SAN JUAN COUNTY
MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
March 19, 2003
Shaw Island Community Center
Members Present: Laura Arnold, Tim Carpenter, David Loyd, Rich Osborne, Dennis Willows,
Jim Slocomb, Kelley Balcomb-Bartok, Terrie Klinger
Absent: Brian Calvert, Peter Fromm, Mary Masters, Mike Bertrand, Tom McMillen, Kevin Ranker, Kit Rawson
Guests: Shannon Davis, Russel Barsh, Tina Wyllie-Echeverria, Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria, Jan Chamberlin-Lea, Pete Nelsen, Ron Abbott, Victoria Wyllie-Echeverria, Tessa Wyllie-Echeverria, Rebecca Wyllie-Echeverria, Chantelle Marlor, Willy Borner, Vreni Borner, Ryan Drum, Ray Stedman, Liz Stedman, Genavie Thomas, Stephanie Buffum
Guest Speaker: None
Chair Jim Slocomb called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. in the Shaw Island Community Center.
Introductions:
Present members of the MRC introduced themselves. Then the members of the audience introduced themselves.
Minutes:
Minutes of the 3/05/03 meeting were discussed, Laura noted that Nick Nash was in a guest at the 3/5/03 meeting. Also she noted the name of the conference listed under NWSC Report is incorrect; it should read Georgia Basin/ Puget Sound Research Conference. Approval of these minutes was tabled until the next meeting.
MPA Proposal:
Chair Jim Slocomb began the discussion by describing how the Marine Resources Committee evolved, mentioning the development of the Bottomfish Recovery Program and its eight recovery zones. The Northwest Straits Commission was explained, as well as the existence of six other MRCs. Jim mentioned that the NWSC provided funding as well as goals for the MRCs to meet. MPAs are one of the goals. Jim explained that definitions of MPAs are numerous which makes the task even more challenging. The San Juan County MRC wants to take action and do something to achieve this goal.
Establishment of a comprehensive MPA in San Juan County is the #1 item on the MRCs 2003 Workplan, which is approved by the BOCC. Jim asked the audience for their opinions and explained that the MRC is at Shaw today to listen to those in the audience, but asked the members to start by expressing their thoughts about what MPAs might accomplish.
Dennis Willows discussed the previous time he was on Shaw for the discussion of the Bottomfish Recovery Program. He mentioned how impressed he is with the process and with how much had been accomplished.
Jim Slocomb explained that as a long-term boater he wants to ensure that his playground is protected. He also believes that the economy is linked to the area's natural resources, which can be a fatal attraction and must be cared for.
Rich Osborne offered his perspective of the Whale Museum, where he has recognized how the peer pressure of the whale watchers has worked. By working together and enforcing themselves, those using the resources are being rational and they are communicating. With the Bottomfish Recovery Program, the peer pressure may have more of an impact than regulations.
Terrie Klinger said that marine resources are declining all around the world, not just here. She believes that it is important to be proactive. Terrie spoke about the national and international attention that has been gained by BFRP and the MRC, these programs are being studied and scrutinized by the world, and are considered model programs.
Tim Carpenter said that from his perspective as a marine educator and diver, he feels that a lot of these points have to do with educating the public. One of the best ways to get people fired up about something is to give the people who want to have a stake in the issue the chance to have a stake in the outcome. The message and presentation will have a lot more meaning when you are involved.
Chair Jim Slocomb explained the current 2-step program which the MRC is developing and then asked the audience their opinions.
Pete Nelsen, Shaw Island Resident, stated that he does not want any more restrictions, because there are already enough. He mentioned that with the Bottomfish Recovery Zones, we must wait 20 years to see if they are working. He then mentioned that he firmly believes that if the whales would not be here if the boats were bothering them. He was also upset with the actions of the Soundwatch boat, which has twice pulled right in front of his boat while he was traveling at high speeds. He said he knows about the whales and how to skipper his boat when around them.
Genavie Thomas, Shaw Island resident and Caretaker of the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories Biological Preserve asked what does this mean exactly? What are the issues?
