On October 15, California’s Fish and Game Commission will decide whether to create a new marine protected area, the Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area, off Carpinteria’s coast.
You can go in person Oct 14-15; as there is a call for volunteers who would like a free trip to Sacramento in support of the Petition Hearing. Hotel and transport provided. Contact Sierra Club’s Executive Director Bruce Hasse at: Bruce.haase@sierraclub.org
Numerous residents signed a petition to the state commission showing support, but the Sept. 30 deadline has passed. Nevertheless, you can still send comments via email or attend the meeting in person: fgc@fgc.ca.gov
It would be designated as a marine protected area, which is “like national parks under the sea,” said Dr. Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, during an interview with the SB Independent last year. “Not only do fish have the chance to grow larger, but they also generate more eggs,” he noted, likening it to similar on-land protected parcels like “underwater wolves and bison,” such as the giant sea bass.
The Tribal led proposal is named for a thriving Chumash village renowned for building tomols, the traditional plank canoes that connected mainland and Channel Island communities. The protected area would safeguard kelp forests, the 1.6-mile-long Carpinteria Reef, fish, spiny lobsters, white sharks, and rays, covering about 26.2 square miles and extending roughly six miles from the shoreline.
It would also help clean up the mess that the oil industry made when oil was discovered in 1962. Some underwater wells are still leaking after abandonment. Supporters say everyone can experience the wonder and beauty of our coast, while honoring the rich history of the Chumash people and safeguarding kelp forests, rocky reefs, and a juvenile white shark nursery.
Learn more details and how you can support it here: https://www.mishopshnompa.org/