CALIFORNIA SEAMOUNTS CONTROVERSY. Presented by Dave Rudie, Catalina Offshore Products

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1 CALIFORNIA SEAMOUNTS CONTROVERSY Presented by Dave Rudie, Catalina Offshore Products

2 DAVE S HISTORY Fell in love with ocean first time snorkeling at age of 15 First time snorkeling in summer 1971, Corona Del Mar SCUBA certified in 1972 while in high school in Huntington Beach Experimental sea urchin harvesting permit, 1974 Attended UC Irvine; studied marine biology, chemistry & biology Started Catalina Offshore products at 22 years old In 1987 was appointed to the Directors of the Sea Urchin Advisory committee(dsuac), which was established by industry to conserve the resource. Created a self-tax and worked with California Fish and Game (DFG) to regulate urchin harvests by establishing size limits and a limited entry dive fishery. The California Sea Urchin commission was formed as a continuation of the DSUAC by industry Son graduated UCLA with PhD and MD; currently finishing residency in Philadelphia Daughter graduated UC Berkeley with BS in Public Health and Nutritional Science; dietician at Children's Hospital in Boston I have been involved in sustainable fisheries since the early 1980 s

3 COMMUNITY SUPPORTED INITIATIVES California Sea Urchin Commission SD Oceans Foundation Southern California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Ensures reliable, sustainable supply of quality sea urchin products to consumers and enhances performance of California's sea urchin industry First chairman 2004 precursor was the DSUC 1987 Collaborative fisheries research with lobster fishermen, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, SDSU and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) on baseline data and research in MPAs Stakeholder representing fisheries involved in the 3 year process

4 COMMUNITY SUPPORTED INITIATIVES con t Pacific Fishery Management Council's Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel California Fisheries Seafood Institute The Maritime Alliance Chairman HMSAS Advises on fishery management problems, planning efforts, and the content and effects of fishery management plans, amendments and regulations President Association of individuals and business firms engaged in, or allied to, the consumer seafood supply industry Board Member Promotes sustainable development of ocean resources through workforce development, education, research, academic investigation and community outreach

5 CATALINA OFFSHORE HISTORY Founded in 1977 while diving for seaweed at Catalina Island (harvested sea urchins in winters and seaweed in summers) In 1970s and 80s Kelco and the CA DFG were killing urchins with quicklime to foster growth of kelp forests. San Diego divers became instrumental in stopping the killing of urchins I learned how to sell my own harvest of sea urchins In 1980s I began processing urchins at night at a fish plant and selling next day to local sushi bars Developed market in Japan in the 90s, but now most sea urchins are sold in the USA due to increased demand

6 CATALINA HISTORY con t 1997 s El Nino impacted sea urchin business Catalina Offshore diversified and started purchasing other regional fish and shellfish Today we are one of the largest buyers of local seafood in San Diego, purchasing most of our seafood from California and Baja Califorina We operate a wholesale division, walk-in fish market and online store at

7 PROBLEMS WITH THE PROPOSED CALIFORNIA SEAMOUNTS LEGISLATION This legislation has virtually no chance of progressing, but may be used for the President s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to draft a document to be used in an Antiquities Act designation. Similar proposals are moving forward in Hawaii and the East Coast and are asking President Obama to use the Antiquities Act Use of the Antiquities Act of 1906 contradicts the Obama Administration s own National Ocean Policy that promises transparent and robust stakeholder participation- up front not as an afterthought Fisheries management plans under the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PMFC) were created under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) Instead of approaching the Council on this issue proponents have attempted to influence State and Federal elected officials PFMC has already protected the seamounts from bottom trawling. Most are also protected by Essential Fish Habitat conservation areas

8 1906 ANTIQUITIES ACT 16 USC Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any person who shall appropriate, excavate, injure, or destroy any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument, or any object of ant iquity, situated on lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States, without the permission of the Secretary of the Department of the Government having jurisdiction over the lands on which said antiquities are situated, shall, upon convictio n, be fined in a sum of not more than five hundred dollars or be imprisoned for a period of not more than ninety days, or shall suffer both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. Sec. 2. That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation hi storic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon t he lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, and may reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected: Provided, That when such objects are situated upon a tract covered by a bona fied unperfected claim or held in private ownership, the tract, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the proper care and management of the object, may be relinquished to the Government, and the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to accept the relinquishment of such tracts in behalf of the Government of the United States. Sec. 3. That permits for the examination of ruins, the excavation of archaeological sites, and the gathering of objects of an tiquity upon the lands under their respective jurisdictions may be granted by the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and War t o institutions which the may deem properly qualified to conduct such examination, excavation, or gathering, subject to such rul es and regulation as they may prescribe: Provided, That the examinations, excavations, and gatherings are undertaken for the benefit of reputable museums, universities, colleges, or other recognized scientific or educational institutions, with a view to increasing the knowledge of such objects, and that the gatherings shall be made for permanent preservation in public museums. Sec. 4. That the Secretaries of the Departments aforesaid shall make and publish from time to time uniform rules and regulati ons for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act. Approved, June 8, 1906

9 STATUS OF FISHERY MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION OF FISH POPULATIONS The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters and serves to: Prevent overfishing Rebuild overfished stocks Increase long-term economic and social benefits Ensure a safe and sustainable supply of seafood Rockfish stocks are nearly rebuilt by PFMC action

10 WHY SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES Sustainable fisheries require fishermen Support sustainable fisheries by supporting fishermen Recruitment of new fishermen to augment an aging workforce is limited When we shut down local fishermen the protein is replaced by less sustainable proteins Food security We import 90% of our seafood now and instead need to support local and regional sources of food Fish is a perfect protein that s good for our health and the environment - no forests are cut down, no toxic runoff produced Give a voice to fishermen who have very little in the public because ENGOs have more money which equals more marketing power

11 WHY SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES con t Fisheries Scientist Ray Hilborn Known for his work on conservation and natural resource management in the context of fisheries MPA vs. Fisheries Management studies show that when you have good management, MPAs are less important

12 PAPER BY RAY HILBORN Policy: Marine biodiversity needs more protection There are currently two very different views on the effectiveness of zones where fishing is either banned outright or tightly restricted. Many conservationists see the establishment of these marine protected areas (MPAs) as the only way to protect biodiversity. Others me included argue that the protection of biodiversity at sea can include recreational and industrial fishing and other uses of ocean resources. In fact, we think that closing waters to some kinds of fishing gear and restricting the catch of named species can offer much more protection than cordoning off even 30% of an area. We are concerned that MPAs may simply shift fishing pressure elsewhere. 2 Published July 13, 2016 in NATURE International Weekly Journal of Science

13 HOW DO WE WANT MANAGE OUR FISHERIES?

14 SOME ONLINE REFERENCES Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) US Regional Fishery Management Councils Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PMFC) Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) National Ocean Council Ray Hilborn