We're foooooked!

[Drew]

Wearing full leather armor and Timberland's. Love it!

[Billy V]

Originally Posted by Drew

Wearing full leather armor and Timberland's. Love it!

Yes, those are Timberland's Basic.
Only when I'm on one of my SuperMoto bikes, or dual sports. The pavement destroys the soles of the boots and leaves long melted snots of rubber.
Too expensive to wear road racing boots with that riding style.

[PAL]

I wouldn't go so far as to say we're fooked, but the budget situation is something of great concern.

All the press release is saying, is given the state's financial woes, the funding necessary for MLPA related research and MPA enforcement has been either frozen or never budgeted. In light of these developments, the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans, of which the Kayak Fishing Association of California is a member, is asking Governor Schwarzenegger for a meeting to discuss the issue.

The MLPA calls for adaptive management of MPAs. Periodically, the MPAs are monitored to determine if they are serving their intended functions. If not, they can be altered or removed.

Here's the problem. Without baseline data completed prior to adoption, there's no way to determine if new MLPA-created MPAs are effective.

Further, some of the canceled research was meant to help site the new SoCal MPAs required by the law. If it is not resumed, we could be acting less on science and more on guesswork.

New MPAs may have a major impact on the state's sport and commercial fisheries and other related activities, all of which contribute to the state's struggling economy.

There's no money to publicize or enforce the new MPAs. The estimated state-wide cost is no drop in the bucket, it is some $40 million per year, money the state doesn't have. That's a problem; they won't be effective if they aren't properly enforced. Personally, I'm concerned the budget freeze will be used as an excuse to justify MPAs at public access points that have other, readily available enforcement such as lifeguards, state or national park rangers, or docents working for the adjacent aquarium.

I hope the message you'll take from the PSO press release is that your fishing advocates have their eyes on the ball and will act accordingly.

Paul

[Dan]

Thanks again Paul for the clear, concise updates.

[MKNOTT]

I aplaud everyones efforts "especially you paul" at keeping up with whats going on and fighting the closures....

But in the end when alot of our favorite places to fish are closed, we will still find other places to go and catch great fish. It might not be as easy of a launch, it might be a longer paddle, but there are pleanty of fish in the sea and alot of them travel too and from La Jolla. I

MKNOTT

[dsafety]

Originally Posted by PAL

There's no money to publicize or enforce the new MPAs. The estimated state-wide cost is no drop in the bucket, it is some $40 million per year, money the state doesn't have. That's a problem; they won't be effective if they aren't properly enforced. Personally, I'm concerned the budget freeze will be used as an excuse to justify MPAs at public access points that have other, readily available enforcement such as lifeguards, state or national park rangers, or docents working for the adjacent aquarium.


Paul

Paul, please expand on the above thoughts. As a former lifeguard, I can tell you that empowering untrained seasonal staff to enforce poorly thought-out regulations can be a big disaster. The idea that an 18 year old kid with no specific training would be asked to determine and enforce fishery regulations makes me shiver.

Maybe the best solution is to table the entire thing until conditons, both political and economic, have become more stable.

Bob

[Holy Mackerel]

Originally Posted by PAL

I hope the message you'll take from the PSO press release is that your fishing advocates have their eyes on the ball and will act accordingly.

Paul

Thank you Paul, and MJ, not to mention all the people behind the scences! The more I read about this stuff in all of my ocean interest groups, the more I become thankful for people like you on the front lines! Again, thank you very much, this is going to be a TOUGH fight to preserve our fishing rights, and access to the ocean, we are lucky to have these guys step up for us!

chris

[PAL]

Paul, please expand on the above thoughts. As a former lifeguard, I can tell you that empowering untrained seasonal staff to enforce poorly thought-out regulations can be a big disaster. The idea that an 18 year old kid with no specific training would be asked to determine and enforce fishery regulations makes me shiver.

Maybe the best solution is to table the entire thing until conditons, both political and economic, have become more stable.

Bob

I've never worked in public safety, but I've experienced the problem you describe a number of times from the other side. State Park rangers who rush to just-landed kayaks, hot to find a violation, the DFG reg book in hand - and they don't know how to ID a fish.

And for those who do know their regulations it can still be a pain, witness the downright hostile National Parks ranger a friend and I ran into at the Channel Islands. She took one look at our fishing gear and became instantly agitated. We found out later that enforcing the nearby MPA was a nussiance which took her away from other, more important duties.

For these reasons, and the fact co-locating MPAs with established and popular access points denies the public the use of their resources, I feel its terrible policy. Yet the MLPA Master Plan Framework contains language encouraging such an outcome, both to save money and so the public can easily interact with the MPA for recreational and educational purposes.

When the topic of the budget woes came up during our recent RSG meetings here in San Diego, the idea briefly floated to the surface again. I'm sure it won't have been the last time as the state looks for ways to reduce the cost of enforcing new MPAs.

Bob, if you agree it is misguided, I suggest you say as much to the MLPA South Coast Blue Ribbon Task Force.

[dsafety]

Paul,

I'm in, but am a kayak fishing newbe. I grew up in La Jolla and know the waters like the back of my hand. Unfortunately, no one, (aside from maybe a few who visit this forum), care what I think.

How can I help.

Bob