Jim Slocomb: The County does not have any authority over fisheries. Mostly what the proposal aims to do is to formalize that the community will be good stewards of their marine resources.
Rich Osborne: The County will be recognizing all of the current restrictions, while educating and promoting stewardship. He mentioned the National Wildlife Refuge system.
Jan Chamberlin-Lea: What is an MPA? What are the MRC members' opinions about what an MPA means?
Tim Carpenter: We are looking at a balance, with human interests still in mind. His views on MPAs are to focus on education as a forum of actions.
David Loyd: Asked that one of the committee's scientists speak on how the BFRP are working.
Jim Slocomb: My vision is to emphasize in the media that the San Juans are a fragile place, to tell people to be careful with the area's resources. It is important to achieve this level of exposure.
Pete Nelsen: WDFW has already restricted people to 1 rockfish per day/ 1 Chinook for 7 months putting more restrictions on fishing is ridiculous.
Jim Slocomb: Fishing restrictions are minor on the radar for the MPA. It is about a higher level of awareness, for example if you knew that eelgrass, which is a productive habitat for many species, does not grow in depths over 30 feet, people may not anchor in the shallower depths.
Terrie Klinger: With regard to the evidence concerning MPAs in the area, what we know about the success of the BFRP zones is still limited. Another study done on the older Friday Harbor Labs MPAs showed some positive effects on some species of fish in the reserves.
Pete Nelsen: Lingcod restrictions set by WDFW have already been doing a lot.
Dennis Willows: When you look at areas that are had protected, voluntarily protected, and not protected at all, those long term protected areas are showing positive effects.
Shaw Citizen: What about the effects of seals on fish populations?
Dennis Willows: The impacts of seals/whales should be the same at both protected and unprotected sites and should not skew the data.
Shaw Citizen: Summary of the current state of resources should be available. Boater education is where money should go, and money should be found for more permanent buoys.
Tim Carpenter: The Edmonds Underwater Marine Park is showing a ton of evidence that the fish are growing larger and producing more.
Genavie: To her an MPA represents getting really good inventories and protections. It should be bigger than just getting people educated.
Rich and Kelley: Accurate inventories are ongoing.
Rich Osborne: What we can do is look at what can be achieved locally. I agree that there are a lot of things out there that are out of our control.
Terrie Klinger: An MPA is almost anything you want it to be. Within the U.S.A. the National Marine Sanctuaries are considered MPAs and the only thing restricted is drilling for oil. The one exception is in Hawaii; there are boating restrictions for Humpback whale protection. Marine Reserve is the phrase being used to imply no-take of species.
Jim Slocomb: The County has a willingness to do what fits. What does it need to be here? What works for us?
Shaw Citizen: Your purpose for an MPA is to bring more of a focus to the area?
Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria: Watershed issues may be having adverse effects on sea grasses. Therefore it is very important the focus is not just on fishing. Watershed activities need to be looked at. The Salmon Recovery Funding Board grant will result in a map of sea grass locations by next year. One of the mandates of the grant is to pass that information around to the citizens.
Rich Osborne: the County could set Voluntary guidelines on boat speeds, specifically near shorelines. Local citizenry could show certain etiquette.
Shaw Citizen: How do you convey this to the boaters?
Jim Slocomb: How would you convey it? (question sent back to the audience)
Shaw Citizen: Hand out advisories at all entry points. Annually, when boat registration/licenses are renewed.
Shaw Citizen: Class for new boaters, Coast Guard could have this information.
Shaw Citizen: Websites, papers for locals, links from WDFW sites
Shaw Citizen: Instructions on where to moor.
Pete Nelsen: Wakes are historic, people don't pay attention. With regard to whales, private boaters cannot be limited.
Rich Osborne: Shore-based whale watching should be emphasized, but the science is not clear on the effects of whale watching.
Tim Carpenter: East Coast has regulations/enforcement for whale watching. Is it that the enforcement is just missing here?
Terrie Klinger: The 100-yard guideline is not enforced. Theoretically if you are just disturbing a species you can be fined; however proving this is challenging.
