Free Republic

The California State Fish and Game Commission adopted sweeping closures of ocean waters off the Southern California coast, eliminating sportfishing and most other uses in these areas in a vote Dec. 15 in Santa Barbara. In adopting the regulations, mandated as part of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), three words come immediately to mind about the process: corrupt, unfunded and unnecessary. The process has been flawed from the beginning. First, there is massive conflict of interest that should disqualify two of the commissioners from voting: Commissioner Michael Sutton, whose employer stands to gain financially with the passage of massive...

The ocean off the Palos Verdes Peninsula has become one of the key battlegrounds in the long-running effort to implement a state law designed to create a network of habitats off the California coast to protect depleted fish populations. The contentious debate over the size of the marine habitat in the waters around Rocky Point is emblematic of the disputes and hard-fought battles that have been waged since the Marine Life Protection Act was adopted in 1999. The waters off the promontory are abundant with marine life and have long been favored by sport and commercial fishing crews. But the...

With armed Fish and Game wardens lining the Beach Resort Monterey conference room and allegations of physical threats casting a pall over the proceedings, the Fish and Game Commission slowly drew a patchwork net of preferred packages to create a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the state’s Central Coast Region on Tuesday night. The commissioners argued and compromised into the night, creating a divisive but historic blueprint for coastal resource management. After public comment from about 140 individuals, the commission created a proposal that includes 29 MPAs covering 204 square miles. The selected proposal is a patchwork...