California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends virtually negligible action to protect the ocean
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2026
Media Contact: media@azul.org, (415) 744-1461
California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends virtually negligible action to protect the ocean
Azul, a Latino-led ocean justice organization and co-author on two petitions, raises concerns with the latest MPA Recommendations
SACRAMENTO, CA (March 20, 2026) – Today, following a public process started in December of 2023, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) released analysis and recommendations on proposed changes to California’s world-renowned Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network. Despite the state’s legal commitment to protect 30% of our coastal waters by 2030 – and overwhelming support for such action – CDFW’s recommendations deny almost every proposed conservation measure and protect less than 0.1% more of California’s coastal waters.
Marcela Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director of Azul, whose decades-long effort to integrate environmental justice into marine protection efforts was first galvanized by her experience as a stakeholder in the Southern California MLPA process starting in 2008, released the following statement in response to CDFW’s recommendations:
“Today’s proposed recommendations are a shocking departure from California’s well-earned role as a worldwide beacon for equitable, science-driven innovation in ocean policy. If accepted, this path risks squandering the good faith of thousands of hours of work over many years of community and public investment.
“In their recommendation to deny Petition 33, the Department is senselessly missing an opportunity to conserve some of the state’s few remaining persistent kelp forests. Today’s recommendations are only one part of a multi-step process, at the end of which, we hope California will fulfill its historic conservation promise to our communities.
“Leadership is not defined only by past achievements, but rather by the continued commitment to act when it matters most. Failing to strengthen protections now would undermine both the ecological resilience of our coast and California’s position on the world stage. Our ocean cannot afford hesitation when it most urgently needs equitable, science-driven, bold action.”
A coalition of environmental and community organizations submitted proposals in December 2023 to protect an additional 2% of our state waters as our most important coastal habitats face unprecedented and worsening threats, including overfishing, marine heatwaves, and the loss of more than 90% of kelp forest habitat. Azul is a co-author of two of the petitions under review, alongside Environment California.
“At the same time that our ocean faces alarming and worsening threats and scientific consensus overwhelmingly calls for protecting 30% of the ocean by the year 2030 – a goal which California is legally bound to do and which the public overwhelmingly supports – today’s recommendations fall incongruously short,” said Tomas Valadez, Azul’s California Policy Manager.
CDFW’s response is just the first recommendation of a multi-step, multi-year review of California’s marine protected area network. The Ocean Protection Council, the state’s lead agency charged with protecting our ocean, also released a letter on Friday announcing it will conduct its own policy evaluation considering the latest science and other new developments. Three regional hearings, where members of the public can weigh in, will follow along the coast later this spring. The Fish and Game Commission is expected to vote on the various organizations’ proposals in June 2026.
The approach to ocean protection presented in the petitions submitted by Azul and Environmental California is strongly supported by public opinion. Findings from Azul’s last national poll show that Latino voters overwhelmingly support ocean protection policies and equitable access to coastal resources, underscoring the disconnect between community priorities and the CDFW recommendations:
• 88% of Latino voters are concerned about conserving the ocean
• 81% of Latino voters support 30×30 goals
• 84% of Latino voters agree that the government should implement the strongest possible protections for ocean areas that are important for conservation purposes, even if it is costly
• 85% of Latino voters agree that the government has a responsibility to conserve land and ocean areas for the enjoyment of present and future generations
At a moment that calls for leadership and ambition, these recommendations fall resoundingly short of what our ocean, our communities, and California’s track record demand.
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Azul is an ocean justice organization working with Latino communities to protect our blue planet. Founded in 2011, Azul has developed and executed campaigns that achieved groundbreaking ocean conservation policy victories at local, national, and international levels. To learn more, visit: Azul.org