(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Successful marine life and fishery management is a collaborative process that requires a high degree of ongoing communication and participation of all those involved in the management process, particularly the commission, the department, and those who represent the people and resources that will be most affected by fishery management decisions, especially fishery participants and other interested parties.

(2) In order to maximize the marine science expertise applied to the complex issues of marine life and fishery management, the commission and the department are encouraged to continue to, and to find creative new ways to, contract with or otherwise effectively involve Sea Grant staff, marine scientists, economists, collaborative factfinding process and dispute resolution specialists, and others with the necessary expertise at colleges, universities, private institutions, and other agencies.

(3) The benefits of the collaborative process required by this section apply to most marine life and fishery management activities including, but not limited to, the development and implementation of research plans, marine managed area plans, fishery management plans, and plan amendments, and the preparation of fishery status reports such as those required by Section 7065.

(4) Because California is a large state with a long coast, and because travel is time consuming and costly, the involvement of interested parties shall be facilitated, to the extent practicable, by conducting meetings and discussions in the areas of the coast and in ports where those most affected are concentrated.

(b) In order to fulfill the intent of subdivision (a), the commission and the department shall do all of the following:

(1) Periodically review marine life and fishery management operations with a view to improving communication, collaboration, and dispute resolution, seeking advice from interested parties as part of the review.

(2) Develop a process for the involvement of interested parties and for factfinding and dispute resolution processes appropriate to each element in the marine life and fishery management process. Models to consider include, but are not limited to, the take reduction teams authorized under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1361 et seq.) and the processes that led to improved management in the California herring, sea urchin, prawn, angel shark, and white seabass fisheries.

(3) Consider the appropriateness of various forms of fisheries comanagement, which involves close cooperation between the department and fishery participants, when developing and implementing fishery management plans.

(4) When involving fishery participants in the management process, give particular consideration to the gear used, involvement of sport or commercial sectors or both sectors, and the areas of the coast where the fishery is conducted in order to ensure adequate involvement.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 483, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2000.)