California MPA Review Advances as Anglers Rally for Science-Based Management

A number of petitions before the California Fish and Game Commission that could significantly restrict recreational fishing access along portions of California's coast have entered a new phase of review. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers remains committed to ensuring that any future management decisions are guided by sound science, meaningful public engagement, and a balanced approach to conservation that maintains public access to recreational fishing opportunities wherever possible.

The first Decadal Management Review of California's Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network highlighted both the successes of the state's relatively new system of marine protections as well as opportunities to improve management moving forward. California BHA provided comments during the review process and has remained actively engaged throughout the state's transition into the adaptive management phase, where proposed changes to the MPA network are now being evaluated. In a parallel but connected track, BHA staff have served on the California Natural Resources Agency's 30x30 Partnership Coordinating Committee for the past several years, helping ensure the perspectives of hunters and anglers are represented in broader discussions surrounding conservation, public access and the conservation of 30% of California's public lands and waters by 2030.

When a large number of petitions were introduced in 2023 seeking new fishing closures and substantial changes to portions of California's MPA network, BHA organized the fishing community in opposition and  elevated the issue through member communications, public comments, and stakeholder engagement efforts. Throughout the process, the chapter has consistently advocated for management decisions rooted in the best available science and has emphasized that any large-scale closures of recreational fishing should be supported by local data demonstrating a clear conservation need. 

In March of 2026, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) staff scientists released recommendations on many of the petitions under review, recommending denial of essentially all of those evaluated. While there were a few petitions that BHA initially supported which aimed to expand urchin harvest or pelagic fishing opportunities, the chapter has chosen to back the Department's recommendations across the board has and has encouraged the CDFW staff scientists to continue applying the same science-based framework to the remaining Tribally-led/co-led petitions still under consideration. Several of the remaining petitions that have yet to be evaluated would establish new no-take State Marine Reserves which would eliminate fishing opportunity for good.

As a part of the petition review process the Commission set up bio-regional meetings throughout the state this spring where the public could provide comment. Ahead of those meetings, California BHA worked alongside recreational fishing and conservation partners, Allwaters and the Coastal Conservation Association of California, to educate anglers about the petition process and encourage participation. The chapter co-hosted multiple pint nights focused on the MPA review, providing opportunities for anglers to learn about the proposals, understand the policy process, and prepare to engage constructively in upcoming public meetings.

Those efforts contributed to a strong turnout from the recreational fishing community during the bioregional meetings and helped to provide a chorus of voices supporting the Department's recommendations to deny sweeping fishing closures. As the process moves forward, the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and CDFW are expected to present recommendations on the remaining petitions during their August meeting, at which point the formal rule-making process will commence. This process will shape the next stage of California's adaptive management process and will have a lasting impact on future recreational fishing opportunities along the state's coast.

BHA will continue engaging with anglers, agency staff, conservation organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure management decisions are informed by science, focused on measurable conservation outcomes, and reflective of the interests of the public who rely on and care for California's marine resources. 

We encourage anglers and all public water users to remain engaged as the process continues and to participate in future opportunities for public input.

Learn more about BHA's positions on individual petitions here