Sacramento Superior Court Rules in favor of recreational anglers, and confirms MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force and Science Advisory Team are state agencies, forcing access to critical information
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A California Superior Court issued a ruling on Friday confirming that the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) and Master Plan Team or Science Advisory Team are state agencies and therefore compelled by California’s Public Records Act to share information with representatives of angling/conservation organizations working to protect recreational ocean access. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Robert C. Fletcher, former president of the Sportfishing Association of California, a member organization in the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans.
“This is a very significant ruling to the many recreational angling groups and individuals across California who have invested so much time and energy in the MLPA process,” said Fletcher. “This ruling validates our long-held position that the groups implementing the MLPA and making decisions that result in closures of large areas of the Pacific Ocean to recreational activities cannot carry on as if they were not agencies of the state. Like any other state agency, these groups are responsible to the public and must do their work in an open and transparent way that the public can learn about through laws like the Public Records Act,” added Fletcher.
The ruling is considered an important first step for recreational anglers who have been banned from fishing in large portions of the ocean off the California coast. For additional information, visit keepamericafishing.org