MLPA meeting

Went to the MLPA meeting this morning in Santa Rosa. Saw Allen there too. We all met with the rep from Coastside (about twenty guys with shirts that support 2X option) and decided rather than everyone harping on the same subjects, we'd let him speak and then at the end we all stood up in a showing of support and agreement. We added a round af applaus to go with it. Basiclly it was a bitch session. The board seemed to somewhat listen, but you have the feeling they are going to decide what they are going to decide no matter what you present them, and this is just an appeasment to say they listened to your comments. Now we'll tell you what we're going to do.... Interesting to hear some of the oppositions' comments, and you could pretty much pick em out before they opened they're mouths. Looked like they never go near the ocean... The fishermen, well they pretty much looked like fisherman... Then the tactic to tack on some bitchin' time was to "forfet your time" Hell if we all did that our guy could have gone on for an hour  Each person was allowed 2 minutes to speak, unless of course someone forfeted they're time to you, then you tack on they're time too. That's when I got out of there. It was beginning to burn me out, and besides I had to get home and pack for BAM!!! See ya there tomorrow.

I was sitting next to Allen. Sorry I should have introduced myself. Salt Point is lost.Saunders reef is lost. This is not final but after all public opinion was finished the board pretty much indicated that theBRTF's IPA's should stand unaltered. Arch Richardson lost all his coastline and to see him after the meeting descibing his families loss almost put me into tears.Then some skinny liitle enviro lady goes on to say through her talk that abalone divers kill everything when they ab dive. I could ring her little scrawny neck. I talked to her before the meeting trying to get a feel how these people think and she said we needed to have Salt Point before the next big crisis hits. I said, what crisis? What are you talking about?Whatever. I feel like I have been kicked in the gut. I am going to lose one of my most favorite spots on the planet to ab dive and fish. I cant even imagine how the Richrdson family must feel.

   I thought Coastside's suggestion to have one speaker then acknowledge the rest of us was a class act. For once the opposition looked silly. I did feel sorry for craft seaweed harvesters (that reminds me we had our own "seaweed" harvest n the 70's).......they too are getting a bum deal ...it's not just their passion it's their livelihood.

ps...the panel had more yawns than a mattress convention.......

Yeah, too bad you didn't introduce yourself. Next time I guess. I caught that crap that woman said about the Ab divers killing everything they can down there!!! I thought, what the hell are you talking about lady??? but you gotta be cival, so I didn't say anything. In a different format I'm sure she would have found me in her face. The way we are percieved by these "nature observers" just floors me sometimes. Truth be known. I found that folks that "harvest" some sort of game, fish, birds, what have you. Care more about their quarry than most of the "observers" that tend to put their money and energy into complaining and targeting the "harvesters" rather than supporting the habitat improvement. Cal Trout,  TU, Coastside, Ducks Unlimited all come to mind when I think of people banding together and making a difference that improve or provide protection from degrading habits... frustrating....

I feel like I have been kicked in the gut. I am going to lose one of my most favorite spots on the planet to ab dive and fish. I cant even imagine how the Richardson family must feel.

Ditto with emphasis.  I just can't believe anyone with any sense could possibly believe the North Coast abalone population is in trouble.

What's more, there's 30 miles of coast north of there with awesome habitat completely dominated by rich "no trespassing" folks.  Not one set aside was put in Richey Rich-ville.  The set aside was put in the public park where normal folks come from inland to go dive and on Arch Richardson's property - one guy with family land and relatively no power.

I'm not against setting aside habitat, but this stinks to high hell.  First, as another privilege for the privileged, and second as an exercise in stupidity:

Any abalone specialist on the north coast will tell you that, due to the extermination of the original sea otter population by Russian fur traders here, there are more abalone now than before Europeans came to this coast.  If you want to see what abalones were like up here before the white man, go down to the central coast where otters live and go diving.  I guaranty you won't find any except for a few small ones stuck way back in cracks.

Dave

What's more, there's 30 miles of coast north of there with awesome habitat completely dominated by rich "no trespassing" folks.  Not one set aside was put in Richey Rich-ville.  The set aside was put in the public park where normal folks come from inland to go dive and on Arch Richardson's property - one guy with family land and relatively no power.

I'm not against setting aside habitat, but this stinks to high hell.  First, as another privilege for the privileged, and second as an exercise in stupidity:

Any abalone specialist on the north coast will tell you that, due to the extermination of the original sea otter population by Russian fur traders here, there are more abalone now than before Europeans came to this coast.  If you want to see what abalones were like up here before the white man, go down to the central coast where otters live and go diving.  I guaranty you won't find any except for a few small ones stuck way back in cracks.

