Comment from Anisha Kurien

It is irrational that Governor Schwarzenegger would find any of the regulations in the proposal from NOAA unacceptable. As they mention in the background section, these waters house an extremely fragile ecosystem that is immensely important to the state of California. There is no reason that the Governor should object to these regulations, since there is data to prove that many introduced species can be extremely harmful to the ecosystem. Also, there seems to be little upside to allowing the introduction of these animals, since, even if they are not harmful, they are still non-native and do not belong in the proposed area. It is also extremely unclear as to why Governor Schwarzenegger would not want these regulations to pass. His most notable complaint is that the proposal does not allow for any kind of research activity. This point is only somewhat valid. It is not acceptable for any group, even a permitted one, to release potentially harmful species into global waters. If the species turns out to be invasive and harmful, the group will be responsible for it’s release, but will be, most likely, unable to control it. This can lead to extremely detrimental effects on the waters in and around California. Since these waters are so important to the state of California, the Governor should retract his original sentiment and allow the earlier proposal to pass. There is no real reason that foreign species, that are potentially harmful, should be knowingly leaked into an extremely fragile area. Should an acceptable reason arise, an exception to the rule can always be made. It is better to air on the side of caution to maintain these beautiful ecosystems, rather than putting them at risk for something we never need. Governor Schwarzenegger is being stubborn by not allowing these regulations to pass simply because he wants a special clause added. He does not support his idea well and there is not enough evidence to prove that a special exemption is need for research when, currently, there is none be done.