Tuesday, January 10, 2012
New Marine Protected Areas In Effect!
On January 1, 2012 southern California welcomed a series of newly established Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These MPAs will join a growing statewide system that will soon stretch the length of California’s coast. They were created through the landmark Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). These MPAs were designed by local stakeholders to protect the most productive areas of ocean while leaving nearly 90 percent of the coast open for fishing (see a map of fishing areas left open). Most of the new protected areas are adjacent to public beaches and state parks, creating great opportunities for recreation.
Go here for a great recent news articles.
For over the past 3 years, Surfrider has been working with a diverse group of people to ensure MPAs are well designed and effectively implemented. View Surfrider’s statement the final maps adopted and the work we conducted throughout the process.
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| San Diego Community Forum. Nov 9, 2011 |
During the month of November 2011, Surfrider held community forums to educate local communities and ocean-users about the new MPAs and their regulations. We held 4 forums around the region and over 100 environmentalists, fishermen, business owners, and elected officials attended the meetings.
To ensure these MPAs are successful in the long run, the state and other organizations will be and monitoring the progress of MPAs. Learn more about Reef Check’s program.
To view all the MPAs in the south coast visit here.
To use a mobile phone to identify coordinates and regulations for each MPA go here.
