A new round of Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposals is now moving through the California Fish and Game Commission review process, and several of the most notable recommendations focus directly on the San Luis Obispo County coastline. Three petitions — two submitted by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and one filed jointly by Environment California and Azul — call for new protections, modified boundaries, and changes to what recreational and commercial fishermen would be allowed to do within specific coastal zones.
The most far-reaching proposal is a request from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to establish a new State Marine Conservation Area extending from the Morro Bay breakwater north to the Morro Strand Campground. The petition would create the Chitqawi SMCA, covering approximately three miles of shoreline and stretching about 2.5 miles offshore. While the proposal emphasizes tribal co-management and cultural use, the regulatory language shows that most recreational fishing would remain permitted, with the exception of mussels and rock scallops. Those two species would be reserved for tribal harvest only. Commercial fishing, however, would be prohibited throughout the zone.
A second Chumash petition targets existing boundaries and regulations at the Point Buchon MPA complex, located between Avila Beach and Morro Bay. This area currently consists of both a no-take State Marine Reserve and an adjacent SMCA that allows limited recreational fishing for salmon and albacore. The proposed regulatory update would align the SMCA rules with those at the Kashtayit SMCA at Gaviota, which allow broad recreational fishing but prohibit commercial take. The petition also includes a minor boundary adjustment — extending the SMR portion northward by roughly 100 yards. If adopted, the new regulations would expand public recreational fishing access in the SMCA area while closing commercial access that is currently allowed.
A third proposal, submitted by Environment California and Azul, recommends a more restrictive direction for Point Buchon. Their petition calls for converting the entire SMCA-SMR complex into a contiguous State Marine Reserve, eliminating salmon and albacore fishing in the SMCA portion and creating a full no-take zone.
The state will begin reviewing all three proposals in March when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife presents its analysis to the Fish and Game Commission. Following that presentation, the Commission plans to hold three regional special meetings to gather public comment and evaluate the ecological, cultural, and regulatory implications of the proposed changes.
For now, existing regulations remain unchanged, and no new restrictions or allowances are in effect until the Commission completes its review and formal decision-making process. The Log will continue to follow developments and report updates as the proposals move forward.
