California’s Ocean Protection Council has recommended the approval of new ocean conservation proposals to the California Fish and Game Commission, including the creation of a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) off the coast of Carpinteria.
Specifically, the supported proposals would strengthen and expand the state’s MPA network, which act as refuges for fish with restrictions against much human interference. The network is in the middle of its decadal review, prompting proposals to both ease and tighten restrictions.
Those same proposals were recommended for denial by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) earlier on in the process. But the California Fish and Game Commission has the final say. With support from the state’s Ocean Protection Council (OPC), a cabinet-level state body, proposals to strengthen and expand the network may carry more weight…