MPA's Are Coming

OK, this will be my first "official" post. I want to thank Jim for the invite to this site. He asked me to post this information for all to see.

I have been telling everyone the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) were coming. This is yet another attempt to limit our access to the fisheries and resources. If you do not belong to an organization fighting for your access rights, we need your support today.

Please click on the link to see where in your state MPA's have been proposed. I am working on counter measures here in DE.

What is a Marine Protected Area?
Some people interpret marine protected areas to mean areas closed to all human activities. Others interpret them as special areas set aside for recreation and commercial use, much like national parks. In reality, “marine protected area” is a term that encompasses a variety of conservation and management methods in the United States.
The official federal definition of an MPA is: “any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein.” -- Executive Order 13158 (May 2000)
In practice, MPAs are defined areas where natural and/or cultural resources are given greater protection than the surrounding waters. In the U.S., MPAs span a range of habitats including the open ocean, coastal areas, inter-tidal zones, estuaries, and the Great Lakes. They also vary widely in purpose, legal authorities, agencies, management approaches, level of protection, and restrictions on human uses.
The link below outlines all the areas in your state that have been nominated as an MPA. Take the time to read and check out what can happen in your area:http://mpa.gov/pdf/national-system/nomsites_state3_17_09.pdf

This is no joke. Look what is happening on the west coast.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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The Packard Foundation contributed over $123 million over three years to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And the Packard Foundation has contributed over $18 million to keeping the MLPA process afloat in California.

They are paying for the science that is closing the Calif coast and the state is letting them do it because they say the state doesn't have the money to do the scientific studies.

Fish and Game commissioner Michael Sutton is a corporate officer with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and has a "material financial conflict concerning the Marine Life Protection Act."

Sutton serves as corporate officer of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and was paid $138,357 in 2006, plus $30,832 in employee benefits and deferred compensation.

Aquarium Trustee Margaret Caldwell who is a Blue Ribbon Task Force member, is also is conflicted or compromised because she's a member of the governing body of Sutton's employer, has influence over Sutton's direct financial interest and yet serves as an advisor to him on matters regarding the MLPA.

"The views of the Aquarium in actively supporting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely known as the Aquarium is a vocal advocate for ocean closures through the imposition of MPAs," the document reads. "The Aquarium was actively engaged in lobbying for adoption of the Central Coast MPAs and currently is engaged in lobbying the Commission for the adoption of the Integrated Preferred Alternative (IPA) for the North Central Coast over all other alternatives presented to the Commission by the Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF), an advisory body to the Commission regarding the MLPA.

"Commissioner Sutton, as the Aquarium's Vice President and Director of the Center for Future of the Oceans has been equally vocal in his advocacy for the IPA. The public record of Commission meetings leaves no doubt that Commissioner Sutton advocates for ocean closures through imposition of MPAs and advocates for speedy adoption of regulations to implement the IPA for the North Central Coast. In fact, the Aquarium has posted on its website an electronic communication (Attachment B) asking the Commission to 'Please approve the IPA with no further cuts to protect California's North Central Coast . . .' One only needs to add one's name and address and click on the website to transmit this communication to the Commission."

The recreational fishermen are way out gunned by the Packard Foundation and they are coming to your neighborhood next
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I hope this answers some questions about MPA's. It is not just a surf-fisherman threat, boaters, divers and others are at threat here as well. Expansion of the MPA's are iminent. Anything over 3 mi. off shore is considered Fed. waters as well.

Divers and fishermen worry about possible expansion of marine sanctuary

By SUSAN WEST




Fishermen and divers urged federal officials to hold-the-course and not expand the boundaries of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary at a meeting Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

“I’m more than happy with the status quo”, John Pieno, owner of a diving business in Hatteras, told representatives of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

Pieno said he did not support expansion of the sanctuary to include other shipwrecks, such as merchant vessels sunk by German U-boats during World War II. Increased restrictions on anchoring vessels and fishing would prove harmful to Outer Banks communities, he said.

The meeting at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum was one in a series of public scoping meetings held as revision of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary management plan gets underway.

The wreck of the Civil War ironclad rests about 16 miles offshore of Cape Hatteras. In 1975, the one-mile area surrounding the wreck became the country’s first national marine sanctuary.

The sanctuary is managed by a plan written in 1983 that protects the wreck from damage by human activities, such as vessel anchoring and fishing, and controls access to the site through a permitting system.

David Alberg, Monitor Sanctuary superintendent, said a comprehensive review is long overdue.

“Ideally management plans should be reviewed every five years, but that’s not a federal requirement,” he explained.

Public comment Thursday indicated that restricted access to additional offshore waters is a huge concern for many Outer Banks residents.

Steve Wilson of Ocracoke drew a comparison to the creation of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and subsequent restrictions on off-road vehicle and pedestrian access to the seashore.

“As we’ve learned, there are no guarantees, and expanding the sanctuary could have unforeseen consequences detrimental to the villages,” Wilson warned.

Hatteras charter-boat captain and sanctuary advisory council member Jay Kavanagh added, “The concern is that any expansion could be a vehicle to introduce future fishing restrictions.”

The National Marine Fisheries Service regulates fishing in federal waters, but sanctuary management also affects fishing. In 2007, protected areas within the Channel Islands Sanctuary were expanded to permanently ban fishing in almost 111 square miles.

Alberg noted that while comments Thursday night in Hatteras ran against expansion of the sanctuary, comments at other public meetings have supported protection of resources outside of the current site. He said all comments would be reviewed.

Expansion of existing sanctuaries is not uncommon. In November, an updated management plan for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off California increased the size of the protected area by 775 square feet. Expansion of the Flowers Garden Banks Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico has been proposed, and legislation expanding the Thunder Bay Sanctuary was introduced last summer.

Alberg said the Monitor management review process is expected to take anywhere from two to three years. A draft management plan should be developed by the summer of 2010.

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will take comments on management of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary until February 1, 2009. Comments can be sent to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or to Monitor NMS, 100 Museum Dr., Newport News, Va. 23606. More information is available at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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WOW Good info now how do we fight this??????We need to pull together and stop the loss of natural habitat which we can use for our activities.Weather it's hunting,fishing,diving.boating,even a walk on the beach,we can't let the anti's influence the government enough to close these areas.What do you all think?????
POST UP BOY'S AND GIRLS!!!!!!!



FC :evil: