Background Agencies & Legislation Continue Search California conducts a tremendous amount of commerce through its port facilities. It is estimated that California transports 184 million tons of cargo and over three million passengers by vessel each year, representing one of the world's largest volumes of ocean trade and passenger transport. With its numerous ports and intermodal links, California serves as a critical thoroughfare for the nation's increasing role in Pacific Rim trade. Trade with Pacific Rim nations accounted for 25% of the Nation's imports and exports in 1980; by 1993, that share of trade was almost 35% of the national total and rising. An economic analysis conducted by the California Research Bureau found that, in 1992, ports and port-related activities contributed approximately $6 billion to the California economy (California Research Bureau, 1993). The waters within California's ports also provide critical sheltered water habitat for a wide variety of ocean and coastal species that are ecologically important, as well as being important to commercial and recreational fishery interests. For example, the waters within the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach include some of the last sheltered subtidal habitat in Southern California, providing nursery habitat for some species and year-round habitat for others. San Francisco Bay ports provide critical habitat for commercial Dungeness crab, Chinook salmon, and Pacific herring. Ocean and coastal resources are affected by port maintenance and development activities because dredge, fill, and other operations within ports and harbors can adversely affect or eliminate habitat. In addition, dredge materials are sometimes proposed for disposal at ocean sites which also can adversely affect a wide variety of ocean and coastal resources.

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This file last modified on: Tuesday, January 24, 2006.
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