New Life for Coastal Fishing Communites

Landmark plan helps fishermen and protects prime ocean habitat in California

Posted: 01-Sep-2005; Updated: 26-Jul-2007

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We joined with fishermen and The Nature Conservancy to protect 3.8 million acres of undersea habitat from trawling.
(Photo: Kathleen Goldstein)

Only a handful of people were aware of the undersea treasure lying off one of California's most traveled coastlines until marine biologists compared notes with fishermen and unveiled a secret: Off Big Sur lay coral gardens seven feet tall, where some of the world's biggest rockfish roamed alongside whole communities of rare species.

This zone, extending 200 miles offshore, is one of only four places on Earth where an upwelling of water from the ocean floor distributes huge amounts of nutrients. It must be protected if future generations of Americans are to enjoy wild-caught fish from the region. But trawlers, dragging weighted nets along the ocean floor, were doing heavy damage.

"This is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world," said Jay Elder, harbormaster of Port San Luis. "Yet it wasn't being adequately protected." Faulty science and decades of disputes between fishermen and regulators had brought about an economic and environmental collapse. In 2002, the government finally closed some areas to bottom trawling, but even this didn't stop the steady decline of fish stocks.

Banning trawling across a much larger area was necessary, but some fishermen were barely making a profit and passionately opposed further regulation. To break the logjam, Environmental Defense marine ecologist Dr. Rod Fujita joined forces with The Nature Conservancy and found a way to gain fishermen's support.

Brokering a buyout and building markets for eco-friendly fish

We offered to buy out vessels and permits from trawlers willing to sell and to help fishermen market sustainably caught fish at a premium price, if they agreed to support large no-trawl zones.

"Environmental Defense is assisting us in building new markets that will revive fisheries and fishing communities," said Elder. "Without this help in keeping us in business, we would not have come to the table. We don't want to depend solely on tourism here."

Once trust was established, fishermen began disclosing highly confidential information on where they fished. Together, we mapped out no-trawl zones and achieved our ecological goals while still allowing fishermen to make a living by permitting trawling in less critical areas.

"This was revolutionary," noted Elder. "Fishermen never tell you their secrets. "We then spearheaded the advocacy that won federal and state support for the plan. In the end, our prescription for safeguarding essential fish habitat won out over less inclusive plans.

The dramatic result is that 3.8 million acres of undersea habitat will be protected, including reefs, offshore banks, underwater canyons, seamounts and corals that harbor a spectacular diversity of ocean life. Now, California's legendary rockfish fishery has a chance to survive, and historic fishing villages from Point Conception to Point Sur can remain vibrant — all thanks to the success of Environmental Defense in finding consensus among a habitually embattled group of stakeholders.

"This solution is an opportunity for us to be the ones doing the protecting," said Captain Chris Kubiak, a trawl fisherman out of Morro Bay. "We never would have been able to help enact these protections without Environmental Defense."

From the September 2005 Solutions newsletter