Monday, July 20, 2009

Sen. Feinstein: 'I believe in standing up for small businesses that are woven into the rich heritage of our coast'

The thousands of small fishing businesses and harbor community interests represented in the California Fisheries Coalition (CFC) greatly appreciate the following statement included in a recent opinion piece by U.S. Senator Feinstein:


"I have been, and will always be, a passionate advocate for protecting California's environment and its wilderness areas. But I also believe in standing up for small businesses that are woven into the rich heritage of our coast."


We agree! CFC members also support protecting California's marine environment by use of best available science, a mandate of the Marine Life Protection Act. The CFC was formed, in fact, to advocate for best science in the implementation of Marine Protected Areas along our coast.


Best science means considering all impacts to the ocean, including water quality, and fully considering -- and integrating -- the precautionary restrictions already in place via longstanding fishery management practices. Such integration avoids needless duplicative regulations on small sustainable fishing businesses and harbor communities that are indeed "woven into the rich heritage of (California).


You can read the entire opinion piece here.

1 comment:

  1. Dear Senator Feinstein,

    My name is Barbara Stephens~Lewallen, my husband John Lewallen and I have been wild seaweed harvesters, ocean protectors and stewards of the ocean eco-system for over 30 years. As it stands now, the MLPA is about to take away 30 years of ourlife of hard, diligent work that would support not only the people that depend on wild seaweed as a food and medicine, but pay our mortgage and insurance and medical bills not to mention every day living expenses. How can a process take away from people their life in a snap of a finger. this process is immoral. Please do what you can to stop this process being run by private interest corporate monies and help put it back into the collective consciousness of the people whose lives and communities depend on it. thank you. Barbara Stephens~Lewallen

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