I just cancelled my membership to Surfline.

[THE DARKHORSE]

January 21, 2009 Any North County or southern Baja vet most likely has run into Garth Murphy intensely evaluating surf conditions from shore and gracefully riding the best waves of the season. A California icon who partnered with Mike Doyle and Rusty Miller in their infamous and pioneering Surf Research company, Garth is the author of the epic novel of California, The Indian Lover, and the son of noted fisheries biologist Garth I. Murphy, who was La Jolla's Scripps Institute of Oceanography's first PhD, and a professor at the University of Hawaii. Garth, who has lived, surfed and advocated for coastal and marine protection in Hawaii, Australia and Baja California is now a member of the California Department of Fish and Game's Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI) Regional Stakeholder Group.

The group is actively pushing a collaborative process to strengthen marine conservation off of the coast of Southern California through the establishment of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs). These proposed reserves would conserve key marine ecosystems such as kelp beds, reefs, sea grass beds--or the ecological features that provide the foundation for some of our very best waves. When you think of Sunset Cliffs, Trestles, Windansea, Swami's, Big Rock, Cardiff Reef, Rincon, Malibu, and Blacks (and the list goes on) you can't escape the fact that all are not only key surf spots, but also critical coastal and marine ecosystems. I caught up with Garth at the MLPAI meeting on January 14th at the Holiday Inn across the street from the Star of India and San Diego Bay. In between talking with Surfrider activist Stefanie Sekich and women's pro surfing pioneer Debbie Beacham about keeping surf spots pristine forever, Garth had time for an interview about why surfers, more than any other recreational ocean user group in Southern California, need to be pushing the MPA banner. Why should surfers care about marine conservation and creating MPAs in Southern California? Because we have 300 wave-rich surf-spots to choose from and over a million Southern California surfers average 20 surfs a year - for 20 million yearly immersions in what usually happen to be our ocean's most bio-diverse coastal marine habitats. The Marine Life Protection Act recognizes traditional surfing as a compatible recreational use of the ocean resource, permitted in protected areas except at mammal haul-outs, bird roosts and estuaries. A network of Marine Protected Areas, by protecting and conserving complete coastal ecosystems and habitat, enhances the biodiversity and abundance of marine life, enriching our experience, while minimizing and controlling potential habitat-destructive human activities, which directly affect us. "A network of Marine Protected Areas, by protecting and conserving complete coastal ecosystems and habitat, enhances the biodiversity and abundance of marine life, enriching our experience, while minimizing and controlling potential habitat-destructive human activities, which directly affect us." Murphy, on how preserving our marine heritage in Southern California benefits surfers Why is preserving marine ecosystems of Southern California so important for surfers? Southern California surfers and marine life share natural coastal ocean habitats of every important class: estuaries and river mouths, beaches and inter-tidal zones, surf grass and eel grass beds on composite reefs like Cardiff; rare cobble reefs like Trestles, Rincon and Malibu; rocky reefs like Windansea and Laguna; submarine canyons like Blacks, and sand bars at Newport and Pacific Beach; as well as man-made habitats like the Piers at Huntington and Imperial Beach, rock jetties like the Wedge and Hollywood by the Sea, and artificial reefs. As a boon to surfers, thick coastal kelp forest canopies, which shelter the greatest biodiversity of coastal marine species, also protect us from the afternoon winds, refining ocean surface texture and grooming the swells to extend our surfing hours - and the carrying capacity of affected surf spots. Habitat based marine protected areas preserve everything within their boundaries, including our cherished surf spots. What about water quality? Would marine reserves help our efforts to keep beaches free from polluted runoff? Coastal ocean water quality is not just a function of land pollution runoff. Over-exploitation and depletion or collapse of important food-web components causes imbalances that degrade marine ecosystems and make the ocean more vulnerable to disease outbreaks and opportunistic invasive species like stinging jellyfish, algae blooms and toxic red tides, diminishing water quality and habitat suitability for marine life and surfers. On the contrary, robust, bio-diverse marine ecosystems with intact food webs are resilient, resisting and adapting to environmental change and pollution, maintaining water and habitat quality. Estuaries are marine life nurseries, fresh/salt water interfaces that empty into many of our finest surf spots. We absorb that same water through our eyes, ears, nose and mouths on duck-dives and wipeouts. Rebuilding and maintaining bio-diverse estuaries with a full range of marine life creates healthier nurseries, and encourages upstream compliance with pollution regulations. The result is better water quality for all of us. So in the end, how does preserving our marine heritage in Southern California benefit surfers? The California surfing style evolved in a unique marine environment of glassy peeling waves. This stylish surfing and our beach lifestyle have become an important part of California history and culture - and media focus - generating an endless wave of glossy-color surf magazines, surf videos and feature films. The success of the $7+ billion surfing industry, centered in Southern California, depends on maintaining the high cultural value of the traditional California Surfing Experience: As exciting, invigorating exercise, as a get-away, as a sport, a meditation, a dance, a family get-together and photo opportunity - enhanced by a vibrantly alive and healthy ocean. The ocean is Earth's largest and most accessible enduring wilderness. Regular contact with wilderness is a