SECTIONS 7050-7051

7050.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares that the Pacific Oceanand its rich marine living resources are of great environmental,economic, aesthetic, recreational, educational, scientific,nutritional, social, and historic importance to the people ofCalifornia. (b) It is the policy of the state to ensure the conservation,sustainable use, and, where feasible, restoration of California'smarine living resources for the benefit of all the citizens of thestate. The objective of this policy shall be to accomplish all of thefollowing: (1) Conserve the health and diversity of marine ecosystems andmarine living resources. (2) Allow and encourage only those activities and uses of marineliving resources that are sustainable. (3) Recognize the importance of the aesthetic, educational,scientific, and recreational uses that do not involve the taking ofCalifornia's marine living resources. (4) Recognize the importance to the economy and the culture ofCalifornia of sustainable sport and commercial fisheries and thedevelopment of commercial aquaculture consistent with the marineliving resource conservation policies of this part. (5) Support and promote scientific research on marine ecosystemsand their components to develop better information on which to basemarine living resource management decisions. (6) Manage marine living resources on the basis of the bestavailable scientific information and other relevant information thatthe commission or department possesses or receives. (7) Involve all interested parties, including, but not limited to,individuals from the sport and commercial fishing industries,aquaculture industries, coastal and ocean tourism and recreationindustries, marine conservation organizations, local governments,marine scientists, and the public in marine living resourcemanagement decisions. (8) Promote the dissemination of accurate information concerningthe condition of, or management of, marine resources and fisheries byseeking out the best available information and making it availableto the public through the marine resources management process. (9) Coordinate and cooperate with adjacent states, as well as withMexico and Canada, and encourage regional approaches to managementof activities and uses that affect marine living resources.Particular attention shall be paid to coordinated approaches to themanagement of shared fisheries.7051.  (a) A regulation adopted pursuant to this part shall applyonly to ocean waters and bays. Notwithstanding any other provision ofthis part, nothing contained in this part grants the department orany other agency of the state any regulatory authority not inexistence on January 1, 1999, in any river upstream of the mouth ofsuch river, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or in any otherestuary. (b) The policies in this part shall apply only to fisherymanagement plans and regulations adopted by the commission on orafter January 1, 1999. No power is delegated to the commission or thedepartment by this part to regulate fisheries other than thenearshore fishery, the white sea bass fishery, emerging fisheries,and fisheries for which the commission or department had regulatoryauthority prior to January 1, 1999.