Episode
California Votes on 15 MPA Changes in October. Who Got a Say?
- Podcast
- How To Protect The Ocean
- Published
- Sep 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3563
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast
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Summary
California has a network of 124 marine protected areas, and in October the state's Fish and Game Commission takes up 15 proposals that could change it. The proposals came out of the network's first 10-year management review, an adaptive management process written into the law so the network could respond to shifting fish populations, a warming climate, and evolving public values. Anupa Asokan, founder of Fish On, explains what that review looked like from inside the room. Anupa is a marine scientist, angler, and surfer who started Fish On to give conservation-minded anglers and spearfishers a voice. She describes a review where the state asked the public to submit petitions instead of assessing the whole network itself, where early agency evaluations left out climate change and equitable access until people pushed for them, and where a public meeting on tribally sponsored petitions drew offensive comments that, she says, no state official condemned. She also credits the Ocean Protection Council for weighing in with its own recommendations, including a climate lens and support for some tribally led proposals. Andrew and Anupa also talk about starting a conservation nonprofit with the help of a fiscal sponsor, why MPAs act as an insurance policy for fisheries management, and what data the state could share first to lower the temperature between groups. The Commission hears MPA petitions October 15 and 16 in Sacramento. Anupa lays out how to send a letter, join the meeting, and find other groups working on the petitions, and every link is in the show notes. Takeaways: California's 124-MPA network faces its first major adaptive management decision, with 15 proposals before the Fish and Game Commission on October 15 and 16. Anupa says the state relied on public petitions in…