Network of wildlife reserves to be created on Californian coast

State wildlife officials voted Tuesday to create a network of fish refuges from Half Moon Bay to Santa Barbara, forging the most ambitious marine-conservation program in the nation.

The proposal will protect about 110 square miles off the Central Coast by banning most human activity, from recreational and commercial fishing to scuba diving. The plan approved by the state Fish and Game Commission also gives varying levels of protection to about another 94 square miles of ocean, including some areas where fishing would be limited to recreational anglers or certain fish species.