Tag Archives: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Some of the many reasons why federal marine sanctuary management is a bad idea
The claim: A sanctuary will enhance our economy. The fact: Not true.,, The claim: Sanctuaries have never harmed commercial or recreational fishermen.
The fact: Monterey sanctuary leadership led the effort in California’s marine protected area process to close many of the best fishing areas. This occurred despite early promises made by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) and elected leaders that the sanctuary would not create fishing regulations nor take actions that would threaten fishermen’s livelihoods. Mr. Christie refers people to sanctuary leadership’s testimony before the Morro Bay City Council in 2016. People who heard this testimony and who know of the sanctuary’s role in creating no-fishing zones found this testimony to be disingenuous, if not dishonest. The claim: Sanctuaries offer protection for endangered species,,, >click to read< 18:05
“Oh, here we go, baby!” Watch: Researchers stumble across a whale carcass teeming with marine scavengers
When whales die in the open ocean they sometimes sink to the sandy floor where scavenging fish and other marine creatures tuck into the colossal feast. Octopuses, deep-sea fish, crabs and bone-eating worms all turn up for dinner. But there’s one species in particular that gets über-excited when a whale carcass hits the ocean floor: marine researchers. A team from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary aboard research vessel Nautilus were exploring the ocean depths off the coast of central California recently when they happened upon a baleen whale carcass. >click to read/watch< 15:12
Sides battle over Monterey Bay’s anchovy population
A fishing industry group says it has new findings supporting its contention that there is a healthy population of anchovies, which is counter to a nonprofit’s lawsuit challenging how the number of anchovies are determined. Meanwhile, Monterey fishermen say there are tons of the little guys in the local fishery. Gino Pennisi and Neil Guglielmo have been fishing out of Monterey for years, in Guglielmo’s case, since 1956. Both say anchovies are plentiful. But the nonprofit group Oceana,,, >click to read< 13:07
Fishing leaders: Has the Monterey Bay sanctuary kept its promise?
The answer is no, not to fishermen; please let us explain. Reflect back to 1992 when the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was proposed. While fishermen and most others agreed that it could help prevent offshore oil development, we had concerns about how sanctuary authority might affect those of us who provide food from ocean resources. There was also public discussion about how stakeholders would have a say in the new federal bureaucracy. Commercial fishermen and recreational anglers had killed two earlier sanctuary proposals over these concerns. In response, fishermen heard that the new sanctuary would not threaten our livelihoods or create fishing regulations. It was a broad assurance, and repeated often by both elected and NOAA officials. click here to read the story 22:54 
Fishermen fight for representative on Monterey Bay sanctuary council
Representation on an advisory council has reignited long-simmering tensions between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the fishing community. Fosmark said she has heard Michel say, “If you don’t agree with the sanctuary expanding, then you shouldn’t be on the SAC.” The expansion is not widely supported, local fishermen said, and Fosmark is their collective voice. The letter to Michel was signed by commercial fishermen from Eureka to San Diego. continued
CALIFORNIA: ACSF Opposes Sanctuary Expansion of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
October 5, 2012 — The Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries (ACSF), formed in 2000 to represent the commercial and recreational fishing interests of the six harbor communities in the central coast of California, released a statement opposing the expansion of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. The ACSF represents an area that includes the current sanctuary. The ACSF’s letter of opposition explains why regional fishermen oppose expansion of the Sanctuary and believe that it should instead focus on improving its governance and community relations.
Read a PDF of the letter here http://www.savingseafood.org/images/acsfletterresfexpansion.pdf