human, and especially American cultural value, manifested today in the ocean by the popularity of surfing. A full and abundant spectrum of marine species - from whales to hermit crabs to phytoplankton - is an integral part of our ocean-wilderness experience. Marine Protected Areas enhance ecosystem awareness by exposing us to a broad diversity of marine life. They encourage monitoring of potential problems and upstream compliance with complementary air and water quality regulations. The positive water quality and life-giving effects of marine protected areas are a valuable gift to the surfers and marine species who share them. Serge Dedina is the Executive Director of WiLDCOAST and a longtime Imperial Beach surfer. He received the SIMA Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2003 and is this year's recipient of the San Diego Zoological Society's Conservation in Action Award. For more information on marine protected areas check out www.wildcoast.net or contact Serge at info@wildcoast.net. Want to see more from San Diego? Click here to go to the Surfline San Diego archive. Comments: (11) Add Your Comment Adam Sachs 01/26/2009 09:46 PM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name As a surfer, freedive spearfisherman, and proponent of overall ocean health I was disappointed and offended that Surfline chose to run Mr. Murphy’s interview which failed to highlight the devastating effects the proposed MPAs would have on recreational hook and line fishing and spearfishing; activities which thousands of surfers enjoy. Mr. Murphy fails to acknowledge that many of California’s early surfing icons actively fished and spearfished in Southern, CA as recreational anglers for many years and this legacy is threatened due to the proposed MPAs Jacob Horne 01/26/2009 09:33 PM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name Anyone who reads this article and the following comments should do themselves a favor and research both sides of the debate. I was unsure of which side was right, but after a little bit of reading and some thinking about the effect MPA's have on people who love the ocean as much as surfers do it became obvious that this editiorial is misleading and wrong. I am disapointed in surfline. Last month Black's was fine with spearfishermen down in the cove. This article is kooky shi!t. Boyd Elder 01/26/2009 06:59 PM surfider needs to focus on pollutin controll and beach acess, not marine biology issues. Boyd Elder 01/26/2009 06:58 PM i intend to raise my sons with the same high degree of respect for the ocan that I have. saying MLPA's promote a california ocean lifestyle is just not true. Paerhaps an article spelling out nhow surfings pioneers spent enormous amounts of time surfing, fishing and spearfishing might be more in order. If harvest levels are unsastainable, changes in bag limits.slot limits/sizes should be implemented, not wholesale closures of valued fishing grounds. Boyd Elder 01/26/2009 06:56 PM Dear surfline editor, im a little disturbed to see your pro MLPA article in surfline. Something the article didn't mention was that the MLPA's will have the effect of shifting all the comercial and recreational harvest preasure on only a few areas, which will have a very negative impact on the fishery. i am a dedicated califonia watermen. I surf, spearfish, kayak, and spend every availble minute of freetime involved in recreation in our beloved Pacific. Danny Jones II 01/26/2009 06:46 PM Please see that your ocean will be taken away from you too. There will be no win for surfers, only loss of use for us all, to apease a select few with an extremist view. Know what you are fighting for and you will change this editorial. Danny Jones II 01/26/2009 06:45 PM As a freedive spearfisherman, I enjoy the ocean as much as any surfer, perhaps even more, as I glide beneath the waves, marveling at the oceans beauty and abundance. Speafishing has the lowest impact and take ratio of all fishing methods, with a 0% by catch rate. We are the cleanest, most quiet and most selective of all consumptive fishermen. The MLPA's want to take away your recouces as an American, never to return them to you, and have no funding to manage these closures afterwards. Danny Jones II 01/26/2009 06:43 PM Your recent article on MLPA's has an affect on all watermen, divers, fishermen, hoopnetters, children not to mention the people who earn there living from the ocean. These MLPA closures are funded by those who want no fishing whatsoever anywhere, anytime. This will affect tackle stores, sellers of bait, recreational as well as commercial fishermen, all the freedivers and scuba divers, plus all the infrastructure that their fishing supports. 01/26/2009 06:41 PM What if the next step is that we can't have people crossing into the tidal zone and impacting the creatures at the surfs edge? Do you get to keep your spots but screw everybody else? Be it the fisherman,divers, kayakers and so on? You don't close down an entire mountain range to save a groundhog! That is whats going on here! This is to replentish ocean resources. Closed forever! Please do a little research on your own and see the BIG picture! 01/26/2009 06:40 PM I can't believe the article regarding Garth Murphy's lopsided view on MLPA closures! Or that you"Surfline" would post them! I am a waterman in my own right and am fighting to keep closures to a minimum. Some of these closures will have an impact on surf spots as well. If some beach closures push others to your surf spots; what does that do to overcrowding your existing spots? surferandfisherman 01/26/2009 06:37 PM how does recreational fishing disturb the ecosystems inside the surf zone? the only real way to harm it with fishing is to surf fish, which is not as common as offshore fishing. we surfers make as much of an impact just by walking out on the reef before we jump on our boards to paddle out! i think we should focus on the japanese fishermen who fin sharks and destroy local populations of fish and worldwide populations of tuna. the mlpa is ridiculous! Add Your Comment: THE DARKHORSE: With the laws that removed gill nets years ago, It should be obvious that fish stocks are on the rise, thriving is a more accurate term that should be used, especially in places like La Jolla.

