MBNMS Business and Tourism Activity Panel (BTAP) Minutes March 19th, 2003

Meeting Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Time: 9:30-11:30 AM
Location: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Attendance:

• Dave Ebert, BTAP Chair, SAC Business/Industry Representative
• Rachel Saunders, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Nicole Capps, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Hank Armstrong, Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Laura Cameron, Monterey County CVB
• Annie Schnorf, Moss Landing Harbor District
• Stephanie Harlan, SAC Chair, AMBAG rep
• Michael Bekker, Cannery Row Company, Monterey
• Steve Schieblauer, Monterey Harbor, City of Monterey
• Art Seavey, Monterey Abalone Company
• Tony Warman, SAC Business Alternate
• Steve Abbott, Duke Energy, Moss Landing
• Kathy Fosmark, Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
• Kelly Sorensen, On the Beach Surf Shop
• Maggie Ivy, Santa Cruz Co. CVC
• Tom Hart, Moss Landing Fisherman’s Association

Draft Meeting Notes – a Brief Summary of the Meeting’s Proceedings.

Welcome and Introductions:

Dave E., BTAP Chair gave welcoming comments and individual introductions commenced.

Items Not on the Agenda/Announcements:

1. Mike B. reminded those attending that some of the workgroups associated with the Sanctuary’s Joint Management Plan Review Process (JMPR) may continue meeting longer.
2. Stephanie H. gave a very brief overview of the SAC Coordinators Meeting held in Santa Barbara in February.
3. Laura C. indicated an interest in working on a “50 Ways to get Your Feet Wet in the MBNMS” type brochure for Monterey County.
4. Steve S. mentioned that the MBNMS is looking at potential sites for a Visitor Center.

February 2003 SAC Meeting Review:

Dave E. reviewed some of the major topics discussed at the SAC meeting. These included cruise ships, the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) “white paper” on regulatory coordination between the NMSP and the National Marine Fisheries Service, a presentation on oil spill prevention and response activities, sanctuary staffing, etc. For more information on the February SAC meeting, see the SAC meeting minutes located on the Sanctuary’s web site at http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/intro/advisory/sac_min.html. Steve S. commented that there were still a lot of questions to be answered about spill response and prevention and more detail was needed on where clean up vessels were located, what was in place in the region, how dispersants would be used, and whether and how fishermen might be involved in response.

Letter Writing Protocols for Working Groups Update:

Dave E. reported on a March 10th meeting he had with Sanctuary Superintendent Bill Douros, SAC Chair Stephanie Harlan, Research Activities Panel (RAP) Chair Chris Harrold and Pat Clark-Gray, Chair of the Sanctuary Education Panel (SEP) (the Chairs of the Conservation Working Group were invited but could not attend). The meeting was convened in response to a request by Dave E. on behalf of the BTAP to try and iron out more consistent protocols for the BTAP, RAP, SEP, and CWG to follow when sending letters to the MBNMS or SAC or taking other actions. Dave E. reported that Bill’s position was that letters written by these working groups to the Sanctuary Superintendent or the SAC had to be reviewed and approved by him before they were formally submitted. Rachel S. clarified that the Sanctuary was not in fact talking about approving letters, but having a chance to review and discuss the issues ahead of time. Rachel S. stated that this was the way the other work groups have generally operated and that the idea behind it was to facilitate open lines of communication. Steve S. and Tony W. agreed that enhanced communication and seeking a higher standard was generally a good thing, but continued to question why letters had to be reviewed ahead of time. Mike B. noted that it was an extra step that he found unusual. Maggie I. expressed strong negative feelings about it and said that she thought that it would repel people. A question was also raised about whether SAC At-Large members would have to follow the same protocol in sending correspondence to the SAC or MBNMS. Rachel S. indicated that a recent memo brought forward to the SAC by an At-Large member regarding staffing issues had been reviewed and discussed with Bill and MBNMS staff prior to it being sent on to the SAC. Dave E. closed the discussion by indicating that Bill had agreed to come to the next BTAP meeting in May and that the group could talk directly to Bill about this issue if needed. The SAC will also be reviewing the SAC charter and protocols at their April 4th meeting, and so may also address this matter.

