, but also monitoring the results, so we can be sure that they are working," said Kaitilin Gaffney of the Ocean Conservancy's Santa Cruz office. "Now is the time for California to continue this great progress, and implement effective, science-based marine protected areas for the rest of our coast."

In 1999, a group of local sport fishermen noted the scarcity of large fish and asked the Department of Fish and Game for marine reserves around the islands. Advanced as a way to ensure that intact, wild ecosystems are preserved for their own intrinsic value, extensive studies of marine reserves showed they are also valuable conservation tools to restore depleted marine fish populations. The state and federal agencies convened panels of scientists and local residents to design the MPAs and in April of 2003, California created what was then the largest MPA network on the west coast: twelve MPAs, including ten fully protected marine reserves, in state waters around the islands out to three miles from shore.

California is currently expanding the network of MPAs through a historic statewide initiative under the Marine Life Protection Act. In September 2007, the state added 29 new MPAs along the central coast, from Point Conception to Half Moon Bay. This spring, the state will adopt MPAs in the coastal water from Half Moon Bay to Point Arena.