Volume 14 Number 1, Spring 2001, a publication of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Marine Reserves: Frequently Asked Questions
What are marine reserves?
Marine reserves, or "no take" zones, are a specific type of Marine Protected Area (MPA) that prohibits all extraction or harvesting of marine resources. Marine reserves are not intended to limit access or anchoring.
Why are marine reserves being considered?
The answer to this question is found in the official Problem Statement adopted by consensus of the Marine Reserves Working Group (MRWG), the entity charged by the Sanctuary Advisory Council with developing a preliminary recommendation for marine reserves:
"The urbanization of Southern California has significantly increased the number of people visiting the coastal zone and using its resources. This has increased human demands on the ocean, including commercial and recreational fishing, as well as wildlife viewing and other activities. A burgeoning coastal population has also greatly increased the use of our coastal waters as receiving areas for human, industrial and agricultural wastes. In addition, new technologies have increased the efficiency, effectiveness and yield of sport and commercial fisheries. Concurrently, there have been wide-scale natural phenomena such as El Ni?o weather patterns, oceanographic regime shifts and dramatic fluctuations in pinniped populations.
"In recognizing the scarcity of many marine organisms relative to past abundance, any of the above factors could play a role. Everyone concerned desires to better understand the effects of the individual factors and their interactions, to reverse or stop trends of resource decline and to restore the integrity and resilience of impaired ecosystems.
"To protect, maintain, restore and enhance living marine resources, it is necessary to develop new management strategies that encompass an ecosystem perspective and promote collaboration between competing interests. One strategy is to develop reserves where all harvest is prohibited. Reserves provide a precautionary measure against the possible impacts of an expanding human population and management uncertainties, offer education and research opportunities and provide reference areas to measure non-harvesting impacts."
Which species will marine reserves try to protect?
While marine reserves offer protection to the whole ecosystem, MRWG is also interested in protecting specific species. MRWG generated a list of over 100 species in CINMS to consider in designing reserves utilizing the following criteria: species that are economically or recreationally important; species that are candidates for, or listed as, endangered; species that have exhibited long-term or rapid declines in harvest; habitat-forming and dominant species; and species that are sensitive and/or important as prey. The species list includes marine plants, such as kelp; invertebrates, such as urchins; over 80 species of fish; marine birds, such as brown pelicans; and marine mammals, such as harbor seals.
Where are marine reserves being considered?
Marine reserves are being considered within the boundaries of CINMS, a federally designated MPA that encompasses 1,252 square nautical miles, from the shoreline out six nautical miles around San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands. Sanctuary waters overlap state waters (shoreline out three miles) and Channel Islands National Park (shoreline out one mile). Reserves are only being considered within the current boundaries of CINMS.
www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov