Duxbury Reef, the largest exposed shale reef along the Pacific Coast, is a haven for over 200 species, from vibrant nudibranchs to camouflaged decorator crabs that flourish in its pools. Designated a state marine conservation area in 2009, it already has stricter rules than most coastal waters.
A West Marin conservation group has called to strengthen protections for its rich biodiversity, urging the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to outlaw all fishing around the reef and Drakes Estero, two of the state’s designated marine protected areas. “These are some of the richest marine ecosystems in the world,” said Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, which filed two petitions with the state last year as part of a decadal management review.
Established 15 years ago under the Marine Life Protection Act, California’s M.P.A.s function as underwater parks designed to safeguard ocean habitats. Encompassing 16 percent of state waters, the network includes 124 sites, including the Point Reyes and Estero de Limantour State Marine Reserves and the Drakes Estero and Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Areas.
At Duxbury, hook-and-line fishing from shore is permitted, while harvesting any other marine life—snails, clams, urchins, mussels and seaweed—is considered poaching. Abalone fishing, once permitted, is closed until at least 2026. But if the E.A.C.’s petition is approved, all forms of extraction at Duxbury will be prohibited. The group wants the area’s status changed to that of a marine reserve, and the boundaries extended northward to include Double Point—home to one of California’s largest harbor seal breeding colonies—and southward to an unprotected intertidal area.
With visitor numbers at Duxbury surging in recent years, volunteer docents who educate the public about proper tidepooling etiquette often struggle with how to protect the area. “If some forms of take are allowed but others aren’t, it’s confusing for visitors,” said Kent Khtikian, a lawyer and activist who co-founded the docent program with the E.A.C. “It’s difficult for visitors to understand why somebody can fish with a hook and line or poke pole but their 5-year-old kid can’t be scooping up nudibranchs out of the tidepool or overturning rocks.”
Data from Marin MPA Watch, a coalition led by the E.A.C. with support from the Point Reyes National Seashore and the California Academy of Sciences, recorded 259 potential violations at Duxbury last year, up from 151 in 2022. The group believes these numbers underrepresent the extent of poaching and improper tidepooling.
The Drakes Estero petition seeks similar enhancements. Originally designated while still housing an oyster farm, the law currently permits recreational clam harvesting. The petition recommends expanding Estero de Limantour’s marine reserve to cover the upper reaches of Drakes Estero.
“The objective of state M.P.A.s to protect California’s biodiversity is congruent with our mission to preserve natural resources for future generations,” said Ben Becker, a marine biologist with the National Park Service. He said the proposed changes would minimize false alarms of poaching violations and simplify enforcement.
The Fish and Game Commission is set to review the Drakes Estero proposal in November, with a decision expected by December. The Duxbury proposal faces a more protracted review process.
“Given the large boundary expansion and change in designation, which wasn’t explicitly outlined as a potential management shift during the science advisory team’s discussions, we need additional policy guidance on what those shifts might entail,” said Sara Wordon, a Fish and Wildlife environmental scientist. She noted that the proposal could provoke controversy due to its implications for local fishing.
In comments on the petition, Bolinas fisherman Josh Churchman expressed support for stronger protections but flagged the proposed boundaries. “I am concerned that a 1,000-foot outer boundary is excessively punitive to the Bolinas fishing community,” he wrote. He suggested a 300-foot boundary.