Cruise Ships Update:

Steve S. reported on the actions taken by the Monterey City Council to address the recently disclosed discharge in the MBNMS by the vessel Crystal Harmony, owned by Crystal Cruise Lines. The City Council voted to ban the cruise line for 15 years and ban the particular vessel forever. They also adopted several amendments to the City’s Cruise Line Action Plan. Rachel S. noted the action taken by the SAC at its February meeting recommending that the MBNMS develop and implement a regulation prohibiting harmful cruise ship discharges.

Fishing White Paper:

Steve S. raised concerns over the recent released “white paper” on regulatory coordination between the NMSP and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The “white paper” was developed by National Marine Sanctuary Program Headquarters and is a statement of national policy applying to all the sanctuaries. (A copy of the policy paper can be found as a PDF file at the following web link, under the 11:00 a.m. agenda item: http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/sac/2003/020703/agenda.html). Steve S. stated that to a large degree the language was consistent with the Sanctuary’s designation documents, but that the tone was more aggressive and it asserted a stronger role for the sanctuary with regard to the management of fishing. He expressed concern that it was going to replace or supercede the current language in the MBNMS management plan. The SAC at its February meeting took action in support of sending a letter to the Secretary of Commerce expressing their view that the “white paper” will make it more difficult for the Sanctuary to work successfully with the fishing community. In the letter the SAC also requested that the language not replace or supercede what’s in the MBNMS designation documents. Rachel S. passed out a copy of the SAC letter to the group.

Joint Management Plan Review (JMPR) Workgroup Updates:

Several people attending the meeting reported on the progress of some of the JMPR workgroups they are involved with. Kelly S. gave a brief overview of the motorized personal watercraft (MPWC) workgroup, but focused primarily on the issue of tow-in surfing as one item the workgroup is grappling with (will it be allowed and, if so, where will the exceptions be). Kathy F. spoke about several of the workgroups: 1) Incorporating Fishing Issues into Education and Research – Kathy noted her view that the Sanctuary should focus on facilitating research, rather than conducting it themselves and she noted a role for the Sanctuary to cooperate with Cal Fish and Game to pull info together; she also noted the need for community involvement in the process 2) Davidson Seamount – Kathy said the focus here was on the value of the benthic habitat and whether or not the area should be further evaluated for inclusion in the Sanctuary. She relayed concerns that fishermen have about the Sanctuary regulating fishing in the future. She stated that industry would likely favor other alternatives for the area and probably would not be in favor of expanding the MBNMS boundary. Mike B. briefly reported on the Desalination workgroup and indicated that generally things were moving along. Art S. talked about the goals for the Tidepool Protection workgroup and reported that the workgroup had identified various sites within the Sanctuary and that they were dealing with a number of issues (i.e., visitation, take, trampling, etc). Steve S. reported that within the Marine Protected Areas workgroup there was much spirited debate about the need for mpa’s, identifying what problems mpa’s fix, other potential tools, and the relationship between the Sanctuary’s effort and that state of California’s Marine Life Protection Act effort .For more information on the specific workgroups and issues, please see the JMPR web site at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/jointplan/.

Sanctuary Scenic Trail (SST):

Time ran out for any discussion of this item, but Rachel S. passed out a brochure on the trail and suggested that this was a project that the business and tourism community might get involved in.

Additional Announcements:

An announcement was made that Monty Criss, SAC Tourism Rep (alternate) and BTAP Co-Chair has resigned from his seat on the Council. Monty has taken a job in the Bay Area. The MBNMS will be conducting a recruitment process for the seat and will be sending out a notice in within the next month or so. The meeting then adjourned.

Next BTAP Meeting:

The next BTAP meeting is May 21st from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Location: TBA, but possibly Moss Landing Marine Lab.