Rich Osborne: Whale watchers would rather restrict from within than from federal agencies.
Pete Nelsen: Concerned about attracting people to the islands. Stop the people from coming.
MRC member or Shaw Citizen?: The message that the County residents are respecting the area and are asking it of visitors.
Pete Nelsen: There is 1 restriction he'd support: there should not be crab fishing in the ferry zones/shipping lane. Keep those pots out of the way.
Jim Slocomb: In Canada, they put all their pots on a line and buoy system. WDFW representatives have indicated that it is harder to count pots easily with the line/buoy system.
Dennis Willows: There is a major decline in almost all species - dramatic declines are shown in catch rates. It looks like local extinctions are in the works for many species. If we do not do anything no one will. What I envision is doing whatever it takes to turn the numbers around.
Shaw Citizen: What can we do? WDFW has already reduced catch to almost zero.
Dennis Willows: Maybe bag limits are not the right recovery method.
Jan Chamberlin-Lea: What is causing the declines? Development, over-fishing, pollution, sewage, farm animals near the shoreline?
Terrie Klinger: There is not a single cause, but it does not matter. There is no utility in identifying the cause. The point is to identify the method of reversing the declines.
Jan Chamberlin-Lea: I need to know about the declines.
Tim Carpenter: Local groups like Friends of the San Juans, MEHP and the Whale Museum do outreach sessions to discuss local environmental issues. Camp Orkila will be holding a lecture series next fall.
Jim Slocomb: What presentations should be done?
Jan Chamberlin-Lea: Maps, few presentations would be good. People always jump to whales and fishing but there are a lot more issues.
Perhaps 15-30 minutes of presentations, with a combination of local data.
Genavie: What I see is that restrictions versus the common good are the tensions. Restrictions seem to happen too late. The incentive is to volunteer before it is too late.
Jan: Voluntary works better than regulatory because the years that it takes to pass a regulation can get trashed in moments yet the ethics changing is permanent.
Tina Wyllie-Escheverria: Education materials displayed on the ferries would be good. People need information about habitats and how people affect them.
Jan: It is important to put what we are asking people to do in a context, so they need to know what the context is. Put the information about species declines on the web site.
David Loyd: As a community, are you willing to take on protections in the marine waters around your island?
Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria: Some would…It is a possibility. People want to know what's happening in San Juan County.
Russel Barsh: Preventing declines leads people to thinking about restrictions. The positive needs to be emphasized, such as what can we do to get more of whatever resource? This will work better at an even more local level than county. Etiquette of visitors, great phrase, it states please do not trash our beaches, which we have worked hard to improve.
Shaw Citizen: A pamphlet or research booklet/program for kids with activities that can be sent in for prizes, provides data and educates the parents through the children.
Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria: What frustrates him about the MRC is that the meetings are so hard to get to. Even if it is not the whole MRC meeting here, local groups could form and talk about issues, these could be MRC auxiliaries, or the Shaw Island advisory group. It would be great to have a MRC representative. The MRC would need to somehow facilitate or provide their blessing to help get a group formed.
Sandy asked the MRC to all comment on whether they would like Shaw and other communities to form their own MRC Advisory Committees. By a show of hands, all of the members indicated they would appreciate the contributions of advisory groups.
David Loyd: Ultimately, the reins are in your hands.
Stephanie Buffum: The forage fish volunteer network could be helpful to organize these. On Shaw the communication point is the kiosk by the ferry terminal, and the poster board outside the Community center. Also important to provide the notes back to Shaw residents to foster discussion.
New/Old Business:
Bottomfish Ad
The BFRP mock up ad was discussed. The map needs to be larger, text combined and condensed. Kelley, Jim and Shannon will work on it. A final version will be emailed around, because the deadline is before the next meeting.
Fish Farm Letter
Jim asked if there was a consensus to send out the letter to the Premier of Canada opposing the lifting of the moratorium on Fish Farms. All agreed to send the letter.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m. (Minutes Submitted by Shannon Davis)
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