Dave

Yep.     Thank you, Dave, for putting that out there.

Good job, to all those who went/participated.   

I got up and referenced the ridiculous comment made by the crew-cutted NRDC lady about divers killing everything. I wish I'd ripped into her.

Trying to look on the bright side, there is still a lot of coastline up there. We have some exploring to do.

But I'm not done writing letters...it's not over until they write it into stone, and I say "stone" because as much as they say these will be reevaluated, these closures will likely never be reversed.
Andrew

They published my editorial in the Press Democrat that morning. Hope some of the Commissioners read it.

The Commission voted to put us on the agenda for their next meeting in Huntington Beach. Ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, but she's definitely warming up...

A fatal flaw in proposed regulations on abalone

By JIM MARTIN

Published: Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 4:41 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 6:21 a.m.

Later today, the state Fish and Game Commission will meet at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa to hear testimony regarding implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act. After more than a year of public stakeholder meetings, a range of alternatives for marine protected areas, including no-fishing zones, have been proposed for the commission's consideration.

Fifty years ago, North Coast recreational abalone divers -- as co-managers of their fishery along with the state Department of Fish and Game -- built a strong reserve component into the regulations as a hedge against overfishing. By limiting the take of abalone to breath-hold diving and banning scuba gear we protected the "seed corn" for next year's harvest. Southern California took a different route: scuba gear was allowed in the recreational fishery and commercial divers harvested the resource without many controls. As a result that fishery was depleted and is now closed.

Recreational abalone divers have worked for many years with Fish and Game to conserve the abalone resource. Last year, the Sonoma County Abalone Network paid $7,000 for our wardens to learn about how Canada deals with its abalone poaching problem.

There is a fatal flaw with the proposed regulations for marine protected areas on the Sonoma Coast. The closures add up to a 30 percent loss of public access points for shore-based divers. Public access is limited because of the steep cliffs, by private property and by the lack of boat launching facilities in the region.

Most of this diving will be directed into Fort Ross. Concentrating abalone diving is much like transforming a gentle rain into a fire hose. The same fishing pressure when channeled into a few spots will scour the resource and damage the fishery.

Fortunately, the commission has a chance to head off this unintended consequence of marine protected areas. Some of the proposed conservation areas ban abalone diving, but almost no other types of fishing, and they should be removed from the range of alternatives.

By moving one boundary at the proposed Stewarts Point Marine Reserve, just a 1˝ miles to the north, the commission would take a huge step in maintaining a sustainable fishery that provides millions of dollars worth of economic value to Sonoma County.

The changes we are requesting in no way reduce the overall protection levels of the proposed network of marine protected areas. Conservation areas that fail to meet the Marine Life Protection Act guidelines should be removed from consideration. Indeed, the protection values increase when the regulations focus on marine reserves, rather than species-specific regulations such as those proposed for Sea Lion Cove, near Point Arena.

The new public access site, at the Stornetta Ranch, was purchased in part with $1 million contributed by recreational anglers and divers through the Sport Fish Restoration Act fund. Now they want to kick us out?

Anglers and divers have contributed billions of dollars for habitat conservation. It's a sustainable funding model that has served us well for more than a century. In return for our support for conservation and management, our public access to natural resources has been preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Self-styled ocean protection advocates are offering a new model for conservation: private foundation funding for habitat programs that do not respect the traditions and outdoor heritage we hold dear. Time will tell if this new model of resource protectionism will prove to be sustainable.

When the trust funding dries up and a new environmental crisis attracts this foundation money, will the abalone divers and anglers still be around to advocate for the resource -- and pay for its management?

Jim Martin is the West Coast regional director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (www.JoinRFA.org) and a board member of the Sonoma County Abalone Network (www.abalonenetwork.org). He lives in Fort Bragg.

Jim:

That is a GREAT letter.  REALLY nice work.

Thanks, Sean - I am sick over this and hope the Commission sees the light before they do damage to a perfectly healthy fishery. They should remember the doctor's oath: "First, do no harm."

And thanks for all your work on the RSG.

I agree.  Right on the money!  Great points and writing.

Dave

I will personally shuttle people back and forth to Sea Ranch.Right from the big turn out by the northern boundary of Salt Point.Every 30 min or should do it. Maybe once a month or twice with good ocean conditions.