As the process of restructuring fishing grounds in Southern California continue to plod their way through the bureaucratic jungle that is the Marine Life Protection Act, examples of how environmentalists and the fishing industry can work together to provide a sustainable ecosystem that works for everyone involved emerge.  I have long believed (along with many) that the environmentalist, and fisherman have similar interests once you get past the emotion and unreasonable extremes on both sides.  An environmentally aware and responsible fisherman is the best friend that the ocean can have.

A group called Ecotrust has been commissioned to map out the best fishing areas in Southern California to use as a tool to redraw and expand the boundaries of the Marine reserves.   Eco trust is accomplishing this by enlisting the aid of fisherman to create a proprietary map of Southern California’s premier fishing spots to use as a tool to avoid decimating the sport.  What makes this unique is the fisherman themselves are volunteering this information, and are trusting an organization with roots in the environmental movement to represent their best interests.   This works because of the straight forward consistency Ecotrust has shown in the past.  Ecotrust says it best in the FAQ on their website when they answer the question: Why Tell the Truth?

“Fishermen have every incentive to tell the truth. This project presents a unique opportunity to bring fishermen’s knowledge directly to bear on MPA planning in California. Any reporting that misrepresents the actual fishing grounds has the potential to do more harm than good, recreating the “garbage in, garbage out” problem. We have designed our methods to minimize this problem, and will work closely with fishermen and a group of regional stakeholders to validate and verify the information collected.”

It is heartening to see this process move in this direction.  It initially seemed as the MLPA moved south the elements in each community that were spewing hate and lies where going to be the those that were heard in the general public.  Most people without a stake in our oceans can and will be sympathetic to all involved as long as there is a reason involved.  Lets keep it this way so that one day we can have healthy oceans which our children will enjoy abundant fishing.

Ecotrust

Sign on San Diego Article on the MLPA