Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Ecosystems
The waters off California’s coastline boast some of the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems in the world. However, California’s marine ecosystems face numerous threats, including pollution, habitat destruction, historical overfishing, bioaccumulation of toxins, and climate change. It is imperative to understand these risks in order to better protect and manage these priceless resources for current and future generations.
The California State Legislature has directed state agencies to use innovative approaches to managing California‘s fishery resources and marine ecosystems (e.g., the Marine Life Management Act of 1998 (MLMA) and the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999 (MLPA)). Over the next five years, the OPC will build on the foundation laid by the MLMA and the MLPA, and partner with the regulatory bodies charged with implementing these statutes and others to help advance ocean ecosystem management in the state. The OPC’s goal is to promote healthy marine ecosystems and sustainable marine fisheries in order to protect California’s living coastal and ocean resources, and the communities and economic activities that rely upon them.
Supporting Sustainable Fisheries Management
Photo credit: Valerie Termini
Emerging fisheries management tools and stronger partnerships among fisheries stakeholder groups will improve marine resource agencies’ ability to understand and efficiently and effectively manage California’s fisheries. The OPC supports science-based approaches to inform fisheries management, and works with partners to advance improved governance of California fisheries. The OPC will use lessons learned from earlier initiatives to inform new and innovative approaches to fisheries management.
Initiatives
- California Sustainable Seafood Initiative
- Preserving California’s Fisheries
- Resolution Supporting Innovative Fisheries Management (adopted November 2006)
- California Whale Entanglements
Funded Projects
- California Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan
- San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Market
- Central Coast Groundfish Project
- Dungeness Crab Task Force
- Instream Flow Analysis – Santa Maria River
- Instream Flow Analysis – Big Sur River
- Instream flow Analysis – Shasta River
- Collaborative Fisheries Research
- MLMA Lessons Learned Project
- Salmon and Steelhead
- CEMAR – Southern Steelhead Resources Project
- Moss Landing Fisheries Market Project
- California Fisheries Fund
- San Diego Sea Urchin Fishery Project
- San Luis Obispo Sustainable Fisheries Support
Leveraging Investments and Realizing Benefits of the State’s Marine Protected Areas
Photo credit: Scott Toews
California’s network of marine protected areas (MPAs) is intended, among other goals, to protect and conserve marine life, habitat, and ecosystems, and improve recreational, educational, and research opportunities provided by marine ecosystems. In order to help achieve these goals, the OPC works with partners to effectively advance MPA management, enforcement, monitoring, education, and outreach across a broad range of public and private entities that are engaged in marine resource protection and restoration activities. The OPC coordinates MLPA implementation with other ocean management agencies to improve ocean resource management effectiveness, including adaptive management efforts informed by MPA monitoring.
Initiatives
- OPC-DFG Joint Work Plan
- MPA Monitoring Enterprise
- Marine Protected Areas Statewide Leadership Team (content coming soon)
- MPA Signage Project (content coming soon)
Funded Projects