Marine Protected Areas, new regs unveiled

California’s Central Coast Marine Protected Areas officially went into effect on Sept. 21, forcing saltwater anglers to alter their fishing destinations and practices. From Pigeon Point (San Mateo County) south to Point Conception (Santa Barbara County), the series of 29 marine protected areas represent approximately 204 square miles (or approximately 18 percent) of state waters in the Central Coast Study Region.
Central Coast MPAs (the first of five study regions along the coast) includes:
* 15 State Marine Conservation Areas (SMCA), which limits recreational and commercial fishing.
* 13 "no-take" State Marine Reserves (SMR); a total of 85-square miles and;
* One State Marine Recreational Managed Area (SMRMA); Morro Bay State Marine Recreational Management Area, where recreational fishing is limited or restricted.
For more information on the MPAs, click on the attached map or see the DFG Web site.