NO-FISHING APPEAL IS DENIED.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News A state appeals court dismissed a bid by sport and commercial fishing groups to halt the enforcement of recently enacted no-fishing zones at the Channel Islands. The three-judge panel ruled Tuesday on an appeal by the Ventura County Commercial Fisherman's Association, United Anglers of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, and others to overturn a lower court decision denying the fishermen's request for a temporary restraining order temporary restraining order: see injunction. to halt implementation of marine protected areas Marine Protected Area (MPA) is often used as an umbrella term covering a wide range of marine areas with some level of restriction to protect living, non-living, cultural, and/or historic resources. A commonly used definition is the one developed by the World Conservation Union. at the Channel Islands. The controversial reserves, the largest in California, were approved after a series of contentious hearings by a divided California Fish and Game Commission. The no fishing zones are designed to restore state -regulated ocean waters damaged by over fishing. Party boat operators and commercial fishermen opposed the reserves, saying that they were too large and not supported by sound science. The strongly worded court decision said that the reserves were ``implemented because of a historic decline in fish stocks and degradation of marine habitats.'' The judges found that the no-fishing zones would actually benefit the plaintiffs by rapidly increasing the fish population and ``will rebuild stock in fish areas accessible to the fishermen.'' The judges also rejected the argument the reserves were illegal because the California Constitution The California Constitution is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of California. The original constitution, adopted in November 1849 in the U.S. establishes the right to fish, saying ``Appellants have no constitutional right to deplete de·plete v. 1. To use up something, such as a nutrient. 2. To empty something out, as the body of electrolytes. or destroy a fish preserve, in this instance, a marine sanctuary. The reserves will help the environment and fishermen according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Drew Caputo, an attorney with the National Resources Defense Council, which intervened in the lawsuit in support of the Fish and Game Commission. ``It's a win-win situation,'' Caputo said. |
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