07-02-2009, 11:10 AM
ASA and the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO), which represents recreational fishing and boating interests, scored a "win" in the Marine Life Protection Act planning process. The PSO, as well as numerous other organizations and individual anglers, voiced their objections to a decision to allowing Proposal "C," the most extreme marine protected areas (MPAs) closure plan for southern California, to move forward as one of seven alternatives despite being soundly defeated during the Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG) meeting held May 19-21, in Santa Ana, Calif. During its May meeting held later in May, the Blue Ribbon Task Force voted to reverse the decision, thus eliminating Proposal C from further formal review. The Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO), which represents recreational fishing and boating interests, along with other organizations, is still calling for a slow down of the implementation process in order for the science to catch up to the process which has no defined timeline under the Marine Life Protection Act.