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Dan Bacher: $4 million awarded to monitor North Central Coast MPAs

Posted by: Maven on February 23, 2010 at 6:30 am

From Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org, this commentary:

“The Ocean Protection Council has awarded $4 million to “support initial monitoring” of the recently designated North Central Coast marine protected areas (MPAs) under Governor Arnold Schwarzengger’s widely-contested Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative.

“The projects, which will continue for up to three years, will target marine life and habitats, as well as commercial and recreational activities, inside and outside the protected areas,” according to a news release from Christina S. Johnson of California Sea Grant.

“Through the baseline program, teams of researchers and citizen-scientists will survey shallow and deep rocky habitats, kelp forests, rocky shores, estuaries, beaches and other key ecosystems,” the release stated. “They will also monitor ecologically and economically important species of fishes and invertebrates, as well as range of human activities, including commercial and sport fishing, and also “non-consumptive” recreation such as tide-pooling, bird watching and scuba diving.”

What parallel universe do Johnson and the teams of “researchers” and “citizen-scientists?” live in? Are they aware that this money is going to greenwash one of the most corrupt environmental fiascos in California history, a process that is the antithesis of real marine and fishery protection?

Are they aware that so-called “public” process is funded and directed by the Resource Legacy Fund Foundation, a shadowy organization funded by big corporations that attempts to control environmental politics in California and is entirely unaccountable to the public? … “

Continue reading Dan Bacher’s commentary at IndyBay.org by clicking here.

February 23, 2010 · Filed Under Oceans & Beaches

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