California exempts tribes from fishing restriction

http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11949&Itemid=110

State wildlife regulators have given tentative approval to a plan to restrict fishing off parts of Northern California that they say allows Native Americans to continue their centuries-old fishing practices.

But a tribal representative says the plan falls short of what the tribes were seeking.

In a 4-1 vote, the state Fish and Game Commission selected its preferred alternative for marine protection areas from the Oregon border south to Point Arena in Mendocino County. The plan exempts tribes from restrictions on harvesting marine life in certain areas on the North Coast.

“I think we’ve crafted a way to make it a win-win,” said Ken Wiseman, executive director of the Marine Life Protection Act initiative.