The governor’s office announced on Oct. 19, 2026, that California has designated its first new marine protected areas in more than a decade, adding about 15,000 acres and bringing the state’s conserved coastal waters to 22.2%.
The California Fish and Game Commission approved a suite of changes to the state’s marine protected area network meant to strengthen protections while balancing fishing-community needs, the release said. The actions include two new state marine conservation areas and revisions at two existing sites.
New Point Sal State Marine Conservation Area will protect habitat for fish, seabirds and migrating whales along a remote San Luis Obispo County shore; the release said this will strengthen protections for a biodiversity hotspot. The release said Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area will protect Carpinteria Reef and one of the healthiest kelp forests in the Santa Barbara Channel. The release said Point Dume State Marine Conservation Area was expanded to protect additional kelp forest habitat off Malibu. The release said Pyramid Point State Marine Conservation Area was strengthened to protect declining fish populations on the North Coast while preserving tribal harvest for a culturally important species.
The release described the Point Sal and Mishopshno nominations as the first tribally‑nominated marine protected areas in California’s network; it said both were proposed by Chumash tribes and will create new opportunities for collaborative stewardship. Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, is quoted saying, "We are heartened and encouraged by the Fish & Game Commission’s decision to approve our petition to create the Mishopshno Marine Protected Area. We are grateful to co‑petitioners the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Center as well as the Ocean Protection Council for their efforts and support throughout this process. This area has important cultural and spiritual values that deserve to be protected for future generations."
The state framed the action as a counter to a federal review and a push to open federal waters to new offshore oil and gas leasing; the release said California warned that the federal review of its Coastal Management Program could weaken the state’s ability to protect the coast and clear the way for more drilling. Governor is quoted saying, "Our ocean is essential to who we are. It’s part of our DNA as Californians. While attempts to roll back decades of environmental protections and open our shoreline to new oil drilling, we’re protecting more of our coast and ocean than ever before. In partnership with California tribes, we’re safeguarding coastal communities, marine life, and ways of life that depend on a healthy ocean."
The release placed the move in the longer management review of the statewide marine protected area network completed in 2023 and said ongoing scientific monitoring shows the network increases biomass and diversity and delivers benefits to coastal communities, including tourism and recreational opportunities; the release noted the network has IUCN Green List recognition. The release also said the state has engaged tribes, fishermen, local governments and others during a multi‑year petition process that included public regional convenings.
What this means for people who fish or use the coast will depend on the regulatory details the Commission adopted; the release says the Commission sought to balance conservation with commercial and recreational needs but does not list new specific take restrictions for each area in this announcement. The state said its broader goal remains conserving 30% of coastal waters by 2030 and that these actions move California closer to that target.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Federal
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States · Republican
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Daniel Torok / The White House (public domain)
Sources & methodology
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