The State of California has taken an ecosystem-based approach to ensuring sustainable marine ecosystems through the creation of a network of marine protected areas and development of fishery management plans for commercial and recreational fisheries. Fishery management plans include information necessary to make informed decisions on sustaining marine resources while allowing harvest opportunities, including a description of the fishery, fishery science, conservation measures, habitat requirements, bycatch and discards, status of overfishing/rebuilding, and management options.
California has fishery management plans for nearshore fisheries, market squid, and white seabass. The State also recently finalized a management plan for the California spiny lobster fishery, which includes a harvest control rule that incorporates the contributions of marine protected areas to spawning output of the lobster population, linking fisheries management measures with expected marine protected area performance. California commits to finalizing fishery management plans for the abalone and herring fisheries by 2018 and releasing a case study on the integration of the States marine protected areas and fisheries management measures by 2018.
Additionally, California commits to updating its Master Plan for Fisheries - a roadmap for implementing sustainable management of state-managed fisheries and for prioritizing fisheries in the greatest need of management and conservation measures. The updated Master Plan for Fisheries will be informed by information gathering projects that are developing tools and recommendations to improve fisheries management in California. These projects address a wide range of projects including climate change and fisheries, socioeconomics, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, ecosystem considerations and prioritization.
Californias coast supports a $45 billion economy, including booming tourism, recreation, and fishing industries. The State commits to ongoing efforts to help ensure fishing communities and working waterfronts continue to thrive into the future.
Progress reports
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Type of commitment
- Community or Locally Managed Marine Areas
- Ecosystem-based Adaptation
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
Type of commitment
- Science-based fisheries management plans
- Ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF)
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Type of commitment
- Scientific, socioeconomic and interdisciplinary research
December 2018
Adoption of the updated Master Plan for Fisheries by mid-2018.
December 2018
Abalone Fishery Management Plan adopted by December 2018.
December 2018
Herring Fishery Management Plan adopted by December 2018.
December 2018
Host several statewide meetings to solicit feedback on issues facing fishing communities future resilience and identify potential policy or management solutions by December 2018.
