A Marine Protected Area (MPA) petition filed by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI) includes the area from Morro Rock to the dog beach.
The MPA was one of 20 received by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2023. There were also 72 proposed regulatory changes.
“The original petition proposed the allowance of recreational take of finfish and invertebrates except mussels and scallops," said Claire Wagonner, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Region Habitat Conservation Program Manager. "So it would've still continued to allow some recreational take.”
Waggoner said that changed in April when the tribe requested to amend the petition, allowing only tribal fishing for the SYBCI.
“It’s our livelihood," said Lori French, a Morro Bay fisherman's wife. "It’s his identity. It’s not like you just go to work and shut the job off.”
French said that the specific area includes multiple fisheries such as Dungeness crab, rock crab, halibut, and salmon, adding that the proposed MPA has caused some concern for local fishing families.
“The fishermen are involved, trying to get the word out," French said. "In the whole MPA process, we have been, I would say, ignored... For the fishermen, it would have a devastating economic impact and for the town, for Morro Bay, I think it would be pretty severe also."
Waggoner added that Fish and Wildlife’s recommendations follow an evaluation framework that was approved by the commission back in August. So far, it’s been used on 10 petitions and considers factors such as whether it meets Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) goals, aligns with the MPA network, and was submitted or co-sponsored by a tribe.
“It’s beyond our evaluation," Waggoner said. "The commission has a lot of things that they can factor into their decision.”
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Tribal Chairman Kenneth Khan told KSBY News in a statement, "Our goal, as the only federally recognized Chumash tribe in the nation, is to help protect the biodiversity and cultural resources in the waters along the central coast through co-management with the state. We filed the Chitqawi MPA petition in 2023 to protect the northernmost coastal Chumash village site that is culturally and historically important to the tribe.”
The recommendation will be released before the California Fish and Game Commission's August meeting, but a potential decision wouldn’t come until October.
Khan says they asked Fish and Wildlife to consider adjustments that would accommodate some recreational users.
"We recently asked the California Fish and Game Commission to consider adjusting the petition so that it would accommodate some recreational users while still being considered sufficiently protective to qualify as an MPA," he said. "This is an ongoing process, and our hope is to find a way to ensure these waters remain protected into the future."
Waggoner added that if approved, it would take two to five years for the changes to go into effect, since it would enter another lengthy process of going through California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis and public engagement opportunities.
