Getting caught at the base of a big wave can be terrifying and sometimes a little painful -- the water wells up before you, you try to dive under it, but then you're sucked up and over the falls, slammed onto your board and perhaps suffer a coral cut or even a broken nose.  Most of the time, fear of the wave is much worse than any real pain from the washing machine-feeling under the wave.  The experience is uncomfortable, but it's educational, strengthens your endurance, and ultimately teaches you to be a better surfer.

I think my experience in the waves is similar to how industry opposition to the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) feels right now.  Industry interests are in the water, watching a wave of change build before them and feeling a deep fear that they will be harmed. 

The MLPA will create a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), underwater parks, throughout the state of California.  Many businesses in California understand that MPAs are beneficial because they protect and improve ocean resources that are an engine of California's economy.  A minority of industry, however, fears the MLPA will harm their interests by placing certain areas off limits to fishing.  The opposition faces an uncomfortable change to business-as-usual, but all the evidence from existing protected areas suggests this change will ultimately benefit their interests, improving the health and vitality of our embattled ocean so that all ocean users -- surfers, divers, fishermen, and others -- can enjoy California's ocean abundance for generations to come.

The process of drawing the boundaries of California's MPAs, which moves through five study regions throughout the state, is open and transparent, based on science, and involves high levels of stakeholder participation.  For the north central coast region, the MLPA process recently recommended the "Integrated Preferred Alternative"-a balanced network of areas that would provide full protection for about 11% of state waters in the region-to the state Fish and Game Commission.  The Commission will make a final decision about adoption of that alternative in August of this year.  Surfing, diving and wildlife watching will still be allowed in the protected areas as well as outside. 

In a film released today by Ari Marcopoulos, in partnership with NRDC -- Seventy-One Percent of Earth -- big wave surfers share their experience to highlight how important Marine Protected Areas are in protecting our oceans.  Much of this film is shot on the North Coast of California, in or near the region where the Integrated Preferred Alternative is nearing completion.  Watch this film, and if you are inspired, please take a moment to submit a letter the Fish and Game Commission, voicing your support for the Integrated Preferred Alternative.  This letter is due by May 4, and if you live in the Sacramento area, you can also attend the next Commission meeting on May 14 in Sacramento to speak out in support of MPAs.

Where they have been established, Marine Protected Areas have already been shown to work.  For example, MPAs were established in California's Channel Islands six years ago.  Since then, these MPAs have been carefully monitored by biologists and economists -- study of these areas reveals that the Channel Island MPAs have significantly improved the number and size of fish and healthier and more productive kelp forest habitats.  MPAs allow fishing and all other activities to continue in the vast majority of California's waters -- the Channel Islands have demonstrated that MPAs do not cause economic harm and that they actually improve the success of fishing around the edges of the protected areas because fish have been given the chance to grow large and reproduce more.

Adoption of the Integrated Preferred Alternative for the north central coast, and the entire network of MPAs, are a wise investment in the resources that support the multi-billion dollar coastal and ocean economy in our state.  The alternative to the improved management with MPAs is the continued decline in ocean health, such as the 45% decline in average fish size of a full range of fished species over the past two decades.  While MPA opponents are using the state and national fiscal crisis as an excuse to indefinitely delay adoption of California's marine protected areas, the cost of doing nothing new to protect our oceans will outweigh the relatively low initial cost of establishing this legacy of protection. It's time to get past the fear of change and make an investment in a more prosperous California -- the IPA marks a wave of positive new ocean management that will produce a big pay-off to the state down the line.