Members include representatives from sport and commercial fishing, environmental and diving interests, State and Federal agencies, and the public at large. With monthly meetings in Santa Barbara, MRWG is supported with data provided by scientific and socioeconomic panels. The diverse group of representatives operates under a consensus process, not majority rule, whereby all must unanimously agree on a course of action. The release of the problem statement, which recognizes reserves as a management tool, is a significant milestone in a series of difficult negotiations that lie ahead. The MRWG is now crafting goals and objectives that will guide the development of reserve options.
MRWG meetings are open to public observation.
The urbanization of southern California has significantly increased the number of people visiting the coastal zone and using its resources. This has increased human demands on the ocean, including commercial and recreational fishing, as well as wildlife viewing and other activities. A burgeoning coastal population has also greatly increased the use of our coastal waters as receiving areas for human, industrial, and agricultural wastes. In addition, new technologies have increased the efficiency, effectiveness, and yield of sport and commercial fisheries. Concurrently there have been wide scale natural phenomena such as El Nino weather patterns, oceanographic regime shifts, and dramatic fluctuations in pinniped populations.