In Reply to: MLPA Southern Region, 101 posted by Divebum Don on July 16, 2008 at 14:34:57:

Have been very active in the Central Coast MLPA process, I'll add

- Whatever your position, GET INVOLVED.

- Nonconsumptive divers and consumptive divers are two separate
stakeholder groups. Nonconsumptive divers include both
photographers and nonphotographers.

- We photographers didn't mind one bit some of our favorite sites
becoming no-take zones.

- There's a good bit of gerrymandering of the stakeholder groups.

- The DFG websites are quite good. The home page for the MLPA is
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/ You folks are the South Coast
Study Region.

- They do do a good job of keeping the secret sites secret.

- Sounds like Divebum Don is a consumptive diver. Keep that in
mind.

- There's a good deal of reasonability in the process. The
consumptives won't get away with with protecting a lot of
barren sand, and the non-consumptives won't get away with
protecting EVERYTHING.

- The science folks have a set of guidelines on size, spacing,
and quality of MPAs. Understand them.

- There will be a lot FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) sown
over on the consumptive side. One fellow on the consumptive
side (who's a fellow Boston Whaler owner) was completely
convinced that the MLPA was going to completely shutdown ALL
fishing.

- If you are a nonconsumptive diver, don't assume that the green
folks have the same agenda you do. They don't, but they can
still be an ally.

Chuck

• Re: Re: MLPA Southern Region, 201 Divebum Don 19:26:54 07/16/08 (0)