The entire fishing community (recreational and commercial) has been waiting and anticipating for months to see if the CA Legislature was going to assert its rightful role and oversee the Administration and its wealthy private supporters as they adopt Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Or would the Legislature just accept the word of the Administration that the process was based on good science and lots of public input.

The fishing community had high hopes that two prominent legislators (Senators Florez and Ducheny) would help ensure transparency. Even hoping that a special oversight hearing could be held to examine the quality of the science, the economic impacts, and the availability of state funds to actually manage MPAs once they are adopted.

Ducheny and Florez tried their best but ran into a brick wall in Senate President proTempore Steinberg's office. Language requiring (1) the same financial standards that controls public money be applied to the MLPA private money and (2) a delay in new MPAs until fishery management is fully integrated with previously adopted MPAs was solidly rejected from going into a "budget trailer bill."

Instead, Senator Steinberg flipped the language into a huge victory for anti-fishing folks. His language compliments the Governor on the use of private money and private agreements for creating MPAs and encourages him to do the same for adopting Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) under the Marine Life Management Act (MLMA). It invites RLFF, who has already given nearly $34 million to create MPAs, and others to pony up the millions needed to write and adopt an FMP regulating fishing in areas outside of MPAs. See attached.

Steinberg recognizes that implementing the MLPA and the MLMA are outrageously expensive ($35 million annually for MLPA), but instead of fixing the problem he says go get special interest money to restrict fishing.

In other words, special interest money could be in total control of fishing throughout the state. With no effective Legislative oversight!

Please make some phone calls now:

1st - Call Senators Florez (916-651-4016) and Ducheny (916-651-4040) and thank them for their efforts regarding MLPA oversight and ask them to continue.

2nd Call Senator Steinberg (916-651-4006 Capitol or 916-651-1529 District)

Ask: Why is he undermining Legislative oversight of the MLPA? Why he supports placing tens of millions of dollars in unfunded mandates on the DFG? How can he allow costly new programs to start up while cutting critical existing programs?

3rd Call your local Assemblymember and State Senator and ask their help in getting meaningful oversight and controls on this expensive unfunded MLPA program. You can find you local representatives at www.leginfo.ca.gov Click "Your Legislature" and insert your zip code.

Thank you,

CA Fisheries Coalition