Socieconomic
Panel Members
Bob Leeworthy, NOAA's Special Projects Office
Peter Wiley, NOAA's Special Projects Office
Charles Kolstad, University of California, Santa Barbara
Dr. Craig Barilotti
Dr. Carolyn Pomeroy, University of California, Santa Cruz
Tetra Tech Consultants
Marine Reserves Working Group
Roles
Bob
Leeworthy and Peter Wiley, of NOAA's Special Projects Office,
serve as coordinators of the Socio-Economic Team, and are responsible
for overall data analysis, synthesis, and output. Dr. Leeworthy
and Mr. Wiley will collect and synthesize existing studies, records
of catch or harvest, and other public information sources, and
develop an economic impact analysis for the management plan and
for any proposed recommendation crafted by the Marine Reserves
Working Group.
Charles
Kolstad is a professor of environmental economics at the Bren
School of Environmental Science and Management at University of
California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Kolstad will evaluate charter and
party boat businesses utilizing Sanctuary waters and operating
between Santa Barbara and Port Hueneme, with some additional coverage
of the Los Angeles area. These businesses are to include diving,
sportfishing, and whale-watching operations. Information gathered
will include total number of operators, activities engaged in,
person-days of activity and areas visited. All data collection
and analysis is to be completed within four months of contract
execution.
All
information collected will be coded for confidentiality. The code
book is to be in the possession of the contractor for the duration
of analysis only and not released to any party including government
agencies. The code book will be destroyed following completion
of the analysis.
Dr.
Craig Barilotti, nominated by MRWG members, will collect information
from commercial fisheries in the Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary, including kelp, but excluding squid (see below). Dr.
Barilotti will collect information regarding the number of fishing
operators, boats, captains and crew in the Sanctuary area. Catch
and ex vessel value (dollar value of catch per boat) will be determined
per each one square mile of the Sanctuary area. From this data,
areas of the Sanctuary will be ranked in three categories: high
value to local fishery operators, intermediate value to local
fishery operators, and not used by the fisheries.
All
information collected will be coded for confidentiality. The code
book is to be in the possession of the contractor for the duration
of analysis only and not released to any party including government
agencies. The code book will be destroyed following completion
of the analysis.
Dr.
Caroline Pomeroy, University of California Santa Cruz, will
conduct an investigation of the squid fishery following the same
protocols as those outlined for Dr. BarlottiÖs research.
Agency
Support Our partner agencies have been sharing and transferring
data to Bob Leeworthy, Peter Wiley and Sanctuary staff. Sanctuary
staff are digitizing the information on the Sanctuary's Geographic
Information System. The agency representatives as well as a set
of anonymous reviewer will peer review the resulting socio-economic
analysis.
Agency
Members
Role
of the Marine Reserves Working Group
The
Marine Reserves Working Group are to work with their constituencies
to bring relevant socio-economic data to the process. Members
will also review the analysis and apply the information to reserve
siting proposals.
Legal
Requirements and Issues
The
National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, requires a study of
socioeconomic impacts that may result from any federal agency
action. Under NEPA, an "action" is defined to include developing
a management plan or promulgating regulations. However, the socioeconomic
study is not required to include the collection of any new data,
but may consist solely of synthesis of existing data. The Sanctuary
is significantly exceeding NEPA requirements by conducting original
studies of commercial and recreational fishing and other uses
in the Sanctuary.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires the federal government
to consider socio-economic information in decision-making and
planning. But, it does not require the federal government to gather
new or additional socioeconomic information and analysis.
Privacy
Issues
The federal privacy act does not allow information from individuals,
such as fishermen, to be publicly released.
Sanctuary Expenditures for Socio-Economic Analysis - $80,000
