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The passage of the Marine Life Management Act in 1998 opened a new chapter in the conservation of California's marine wildlife and the management of our marine fisheries. The law not only gave the California Department of Fish and Game and the California Fish and Game Commission greater responsibility for marine fisheries, but it also called for greater efforts to involve fishermen, scientists, and interested citizens in developing management measures for our fisheries. The Department and Commission are committed to fulfilling this mandate. For this reason, we welcome the publication of this Guide to California's Marine Life Management Act.
The MLMA requires all of us to adopt new approaches to the formidable task of conserving California's marine life and fostering healthy fisheries. For instance, the MLMA places a high priority on using the best available scientific information in managing our fisheries. Just as we must not use a lack of information as a pretext for avoiding action, so must we follow scientific guidance when it is available. There will be times when meeting this challenge will be particularly difficult because of the sacrifices that fishermen and others may have to make in order to secure a long-term future. But, if we fail this challenge and abandon sound science in order to avoid difficult sacrifices, we will all be much poorer in good time.
The art of fisheries management is not simply about science, however. Fisheries management requires managing ourselves. After all, we can do little to change the influence of climate or ocean currents on wildlife. But by controlling our own activities, from fishing to coastal development and pollution, we can avoid adding more strain on wildlife populations. While other laws aim to reduce the burden from coastal development and pollution, the MLMA aims at ensuring that fishing respects the limits of wild populations.
Just as fishing is a human activity, so must fisheries management concern itself with people. Under the MLMA, people are not simply to be controlled or manipulated, but are to be involved in determining how our fisheries can be sustainable. This requires expanding traditional government approaches to public involvement and opening up the decisionmaking process so that the rationale for decisions is clear once decisions are made. This challenge is as formidable as relying upon the best available science. In many ways, the success of the MLMA hinges on meeting this challenge, also.
With these thoughts in mind, we are pleased to recommend to you this Guide to California's Marine Life Management Act. We believe you will find it a useful reference to which you will return time and again.
Mike Chrisman, President
California Fish and Game Commission
Robert C. Hight, Director
California Department of Fish and Game |
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