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California’s Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to consider petitions to change the state’s marine protected area network during its October 13–16, 2026 meeting, with a vote expected during the week of October 15. The decision is pending: it is a Commission review of proposed changes, not a statewide ballot measure or a vote by the California Coastal Commission. Five of the 20 petitions received in the 2023 process are tribally led or co-led, according to Inside Climate News.
What is the Commission being asked to decide?
California’s network includes 125 marine protected areas along an 840-mile coastline, figures reported by Inside Climate News in October 2026. The petitions seek different kinds of changes: creating new protected areas, modifying existing areas, or allowing tribal harvest under specified exemptions. They are requests, not approved rules.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Fish and Game Commission opened the petition process in 2023. The Commission will consider agency evaluations and public comment before deciding what, if anything, to approve. Its official meeting schedule and petition resources provide the current records and dates.
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What do the tribal petitions propose?
Inside Climate News reports that three of the five tribally led or co-led petitions seek new marine protected areas, while two seek tribal harvest exemptions without creating a new area. The proposals vary by place, species, boundaries and allowed activities; they should not be treated as one blanket fishing ban.
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| Proposal or site | Requested change | Details in the Commission record |
|---|---|---|
| Point Sal area | New state marine conservation area | The tribally co-led request contemplates shore-based hook-and-line recreational fishing and mission-critical activity by Vandenberg Space Force Base. |
| Mishopshno, near Carpinteria | Proposed new State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) | The proposal includes a Santa Ynez Band tribal take exemption. The reporting connects the place to a Chumash creation story and traditional canoe-building sites. |
| Chitqawi, near Morro Bay | Proposed new SMCA | The Commission’s May meeting index identifies the proposal; the index entry cited here does not state additional permitted-use details. |
| Point Buchon | Boundary expansion and designation change | The request includes a proposed “Chumash Co-Managed SMCA” name and a tribal take exemption. |
| Pyramid Point State Marine Conservation Area | Tribal harvest exemption | The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation seeks to restrict true smelt harvest to tribal take within the area, according to Inside Climate News. |
The site names and requested actions above come from the Commission’s May 5–6, 2026 meeting index and the reporting. Each remains a petition proposal unless and until the Commission acts.
Why do CDFW and the Ocean Protection Council disagree?
CDFW manages the marine protected area network and assesses petitions using a framework adopted by the Commission in 2009, including scientific measures and ecological spacing. The Ocean Protection Council (OPC) applies broader policy priorities and a precautionary approach that considers climate scenarios, according to Inside Climate News. The agencies are therefore evaluating proposals through different lenses.
- CDFW: recommends denying the newly proposed tribal MPAs and has suggested exploring a separate State Marine Cultural Preservation Area designation under State Parks.
- OPC: recommends approval of all but one proposal.
- Tribal take exemptions: reporting says the agencies generally support these.
The State Marine Cultural Preservation Area idea is not an established alternative: Inside Climate News reports that the state has not established or managed one, and State Parks had not said whether it would pursue such a designation.
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The petitions concern ecological protection, but also cultural stewardship and participation in decisions about marine resources. Inside Climate News reports that tribes were left out as formal stakeholders when California’s Marine Life Protection Act passed in 1999. The Santa Ynez Band’s Mishopshno proposal, for example, is tied in the reporting to places and traditions of cultural importance.
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Rachel McCain, Natural Resource Department director for the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, told Inside Climate News: “Traditional harvest has so much more behind it. It’s tied to culture and life ways and existence and identity. It’s way deeper than just catching fish.”
What might co-management mean?
Co-management is a key question, not a settled implementation plan. Tribal representatives have described it as a matter of decision-making authority as well as access. Eva Pagaling, co-founder of Ocean Origins and a Santa Ynez Band community member, told Inside Climate News: “Being able to co-manage an area doesn’t just give you access, it gives you the ability to have decision-making power.”
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Santa Ynez Band chairman Kenneth Kahn described the cultural importance of that role: “Co-management is extremely important because of the cultural significance. Our tribe has been connected to the multiple areas that we’re trying to preserve since time immemorial.”
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow any arrangement would work in practice remains open. Fish and Game Commissioner Eric Sklar said, “Were all just figuring it out as we go.” CDFW marine region manager Craig Shuman said, “We don’t need any change to state law to do it. We’ve just got to sit down with each individual tribe, and figure out what that means to them.” These are views reported by Inside Climate News, not a Commission-approved co-management policy.
The California Coastal Commission has a separate Tribal Consultation Policy, adopted in 2018, to guide staff communication and consideration of tribal cultural resources in that commission’s planning and permitting work. It is not the policy governing this Fish and Game Commission petition vote. See the Coastal Commission’s Tribal Consultation Policy page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When will California vote, and how can readers follow it?
The Commission’s October 13–16, 2026 meeting is the scheduled decision window, and Inside Climate News reported that commissioners were expected to vote during the week of October 15. As of October 3, 2026, the vote had not occurred, so no outcome or tally is established. Check the Commission’s official meeting page for agenda documents and updates.
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