MPA's WILL NOT go into effect on Oct. 1

[freediver7]

For those of you who haven't heard..... the news is official! The implementation of the MLPA on the South Coast has been delayed. The new MPA's WILL NOT go into effect on Oct. 1 as planned. Take a look at the article below:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2...delayed-socal/

This is the first MAJOR victory in the MLPA fight. In the past, we have gotten the courts to declare that the MLPA process was an illegal and corrupt process. The evidence has been available for all to see and was shown to the Fish and Game Commission. However, this did not slow down the process. So invested in ramming the MPA's down our throat are the FGC and the environmentalists that they ignored the evidence of corruption and approved the MPA's for implementation this year.

However, what is typically a simple process and a "rubber stamp" approval by the Office of Administrative Law "OAL" has been derailed by the lawsuit. Other agencies within the government have began to recognize the corrupt nature of the process and according to the DFG, "has additional questions and requests for more information". This has a real benefit for us by delaying implementation of the MLPA.

Many of us doubted that this would happen and expected the OAL to approve the package and for our success to come in the courtroom through restraining orders and such.

Please take the time to thank those who are responsible for this significant victory.

Watermen’s Alliance Board of Directors
Iaon Pohlit- President
Jeff Sporcich -Vice President
Terry Maas- Secretary
Volker Hoehne- Chairmen

Affiliated Clubs
Santa Barbara Freedivers
Long Beach Neptune’s
Fathomers
Monterey Tritons
OC Spearos
San Diego Freedivers.

Members and director's of the PSO....

And all the others who have donated and been sponsors of the many raffles etc....

From the bottom of my heart, I want to personally thank those fighting for our rights. It is amazing what can happen when we come together as a community.

The war is not over and I once again encourage everyone to donate at:

Watermen's Alliance

When you are out there diving in a future MPA for the lobster opener on Oct. 1, recognize that the only reason you are able to be there is because of the lawsuit and those above.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

We owe a lot to the people who have worked so hard to preserve our rights.

 

[Fondueset]

Here in Michigan underwater spear fishing is THE most restricted form of fishing. I wrote my Congressman advocating for expanded permissible species for freedive spearing (I did not address Scuba only because I wanted to limit the scope of my proposal - and because it takes an even more informed argument) and got a ridiculous and uninformed reply from the Department of natural Resources. I also advocated only for the open waters of Lake Michigan and adjoining waters - excluding rivers. We are allowed, here, to spear two species - Carp and Suckers.

 

[Don Paul]

We owe a lot to the people who have worked so hard to preserve our rights.

Amen Bill, those guys spend many thankless hours in meetings, hearings and in the old days, knocking on doors to get signatures and have petitions signed. The internet and forums have made gathering support a easier task to some degree. I would be on the phone many hrs back in the day.

Cheers, Don

 

[freediver7]

San Diego Union-Tribune

South Coast ocean closures not approved by state's law office


In what is a big blow to environmental groups who seek massive fishing closures off the coast of California, the marine protected areas called for by the Marine Life Protection Act's South Coast Region have been disapproved by the state's Office of Administrative Law (OAL).
The third set of marine protected areas established by the MLPA process will be delayed by months or more, according to a high-ranking Department of Fish and Game official who requested anonymity. The OAL has ordered the Department of Fish and Game and the MLPA Initiative team to correct deficiencies in the MLPA's final documents. The flaws must be fixed before the closures are approved, according to a document released Friday by the OAL.
The OAL listed several reasons why it did not approve the closures. Included among them is the MLPA staff's failure to provide reasons for rejecting alternative proposals for closures. And perhaps the most telling reason is the MLPA's Initiative team's failure to adequately respond to all of the public comments regarding the proposed closures.
The ruling came 17 days before the entire process will be on trial in San Diego Superior Court. Bob Fletcher, a former state Fish and Game assistant director and one-time president of the Sportfishing Association of California, and the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans sued the MLPA Initiative team for its mishandling of the process. The trial is set for Sept. 26.
In recent months the sport fishing groups have scored significant rulings against the backers of the marine closures. In June, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled that the Natural Resources Defense Council and Ocean Conservancy had no legal right to intervene in the lawsuit filed by Fletcher and his group. Fletcher filed the lawsuit on Jan. 27, 2011 for members of the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans such as the United Anglers of California and the Coastside Fishing Club. The suit asks that the court set aside regulations established through the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative.
The PSO lawsuit against the MLPA Initiative cites a lack of statutory authority for the California Fish and Game Commission to adopt the closure regulations. The group cites numerous violations of the California Environmental Quality Act in the Fish and Game Commission's environmental review of the regulations.
Fletcher said the judge's decision to keep the Natural Resources Defense Council and Ocean Conservancy out of the lawsuit was crucial to his group's success in proving a flawed and corrupt process determined the South Coast region's ocean closures.
"These environmental groups have played a major role in influencing the MLPA Initiative towards excessive and unnecessary fishing closures through a seriously flawed process," Fletcher said. "Throughout the MLPA process, anglers have had the deck stacked against us due in large part to the deep pockets of these pro-closure environmental organizations."

South Coast ocean closures not approved by state's law office | SignOnSanDiego.com