"On June 29, the California Fish and Game Commission voted 4 to 1 at its meeting in Stockton to approve a "preferred alternative," the "unified proposal" developed by fishing, environmental and tribal stakeholders, to create a set of marine protected areas on the North Coast.

Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird, a strong supporter of Arnold Schwarzenegger's privately-funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, claimed that the Commission decision was "a major victory in the effort to establish Marine Protected Areas on the north coast of California." He applauded the Commission for voting for an exception for area tribes to "continue hundreds of years of subsistence fishing."

Unfortunately, Laird failed to asked Tribal leaders about how they felt about this so-called "major victory.""

Get the Story:
Dan Bacher: Fish and Game Commission refuses to recognize tribal gathering rights (Indybay 7/21)

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Yurok Tribe calling for protest to exercise gathering rights (6/17)