Posted by covediver on January 16, 2004 at 22:24:28:
In Reply to: NEWS: DFG to stop all new MPAs and disband working groups posted by Chris on January 13, 2004 at 09:44:37:
MPAs are a good idea if properly designed and admininstered. California has had a patchwork of MPAs for years. Chances are you dived (dove?) in one and didn't know it. That was the problem, it really was a patch work with loopholes all over. The trouble with MPAs is it takes a lot of time, energy, and public commitment to make it work. Does non-consumptive diving hurt the ecosystem. Maybe. Would you be willing to give up your favorite CI dive spot to test the theory? I doubt it. So lets not be too fast to blame the hook and bullet guys. It always seems to be someone else who causes the problem.
Another problem with MPA's is that it has become the buzz concept for marine management. But too often its just another way to restrict access. Remember when the Laguna homeowners want to ban divers from using the beach about a decade ago? They attempted to have an MPA declared to do it.