KFASC Speaks at the Inaugural Meeting of CKA

A friendly group of kayak anglers gathered in San Diego the evening of March 22nd for the first meeting of California Kayak Anglers (CKA). CKA organizer Matt Moyer cordially invited the KFASC to address the “non-club.” KFASC Director Paul Lebowitz led off the meeting with a speech that warned of looming fishing closures under the aegis of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). Lebowitz urged the crowd to get politically involved, then closed with a hopeful vision of how the MLPA could benefit the kayak fishing community. As the meeting wound down, CKA surprised the KFASC with the proceeds of the evening’s raffle. The raffle prizes were provided by John Conniff and Shane Slaughter of the Islander (www.islandersportfishing.com), and Mag Bay Outfitters (www.magbayoutfitters.com). The KFASC gratefully acknowledges the support and generosity. The donations will help the KFASC attend important upcoming MLPA hearings. Lebowitz’s speech is provided below:  

I’m going to get right to the point. I’m worried, and you should be too. Fishing closures are coming, and they could hit close to home. You can bet La Jolla will be high on the list. Pt Loma too. Did anyone make it here from up north? We could see closures at Dana Pt, Laguna, Palos Verdes, Malibu, and who knows where else. Why? Because here in Southern California, the same places we love to fish are the best places to close for reserves because they are so fishy.

I’m sure everyone here has heard of the Marine Life Protection Act, for short the MLPA. The fishing community was dealing with the MLPA a couple of years ago, but the funding ran out and the process was shelved. Well, late last year a private foundation gave the state the money to restart and fast-track the MLPA.

The MLPA is not going away this time. Face it, it is a state law that has the backing of the Democratic legislature and the Republican governor. The MLPA calls for creation of a network of Marine Protected Areas in state waters. Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, can be total closures – marine reserves, or partial closures, meaning more highly regulated than open waters. These other MPA designations are marine parks and marine conservation areas. At least these later areas are open to recreational fishing, although it may be limited.

Just what should we expect? How much water could we lose? At this point, nobody really knows, not even the experts – or if they know, they aren’t saying. I’m going to summarize a complicated process for you. A committee known as the Blue Ribbon Task Force is working with DFG staff to interpret the language of the MLPA law into the document that will guide the process of drawing up closure areas: the Master Plan Framework.

The fishing community needs to watch this closely!  We need to be sure the law is interpreted fairly, so we do not end up with an MLPA process that over-reaches. We have to watch for so-called scientific embeds, reserve design goals based on scientific theories. It shouldn’t matter that these theories could be controversial or untested – what matters is that their inclusion in the Master Plan Framework is not called for by the law. Once the Master Plan Framework is finalized, it will be hard to change. One of our problems is the speed of the process. New versions of the document are released with just a few days for review. I know how tough this stuff is to read - I’ve got a copy here with me tonight – but I encourage you to get involved and try. Any member of the public is welcome to submit comment.

Getting back to the Blue Ribbon Task Force, at their meeting early next month they will select a Central Coast Study Region. The first areas to get MPAs will be somewhere between Pt Conception and Pt Arena. The task force won’t decide where to draw the lines – that will be up to a Regional Working Group. The Group will be drawn from a cross section of stakeholders – that’s us for instance – and interested parties such as groups that want to see sweeping closures.

The process in Central California will take some time to run through – at least a year. We have a couple of years before the MLPA will be aimed squarely at Southern California. That doesn’t mean we can relax. What happens up north, the rules and procedures, will have a direct bearing on how the MLPA is rolled out here at home. Besides, there is great kayak fishing up north – I get up there at least once a year – and anyway, we owe it to the kayak anglers up there to help them hang onto their access. Ask me later if you’d like to know more about how we are working with kayak anglers up north.

Now this is the tough part. If you care about your recreational fishing access, I’m asking you to get involved. Join United Anglers. Join the Recreational Fishing Alliance. And join our all-volunteer organization - the Kayak Fishing Association of Southern California. Take a look at our Advisory Board – we’ve brought a cross section of high profile kayak anglers together to work as a team. People like Jim Sammons, Dennis Spike, Drew Clark, Jason Morton, Greg Knab, Perry Crosbie, Keith Martin, and last but not least Mark Ezell. That we’ve been able to mix oil and water together on this team should tell you something about the seriousness of the situation we face.

Any of you who get online should have at least heard of us. We’ve been around for just over a year. Last year, when the San Diego City Manager recommended charging a fee to use the beach launch at La Jolla or the boat ramps at Mission Bay, we raised the alarm. A number of kayak anglers helped us get the word out. The measure was narrowly defeated at the City Council thanks to your involvement.

Now we are neck deep in the MLPA. We are working with the state and any recreational fishing group that can help us defend our interests. We want to protect our main launch and fishing areas. We are pushing for MPAs that allow recreational fishing, as are United Anglers of Southern California and the Coastside Fishing Club of Northern California.  

We need your help. No other group is as vulnerable to closures as we are. If La Jolla is closed, we can’t just paddle out to the Islands. It is up to us as kayak anglers to look out for our own interests. Sign up for the KFASC – it is free. Volunteer your time. Help us out with our costs. We need to get to government meetings. They aren’t held to fit our schedule – they’re held up north in the middle of the work week. Travel to these meetings isn’t cheap. We might go down in the end, but at least let’s go down fighting. But I’m cautiously optimistic. With the governor and his appointees in power, we have the most favorable environment we’ve had in years. I think recreational fishing can get a fair deal, but we’ll have to work for it. If marine parklands and conservation areas are expanded, we could end up with the best fishing we’ve ever had when it is all said and done. Thank-you.