(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is a need to reexamine and redesign California’s MPA system to increase its coherence and its effectiveness at protecting the state’s marine life, habitat, and ecosystems.

(b) To improve the design and management of that system, the commission, pursuant to Section 2859, shall adopt a Marine Life Protection Program, which shall have all of the following goals:

(1) To protect the natural diversity and abundance of marine life, and the structure, function, and integrity of marine ecosystems.

(2) To help sustain, conserve, and protect marine life populations, including those of economic value, and rebuild those that are depleted.

(3) To improve recreational, educational, and study opportunities provided by marine ecosystems that are subject to minimal human disturbance, and to manage these uses in a manner consistent with protecting biodiversity.

(4) To protect marine natural heritage, including protection of representative and unique marine life habitats in California waters for their intrinsic value.

(5) To ensure that California’s MPAs have clearly defined objectives, effective management measures, and adequate enforcement, and are based on sound scientific guidelines.

(6) To ensure that the state’s MPAs are designed and managed, to the extent possible, as a network.

(c) The program may include areas with various levels of protection, and shall include all of the following elements:

(1) An improved marine life reserve component consistent with the guidelines in subdivision (c) of Section 2857.

(2) Specific identified objectives, and management and enforcement measures, for all MPAs in the system.

(3) Provisions for monitoring, research, and evaluation at selected sites to facilitate adaptive management of MPAs and ensure that the system meets the goals stated in this chapter.

(4) Provisions for educating the public about MPAs, and for administering and enforcing MPAs in a manner that encourages public participation.

(5) A process for the establishment, modification, or abolishment of existing MPAs or new MPAs established pursuant to this program, that involves interested parties, consistent with paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 7050, and that facilitates the designation of MPAs consistent with the master plan adopted pursuant to Section 2855.

(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 1015, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2000.)