[j mo]

Its sad to think that I might not be able to share the pacific with my son the way my father did with me.

I hope with Californias impending bankruptcy this is put on hold, and eventualy re-worked. There will be a large cost associated with this, something that the state cant afford at the moment.

[tthor]

This is another example of the narrow mindedness of the (Surfrider Foundation) or in this case Surfline backing a measure that will effect all waterman and in the long run may bite them in a$$. I have been fishing La Jolla since the 80's, starting on a long board moving to a fishboard/windsurfer with a milkcrate and then to a kayak in 1993. After a brief hiatus from kayak fishing from the late 90's to about three years ago, I have gotten back into kayak fishing. Yes, I was shocked to see how many people have gotten into the sport, but I also believe the fishing is better. This due to the fact that as Josh mentioned above the gill net ban, seasonal closures on certain species and that sportfishermen also conserve the resource via catch and release. Not to mention the Hubbs WSB hatchery program. I see many threads with Threshers, YT's and WSB's being released and rarely see any Calico's kept. As a long range fisherman, I saw the same thing happen in 2002 when two weeks prior to leaving on a 16 day trip, the Mexican government pulled the permits to fish the Revillagigedo Islands. Again, sportfishermen were punished for the illegal commerical fishing of the islands. After seeing the MLPA closures to the north, hopefully the closures can be stopped before we lose La Jolla and Point Loma. Being new to the board, this was not the topic I expected to be my first post.

Tom

[amsurferoceanbeach]

If Garth helps end fishing in La Jolla.
I will campaign to put the toll road through
his cherished Trestles surf break. That many
surfers peeing in the water all day long,
365 days a year has to be bad for the eco
system, and its in a protected state park.
Go to the greedy surfline.com and post a reply.
By the way surfline makes your surf break more
crowded. Never give them your money.

[Geoffkoop]

I agree. DONT give money to surfline or surfrider. I too will vote for the tollroad if they back closing the fishing grounds.

[bigderel]

I stopped giving $ to Surfrider long ago...talk about an organization that tends to go awry.

I'm pretty positive that less than 50% of the population would go for the initiative if they were informed...it's a sad thing to watch the misconceptions get perpetuated by an article like this. Some that dude's answers are pretty hilarious actually, the anglers sure are destroying your surf spots (?????) and kelp beds (????????????) and cobblestone reefs (????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??)...and on and on. Stick to coastal pollution and development dumbass, a hook & line aren't doing any more damage to your reef than your empty head bouncing off of it does.

I guess you throw out a soapbox and everyone's an expert. Kinda like the message boards!

[B Slate]

I can't beleive a surf organization would actually show that. The fact is that surfer's are going to lose some of their surfing areas too, as i have herd that they want to close certain beaches from all human contact. These enviromentalist need to focus their efferts to find better ways to commercially harvest fish, Stopping illigal havesting from places like japan and stop pollution as these would actually help the ocean. Recreational anglers premote better fisheries with programs that benifit the fisheries. If anybody knows a place to send a letter too i would have a lot to say.

[FISHIONADO]

I just received an email from Surfrider regarding MPA's. I would recommend that the kayak community get involved with Surfrider and help influence their "support of sustainable and accessible fishing opportunities". Most of my surfing buddies don't fish, we need some representation there. If you are not a member already please join and let them know what is important to you. If you fill out the survey below please be respectful and represent us well.

Survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?s...cSSwjSHw_3d_3d

From Surfrider:
The Surfrider Foundation is gathering information and recommendations from local communities to help formulate a regional network of MPAs. Our goal is to balance our members' commitment to restoring and protecting our coast and ocean for generations, with our support of sustainable and accessible fishing opportunities.

The Surfrider Foundation is currently working with a wide variety of individuals and organizations on the Marine Life Protection Act -- or MLPA. The MLPA is a state law that requires establishing a "network" of marine protected areas along the California coastline. This law is currently being implemented in Southern California .

Much like our National Parks protect special places on land, these Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) offer heightened protection for marine life to thrive and people to enjoy. In short, MPAs protect special places for their "intrinsic value" – preserving ecological abundance for generations to come. MPAs around the globe have become popular attractions for people to enjoy nature's beauty and abundance.

Establishing MPAs can also help restore healthy fisheries. Studies show alarming declines in fish populations worldwide. Fishermen are now catching half of what they did in 1990 and the fish they do catch are 45 percent smaller. Some local fisheries may take 50-80 years to recover. MPAs allow marine life populations to increase and individual species to grow to full maturitywhich increases the number of off-spring from protected areas. These larger populations may "spill over" the boundaries of MPAs and provide improved fishing in areas adjacent to MPAs.

The state of California adopted the MLPA in 1999 and created the opportunity for members of the public to participate in identifying special places worthy of heightened protection. Surfrider Foundation members represent a broad spectrum of people who enjoy time in the ocean: surfers, fishers, divers, kayakers, sailors and others who just love the natural beauty of our coast and ocean. Our collective knowledge from this experience can help design an effective network of MPAs.