The waters off the Palos Verdes Peninsula have emerged as one of the most contentious areas in a yearslong statewide effort to draw the boundaries of a network of protected no-fishing zones. The area's rich marine environment - attractive to sea life and commercial and recreational fishers alike - is one of just a few regions in Southern California that offer prime rocky reef habitat. That has made the Peninsula a battleground as a large group of scientists, environmentalists and fishermen attempt to map out which areas of the coast will be protected as the goals of the decade-old law are realized. "Palos Verdes is going to be one of the toughest geographies to sort out because of all the different uses and different groups," said Ken Wiseman, executive director of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. "How do we maximize the protection of the ecosystem and minimize the economic impact? That's what we're really about." Wiseman oversees a massive, largely privately funded effort to implement the act, a 1999 law that called for the establishment of a series of marine protected areas along the state's 1,100-mile coastline. With the goal of protecting important underwater ecosystems and habitat, the state has been divided into five regions where stakeholders are tasked with proposing no-fishing areas that are haggled over and consolidated and then sent on to the state Fish and Game Commission for final approval.
Dozens of meetings have been held since September, when the process began for the South Coast region, which stretches from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border.
Along with areas around Dana Point in Orange County and near La Jolla in San Diego County, the Palos Verdes Peninsula has proved to be a flashpoint.
"It is a very contentious issue," said Brent Scheiwe, director of Redondo Beach's SEA Lab. "There are a lot of people who make their livelihoods in that area."
Scheiwe sits on a group of 64 stakeholders that have drawn up four sets of proposed maps.
"It's a tough place because there's such a high concentration of users in this area," he said. "But we're trying to conserve for the future to protect these habitats that are rich in biodiversity."
This week, the South Bay public will have the chance to view the proposals, which offer fishing closure areas of varying size, shape and number.
The meetings come just after state officials announced new advice warning consumers away from several varieties of fish that remain contaminated by a decades-old pesticide deposit and other toxins off the Peninsula. Federal environmental officials recently announced a plan to cap that deposit, created by runoff from the now-defunct Harbor Gateway-based Montrose Chemical Corp.
Those two announcements have frustrated local fishers, who are likewise worried about the effects the pending no-fishing zones would have on their ability to continue commercial and recreational pursuits.
Locally, the Peninsula is the only area being considered for a no-fishing zone. There, the proposals have ranged broadly, with debate centering on whether to protect the northern area around Rocky Point or to focus on the southern side, where the pesticide deposit enters the equation.
"Basically, it comes down to severe compromise and sacrifice on both sides," said Joe Farlo, a Torrance spearfisherman and recreational lobster diver. "All of Palos Verdes is important to someone."
Farlo has launched a campaign to keep Rocky Point - with its copious lobster, sea urchin, halibut, white seabass and other species - from being closed.
"This is the most productive area, and it has a veryprofound cultural heritage in the South Bay," Farlo said. "People have been diving there and fishing there for generations."
That sentiment is echoed by kayak fisherman Greg Tsujiuchi of Torrance. He's tried to educate fellow fishers about the potential closure to some of their favorite spots and to get them to come to meetings.
He described what he's witnessed as a battle between "conservationists" - fishers - and "preservationists" - environmental groups.
"The preservationists are just concerned with preserving and closing," Tsujiuchi said. "You don't see them out on the water. They're not the ones out there. That's why they favor closure."
Those who favor closure of areas such as Rocky Point say protection will increase species diversity and contribute to improved habitat and greater fish stocks in areas just outside the protected zones.
Lia Protopapadakis, a marine policy specialist with the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission who is also on the initiative's regional stakeholders group, has argued that closing the area off Rocky Point to fishing would protect one of the most critical habitats in Southern California. Protection would benefit an extensive reef system, she said.
"I view (protected areas) as an insurance for our marine resources," Protopapadakis said. "Over time, within marine reserves, you find larger, bigger and a wider variety of fish."
Part of the difficulty in mapping boundaries off the Palos Verdes Peninsula is that it sits between two harbors - King Harbor in Redondo Beach and the Port of Los Angeles. Those two host fishing fleets that converge off the coast.
"If we set the lines so it favors the San Pedro fleet, it kills those guys that come from King Harbor," said Bob Bertelli, president of the California Sea Urchin Commission. "If we set it (to favor) Redondo, it hurts those coming from San Pedro."
Bertelli, also a stakeholder, lives in San Pedro and has dived for urchin for more than 30 years. He said that local commercial fishers are prepared to lose some income from closures off the Peninsula. But just how much - and who loses - remain painful unknowns.
"There's a human face to this," he said. "That is what some of us are fighting for. You cannot ignore the people that this is going to affect."
Find out more
What: Marine Life Protection Act Initiative to create no-fishing zones in Southern California
When: Meetings Monday and Tuesday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Monday - Simon's Banquet Center, Ports O' Call Village, Berth 80, 1050 Nagoya Way, San Pedro
Tuesday - Marina del Rey Hotel, 13534 Bali Way, Marina del Rey
No comments:
Post a Comment