Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
256 Figueroa Street #1, Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 373-5238
www.alliancefisheries.com

Dear Editor:

John Pisto got things very right in his guest editorial on the Marine Life Protection Act.  I’ll add that the State’s plan, and for that matter those presented by the Aquarium and the Ocean Conservancy, do not utilize the best available science.  They did not model their theories to see how they would actually play out.  They failed to take into account all the existing regulations, especially the use of quotas for nearly all commercially harvested species.  Mr. Pisto was correct that the State’s plan would take about 60% of the productive fishing areas away from fishing and force all that fishing into the remaining area.  It appears Mr. Sutton in his guest editorial for the Aquarium wants to force that fishing into even a smaller area.  This is bad science, and it’s bad for the environment.

I’ll also add that the State did a crummy job of assessing economic loss to fishermen.  The public should not believe the numbers being thrown around about minimal socio-economic pain.  Pisto is exactly right that this community is about to lose it’s fishing heritage.

Kathy Fosmark