Preservation Paddle Out For Naples Reef

We're lucky here in Santa Barbara to have relatively pristine areas like the Gaviota Coast (which is pretty unspoiled both above and below the water), and protecting our few remaining wild places seems like a no-brainer. Especially biologically important areas like Naples Reef. We went through this process once for the Channel Islands, and I think most people would agree it was a good idea to create marine reserves there--kelp's flourishing, fish and other wildlife are recovering, and party boats seem to have come out in great shape as well. So it makes sense to build on that success and protect special areas on the mainland coast as well.

And if setting aside this tiny area will boost fish populations, it sounds like a win win!

Awesome! Naples reef is truly a local jewel and I'm very glad we're being proactive with its protection. I enjoy Naples reef and look forward to doing so for many years to come. Kudos to the groups involved in this effort!

It's too bad MLPA has been gutted of any real protection for our marine environment. Instead we get Cathy-Reheis Boyd, disregard for water quality and pollution, violations of Bagley-Keene Act, blow off Hillborn and Worm's findings, an overwhelming focus on the "overfishing" scam pushed by PEW, Packard and all the NGO grant sucking parasites who stand to benefit by more research allocation.

Big thanks to Deckers Outdoor Corp. and Seacoast Yacht Sales for lending an open ear and mind to some of us in our local fishing community and subsequently canceling donations to Channelkeeper.

Support Heal The Ocean, they didn't sell out our community for MLPA loot.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010...

Yours truly,
fisherman, former Channelkeeper donor, volunteer and advocate

Worm and Hillborn's paper specifically states that our oceans need a combination of fisheries management and marine protected areas to ensure healthy ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. Because we know so little about the populations of many of the fish being caught in southern California, we must take a precautionary approach and set aside some productive and diverse places as insurance against our uncertainty. We must have a long-term vision for using and conserving our marine resources. Protecting a few places along the coastline, like Naples Reef, while leaving the majority of fishing spots open in Santa Barbara County, seems to be an attempt to balance the long-term vision with the short-term needs of the fishing community. I only wish that there was MORE protection proposed for our beautiful coastline.

In Santa Barbara, we are not strangers to marine protected areas with our network of reserves around the Channel Islands. Five years of monitoring these MPAs shows that numbers of rockfish in the reserves are up by 50% and the size of fish has increased by 80%. And this is after less than ten years of protection! Other emerging research shows that MPAs provide long-term benefits to the sustainability of fisheries by creating a spillover effect; marine life within the protected areas grow larger, have more offspring, and then seed the fished areas outside of the protected areas. If we protect productive habitats, like Naples Reef, overall ocean health along with commercial and recreational fishing all stand to benefit.

And what impact will a mansion or 6 on the bluff top at Naples have on the reef? Let's connect the dots while we are at it.

Yuk, I'm so sick of hearing from bitter commercial fishermen like corruptenviros. Bashing on environmental groups for accepting grant money to work on environmental issues when all he cares about is his bottom line. These guys act like they own the ocean. Don't forget, they earn their living off exploiting public resources. I'm a recreational fisherman and diver myself, and I love the idea of a few places along our coast being set aside for preservation.

What is this MLPA conspiracy nonsense he spouts about? Watered down and doesn't focus on pollution? Isn't that what groups like Channelkeeper are actually doing every day? Tell your local cities, sewage treatment plants, and farmers that they aren't being regulated for pollution issues or that the environmental groups aren't focusing on them enough. I just went to Channelkeeper's website and it looks like they are working in just about every one of these ares. I say bravo for the environmental groups who have the guts to stand up to the commercial fishing industry. Keep up the good work, and boycott Decker's and Seacoast Yachts.