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Plan To Restrict Fishing In Northern California Exempts Native Americans

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- State wildlife regulators have given tentative approval to a plan to restrict fishing off parts of Northern California that they say addresses Native Americans' concerns about the possibility of losing their fishing rights and cultural practices.

But a tribal representative says the plan still falls short of what the tribes were seeking.

In a 4-1 vote on Wednesday, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission selected its preferred alternative for marine protection areas from the Oregon border south to Point Arena in Mendocino County. The plan exempts tribes from restrictions on harvesting marine life in certain areas on the North Coast.

But the tribes say they would still be restricted from other areas. They would also need to have a state fishing license and tribal identification and present evidence that they have historically gathered marine life in that area.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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