Marine Protected Areas

The Marine Life Protection Act

The California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), calls for the creation of a science-based network of marine protected areas along the state's coastline. Similar to national parks on land, marine protected areas set aside certain designated parts of the ocean for preservation and protection. A marine reserve is an important type of marine protected area where no “take” of species is allowed, such as in a national park. Marine reserves help safeguard critical ocean habitats and help allow all types of marine life to thrive, from the coral of the seafloor, to the fish and mammals that reach the water’s surface, and all marine life in between.  

CCKA Is Taking Action

The current effort to implement the MLPA, known as the MLPA Initiative, is a public-private partnership guided by scientists, policymakers, stakeholders, and members of the public. The MLPA Initiative includes extensive public participation through numerous public meetings and a Regional Stakeholder Group. In 2007, the California Fish & Game Commission adopted the first network of marine protected areas along the Central Coast.  The Commission subsequently adopted a network along the North Central Coast in August of 2009, and along the Southern California Coast in December 2010.  The Southern Coast MPAs will be implimented January 1st, 2012.  CCKA is working with the Marine Monitoring Enterprise to ensure that the South Coast Monitoring Plan effectively gauges the health and abundance of marine life in and around MPAs. Read our comments on the Draft Monitoring Plan here.

The next phase of the Initiative is currently underway to establish marine protected areas along the North Coast (from the Oregon border to Alder Creek).   On August 31, 2010, Humboldt Baykeeper and community stakeholders in the North Coast reached consensus on the first ever unified marine protected area proposal. 

CCKA is an appointed member of the Statewide Interest Group for the MLPA Initiative. CCKA supports the creation of a network of marine protected areas and marine reserves that both safeguards ocean life and coordinates with water quality initiatives to further protect the designated areas.  In close collaboration with the local Waterkeepers, CCKA will continue to advocate for a comprehensive, science-based network of marine protected areas throughout California, and strong water quality and water flows laws to enhance those protections.

CCKA also works to protect marine life, such as the California sea otter, by advocating for regulatory and management decisions to allow our fish and marine life to flourish. For example, in October 2011, CCKA joined a coalition of concerned environmental groups to ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to end the No-Otter Zone in Southern California. 

What the MLPA Looks Like: On Land and Under Water

A short PBS video documents the groundbreaking conservation effort occurring along California's coast through the MLPA.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.