covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting,An ongoing petition process could shrink, expand or add new protected areas along the state’s coast. A decision is expected this summer.
More than a decade after California began setting aside patches of ocean for conservation, change could be coming to its The state is considering a variety of changes to the network — a few proposals shrink those areas or remove certain protections, while most propose expanding existing protected areas or adding new ones. The levels of protection can range from a total ban on commercial fishing and certain recreational activities, to highly limited allowances.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is in the process of reviewingall 10 of the non-tribal proposals. They have yet to release their recommendations for the five remaining petitions from tribes, includingby the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians that would encompass about 9 square miles off the coast of Santa Barbara.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Some say the state isn’t being bold enough in its approach to boosting protections for marine life, while others argue the existing network is strong enough. There is agreement, however: Marine protected areas can be a powerful tool in boosting certain fisheries and building resilience to climate change.
Marine Life Protection Act was signed into law. That kickstarted the process of establishing an interconnected network of marine protected areas off the state’s coast. But the process to get that done was a long and arduous one, slowed by competing interests and political infighting. It wasn’t until 2012 that the state completed the existing coastal network of more than 120 underwater refuges. That network provides protections from fishing and other activities for a little over 16% of California’s coast. By 2030, the state’s goal, codified by an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020,Some LA renters can now fall behind by two months and still be protected from eviction The new rule only applies in unincorporated parts of L.A. County. Proponents say it’ll help households weather ICE raids. Landlords say it’s unfair.
A state board is considering the drastic move, which could come as soon as May, after an outbreak of the lung disease silicosis among countertop fabricators.
The science of marine protected areas, found that marine protected areas were largely working — supporting larger, healthier and more abundant populations of many species, as well as creating a “spillover effect” that boosts certain lucrative fisheries, such as lobster, outside the bounds of the protected area. For example, a 2021found that a 35% reduction in fishing area due to protected area designation off the Channel Islands resulted in a 225% increase in total lobster catch after just six years. Marine protected areas have also been found to improve resilience for some species in the face of climate change, as the ocean absorbs nearly one-third of the carbon pollution in our atmosphere and about 90% of the excess heat that that pollution would otherwise generate.
off the California coast in the decades before and after the establishment of the state’s protected areas, focusing on the changes after a severe marine heat wave between 2014 and 2016. “Marine protected areas recovered more quickly, more strongly compared to the non-protected areas in Southern California,” Cavanaugh said.
He said that’s likely because these areas protect predators of sea urchins, which graze on kelp and can destroy entire forests if left unchecked. Their predators, such as sheephead fish and lobster, are found in Southern California’s waters. But the story was a little different in Northern California. Cavanaugh’s team found that marine protected areas didn’t have the same rebound effect for kelp forests there, likely because sea urchin predators up north are sea otters and sea stars.“Sea otters are protected anyway, and sea stars basically have been wiped out across California due to sea star wasting disease,” Cavanaugh said. That disease led to a proliferation of urchins up north, and a dieoff of around 85% of the kelp forest in just the last 10 years.
Though more conservation is likely necessary , a blanket approach to protected areas is not a silver bullet, Cavanaugh said. “ There's different things going on in different locations, and there's not going to be a one size fits all approach at all,” he said. “We might lose kelp in certain areas in a warming world, and so figuring out which patches might be more resilient to temperatures and protecting those is important.” Understanding the specific challenges to kelp forest growth or decline in varying regions is key, Cavanaugh emphasized. At the same time, California’s marine protected area network is still young , and there’s much to learn about the role they play in boosting the health of our ocean overall. “These are baby protected areas, and that means we're still learning how they function,” said Douglas McCauley, an ecologist at UC Santa Barbara. “That also means that we're still beginning to see how they mature and the benefits that they can create over time.”
Why SoCal shark sightings are up — and ways to stay safe in sharky waters Our coastal waters are a year-round habitat for great whites and other sharks. But a marine heat wave may mean more sightings into the summerAfter a Trump action, oil is again flowing in Santa Barbara County. But that's in violation of recent court orders, says top lawyer for an environmental group.
For Chris Voss, that specificity around the gains of certain marine protected areas is key.. He said marine protected areas have been a boon for some industries, such as lobster, but not all, such as urchin fishers. He argues that the existing network is strong, and that more regulations will harm the fishing industry, which has been declining over the past two decades. He’s particularly concerned about the proposals to expand or add entirely new marine protected areas. ”We are all small, independent businessmen with families and kids and a desire to scratch out a living from the ocean, but also produce a high quality food product in a sustainable way from the marine environment,” Voss said.
“They didn't put the initial network on low-value real estate in the ocean. They put it on a very high-value real estate in the ocean,” Voss said. “The fishing community has adapted.”He pointed to multiplying pressures on the industry, such as expanded offshore wind and oil drilling and aquaculture efforts, as well as the science that not every marine protected area benefits marine life in the same way. Voss said urchin fishers, for example, could help reduce kelp-eating urchin overpopulation in some areas. Such efforts have yet to scale, and urchins in kelp-barren areas are not very lucrative, though some researchers say urchin fishing as a management tool before kelp forest collapse could be a potential avenue. “There’s nuance that we should embrace,” Voss said. “We need to think with and understand the complexity of the different fisheries and their impacts, and then make decisions with a more complete understanding so that we can get win-win situations.”
extend the marine protected area to fully encompass the city’s coast. The area is a key link for genetic dispersal of sea life between Palos Verdes and La Jolla, as well as a major draw for ocean tourism. “Marine life within the marine protected areas of Laguna Beach are really thriving, but as soon as you move past the boundary, there's less sea life,” said Mike Beanan with the nonprofitonly female sheephead outside of the bounds of the protected areas and a proliferation of kelp-eating urchins. Female sheephead don’t eat urchins like their male counterparts both said they understand the concerns about expanding protections from local fishing businesses. “There's going to have to be a sacrifice, and I don't want to belittle the impact on the commercial fishers,” Hiemstra said. “But I think this is a small, incremental, necessary step, and this is the time and the process where we're able to take action on that.” You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead . Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community. Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
Chumash Conservation Fishing Laguna Beach Marine Protected Area Ocean Santa Barbara
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: April 17-19Laura Hertzfeld's bio on LAist.com.
Read more »
The Fantastic Fontanas: Our Top 5 Sea to Sky moments in Southern CaliforniaThe Fantastic Fontanas count down their Top 5 Sea to Sky road-trip moments.
Read more »
PRIDE 365: Southern California LGBTQIA+ eventsCheck out our list of events and celebrations for the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies in Southern California
Read more »
Southern California rattlesnake surge: Hiker rescued in Montecito as attacks riseThis incident marks at least the seventh rattlesnake bite in Southern California since mid-March, fueled by a record-breaking heat wave pushing snakes toward trails and residential areas.
Read more »
Friends mourn Southern California woman found dead while backpacking in Big SurLoved ones are remembering the 37-year-old Southern California woman whose body was found in the wilderness near Big Sur.
Read more »
Friends mourn Southern California woman found dead while backpacking in Big SurLoved ones are remembering the 37-year-old Southern California woman whose body was found in the wilderness near Big Sur.
Read more »