Environmentalists who fought for a marine protected area (MPA) off the coast of Malibu will soon find out when the new regulations will take effect. The California Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to announce at its regular meeting Wednesday the date when enforcement of new MPAs on the southern California coast will begin. The DFG approved 36 new MPAs in December, including the one off Point Dume, which stretches from El Matador State Beach to Paradise Cove.
Limited fishing is allowed in the northern half of the MPA, from Point Dume to El Matador. The new MPAs are a continuation of a process begun in 1999 with the passage of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). Initiated in response to dwindling marine populations, the MLPA charged the DFG with coordinating a statewide network of protected areas, which would integrate existing MPAs with new ones into a comprehensive system.