Economic Reach:
- more than 14,000 commercial fishermen
- more than 4,000 fishing vessels
- several million recreational anglers
- more than 200 seafood companies
- approximately 172,000 people employed by our partner businesses
- overall, more than $5.5 billion contributed annually to California's economy
The Coalition has participated in all aspects of the Marine Life Protection Act
Initiative, contributing significant resources to coordinating and delivering
stakeholder input from economically important fishing communities.
The California Fisheries Coalition supports a sustainable, ecosystem-based
approach to marine conservation, including the establishment of Marine
Protected Areas that take fishing regulations and socioeconomic impacts into
account.
The Coalition represents people whose livelihoods and recreation depend on a
healthy, productive marine environment. With their experience on the ocean,
commercial and recreational fishermen contribute great depth to our
understanding of California's marine ecosystem.
The Coalition believes that any successful effort to conserve the vibrancy of
California's marine ecosystems must carry the support of those whose
livelihoods depend on the ocean.
Now, through the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, California has an historic
opportunity to create a network of marine protected areas that will enjoy the
support of fishermen and central coast fishing communities. The California
Fisheries Coalition offers a win-win solution for the MLPA: protection for both
the marine environment and historic fishing communities.
Our Member Organizations:
Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
American Albacore Fishing Association
California Abalone Growers
California Lobster & Trap Association
California Fisheries & Seafood Institute
California Sea Urchin Commission
California Wetfish Producers Association
Central Coast Fisheries Conservation Coalition
Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara Inc.
Federation of Independent Seafood Harvesters
Fishermen's Alliance of California
Fishermen's Association of Moss Landing
Golden Gate Fishermen's Association
I.S.P. Alginates Kelp Harvesters
Kingfisher Trading Inc.
Monterey Commercial Fishermen's Association
Morro Bay Commercial Fisherman's Organization
Port San Luis Commercial Fishermen's Association
Recreational Fishing Alliance
South Central Nearshore Trap Organization
Southern CA Trawlers Association
Sportfishing Association of California
Ventura County Commercial Fishermen's Association
Statement of Purpose and Guiding Principles
THE PURPOSE of the California Fisheries Coalition is to provide a
mechanism for recreational and commercial fishing groups to work together in
a proactive manner on the MLPA Initiative to ensure a credible, fair, and
science-based outcome. Participating groups all recognize that by working
together and focusing on their core values they increase the likelihood that they
will be able to maximize the resource conservation benefits and minimize the
detrimental economic impacts derived from improving an MPA network in
California. The CFC will pool resources (e.g., knowledge, time and money)
from the participating organizations and persons to increase efficiency and
impact for all.
CFC participants agree to respect each others' expertise and to strive for
consensus. They also agree to listen respectfully to each other, seek
clarification, stay on the subject at hand, and be open and flexible when
exploring solutions and developing recommendations. Those who find they
are unable, for whatever reason, to constructively take part in the CFC
collaboration will voluntarily withdraw from participating rather than
potentially hinder the work of the others.
CFC participants recognize that their respective groups will not necessarily
always agree on all marine or fishery policies. That recognition, however, does
not preclude the groups from working collaboratively on the MLPA Initiative.
THE CALIFORNIA FISHERIES COALITION ENDORSES THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
1. Implementation of MLPA requires consideration of all impacts to the
marine environment when designating MPAs for the purpose of protecting
existing unique areas or for the purpose of enhancing marine areas, e.g., those
areas with the most potential for improvement via the protections from MPA
status are candidates for designation.
2. Existing MPAs and closed areas should be evaluated and modified before
new MPAs or reserves are created.
3. A prerequisite to implementation of MLPA is a recognition that fishery
management often has the same goals as the MLPA and therefore fishery
management must be integrated in an improved MPA network so as to
minimize social, biological and economic consequences while still
accomplishing MLPA goals.
4. The MLPA program must ensure that MPAs have clear and measurable goals and objectives and provide a
clear process for adding, deleting or modifying MPAs.
5. MPAs and reserves must have an effective complement of enforcement and management measures to
support monitoring and adaptive management changes in the future.
6. Implementation of the MLPA must incorporate objective scientific peer review of baseline assessments,
criteria, standards, monitoring, and management strategies.
7. The MLPA Initiative must ensure adequate long-term funding to cover the cost of on-going monitoring,
enforcement and management of MPAs.
8. The MLPA program should strive to accumulate and develop the best science relative to the marine
ecosystem and MPAs and not just be satisfied with what is easily available.
9. The MLPA program should include processes that maximize the use of fishermen and local communities
in data gathering, monitoring and managing MPAs.
10. The designation of MPAs must protect and/or improve public access to the coast, marine environment
and marine resources consistent with the State Coastal Act and the public trust doctrine supported in State
law.