The massive marine reserves are expected to revitalize fish stocks
CHANNEL ISLANDS N.P., CALIF.-Twenty-five percent of the biologically diverse waters surrounding Channel Islands National Park have been protected, following the decision by California's Fish and Game Commission to make 175 square miles of ocean off-limits to fishing.
The decision creates the largest marine reserve area in the continental United States. A coalition of park advocates, including NPCA, believes that the reserve area will help reverse an alarming decline in populations of several marine species once plentiful there, including red snapper, abalone, and angel sharks.
"By creating no-take zones, where no sea life can be hunted, harvested, or captured, the Fish and Game Commission's vote will help to reverse declines in marine populations," said Courtney Cuff, Pacific regional director for NPCA. "Wildlife, park visitors, and commercial fishermen can now thank the [commission]."
Scientists in recent years have concluded that no-take zones are a good way to rebuild fish stocks by allowing fish to reproduce. Recent evidence suggests that in the long-run this benefits both the fish and those who catch them. While some commercial and sports fishers oppose no-take reserves-many decried the commission vote-others see them as important for sustainable fishing.
The commission vote protected 13 areas, 11 of which are no-take reserves. One area off of Santa Cruz Island will allow recreational fishing, while another off of Anacapa Island will have limited commercial and recreational fishing.
The next step would be for the marine reserves to extend into federal waters, which begin beyond the three-mile boundaries of state waters that encircle each of the Channel Islands. That action, if approved by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, would stretch the islands' marine reserve system to 426 square miles.
The 175 miles currently protected represents the third largest reserve in the country, behind those in the Florida Keys and Hawaiian Islands. The plan for marine reserve areas at Channel Islands was first proposed four years ago by sport fishers. The Marine Reserve Working Group, consisting of representatives from fishing and environmental groups, scholars and government officials, was created to develop approaches. Most of the nearly 10,000 public comments it received favored no-take zones.
The Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary—the ocean surrounding the islands—sits between warm and cold ocean streams, offering exceptional habitat and breeding areas for aquatic creatures, including 20 endangered or threatened species. The sanctuary covers 1,500 square miles. Before the commission's vote, only 1 percent of Channel Islands' waters were off-limits to fishing.
"Without a healthy fish population, seabirds and mammals on the coastline that depend on marine species will suffer," said Cuff. "Protecting ocean waters that interface with national parks is inextricably linked to protecting the health of these terrestrial parks."
