Aliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
P O Box 1309, Carmel Valley, CA 93924 (831) 659-2838

8. Leadership in the consideration of marine reserves should be undertaken by the NMFS/PFMC and by State Fish and Game Agencies - and not by the National Marine Sanctuary Program. The Channel Island marine reserve process was, and is, a mess, and we need to learn from that experience. The PFMC's Science committee's peer review of the CINMS-MRWG Science panel's percentage conclusion (30-50% reserves) indicated that it was more policy than science. This is one example among many as to why this process was such a poor example of public decision making. As one participant pointed out at the Forum, the Sanctuary Program does not have the scientific expertise, nor the unbiased public decision making process, to be in a leadership role. The Sanctuary Program is not a neutral facilitator, but rather a stakeholder, just like us; therefore, the Program should not be put in charge of the decision-making process. As a related point, we certainly do not want States or the PFMC to abdicate their responsibilities and let the Sanctuary Program establish policy for marine reserves. The use of the Sanctuaries Act zoning authority would skip important evaluations required in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

9. What our Alliance has attempted to do in setting up our own Marine Reserves Study Group, then inviting representatives from the Sanctuary Program and the Science and Conservation communities to work with US, is to provide leadership to this problem. This is not a game or a trick on our part. After watching the outcomes of other processes, we believe that you have to lead or be trampled. You will have to offer constructive suggestions and engage in discussion, appreciate other points of view, and work towards a common good. To avoid the "confuse, divide, wear-out, and get conquered" syndrome we must be organized, inclusive, and stay constructively focused on the issue. "Inclusive" means all gear types, recreational fishermen, divers, etc. Remember Ben Franklin's quote in 1776: "If we don't hang together, we will hang separately".

10. One point, which was developed during one of the Forum's breakout groups, contained the
realization that the fishers and conservationists don't talk enough to each other. This is true, but odd, in as much as most fishermen consider themselves to be conservationists, and most conservationists we know love to eat fresh fish. To try to improve this situation, the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries will make the offer to the conservation community, (and agency people, and the science community), to come down to our harbors, go on our boats, and get to know us. Anyone who wants to do this through the Alliance can contact us at the Alliance main phone number and we can arrange a visit. We also hope that other fishermen and fishermen's groups will extend similar offers up and down the coast. We know this letter contains some blunt opinions, but we want everyone to know that the street runs both ways… we are listening as well.
Most policy statements regarding the addition of marine reserves in coastal waters (including the "Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Reserves and MPA's", signed by 161 scientists), include the following: For marine reserves to work, whether it be for intrinsic value or as a fishery management tool, they must have the support and acceptance of the fishing community, both sport and commercial. To gain that support, the ideas and questions we have posed must be addressed.

"Marine reserves are a solution looking for a problem"
Anonymous California Fisheries Scientist
"You've got to be careful if you don't know where you
are going, because you might not get there."
Yogi Berra

Sincerely,

Kathy Fosmark, Co-Chair, ACSF Moss Landing

Steve Scheiblauer, Board Member, ACSF, Monterey Harbormaster

Roxanne Jordan Board Member, ACSFD, Moss Landing

Duncan MacLean, Board Member, ACSF, Half Moon Bay

Tom Canale, Board Member, ACSF, Santa Cruz

Chris Miller, Member, ACSF, Santa Barbara

Craig Barbre, Member, ACSF, Morro Bay

Steve Fosmark, Member, ACSF, Moss Landing

CONTINUED