California Ocean Protection Council February 2024 Meeting - Public Comments

Leap Day public comments to the California Ocean Protection Council in Sacramento. My voice suddenly disappeared and was echoing in my own head. I fumbled a bit but pushed on. Text: 10 million dollars of research failed to grow kelp and fed urchins, however the volunteer diving community culling urchins at Tanker’s Reef in Monterey succeeded in growing 11 acres of kelp from scratch in an urchin barren for free. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Ocean Protection Council and Reef Check were our allies, but after 3 years the government agencies asked the Fish and Game Commission to terminate our project on Valentine’s Day and let the urchins eat our kelp forest to ask a new question of “what happens if the divers stop… by making us stop!? CDFW proposed a pathway 2 years ago but we can’t get a permit because you will not establish a policy that restoration, a legally allowed activity in Marine Protected Areas, is ever permitted. I think the Marine Life Protection Act’s goal is NOT to ignore rich diverse kelp forests becoming pink and purple moonscapes. Leaving MPAs undisturbed is not a goal but is what happens when you can’t afford to care about the ocean because the CNRA only funds half of 30 by 30. Your foolish research is killing 20% of the remaining kelp forests in Monterey. Your failure to advocate is killing the rest. Please declare a policy of allowing urchin culling in MPAs for restoration. Until you establish this policy, I will put down my hammer and pick up my camera and show everyone what you are doing to our kelp, to the fish, to the sea otters, and to ocean stewardship.