July 9, 2026 — A Marine Protected Area (MPA) petition filed by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI) includes the area from Morro Rock to the dog beach.
The MPA was one of 20 received by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2023. There were also 72 proposed regulatory changes.
“The original petition proposed the allowance of recreational take of finfish and invertebrates except mussels and scallops,” said Claire Wagonner, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Region Habitat Conservation Program Manager. “So it would’ve still continued to allow some recreational take.”
Waggoner said that changed in April when the tribe requested to amend the petition, allowing only tribal fishing for the SYBCI.
“It’s our livelihood,” said Lori French, a Morro Bay fisherman’s wife. “It’s his identity. It’s not like you just go to work and shut the job off.”