In a battle that has been brewing for quite some time between local fishers and the environmentalists the City of Malibu has finally taken a stance by recommending an option that may jeopardize fishing in Malibu.
“This is something that has been going on in this country for 15 years said John Sibert, a member of the Malibu City Council and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.
The Malibu City Council voted unanimously on their recommendation to California’s Department of Fish and Game’s Blue Ribbon Task Force as they determine the coastal areas to be designated as marine reserves under the proposed Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) on Oct 12. The council was presented with three options, which each proposed different Southern California areas to be allocated as marine reserves from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. Option No. 1 was selected.
That plan compromises between the interests of fishers and conservationists, but still prohibits fishing in Point Dume, Paradise Cove and Zuma Beach. Fishers tend to support option No. 2 because it places the fewest restrictions on fishing. Option No. 3 was favored by conservationists because it would create the most marine reserves.
We took a hard look at itSibert said. We felt unanimously that we could support [option No. 1].”
Sibert said option No. 1 achieved the objectives of the Science Advisory Team without restricting fishing as much as option No. 3.
While no members of the public supportive of option No. 1 spoke at the meeting option No. 2 and 3 were equally represented by speakers including a group of children who sang a song about a fish getting speared.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force is hired by the Department of Fish and Game to make recommendations about proposed policies. The proposed Marine Life Protection Act would establish marine reserves along the California coast to protect fish populations from depletion.
After hearing from local fishers as well as environmentalists the Malibu City council selected option No. 1 as their recommendation to the task force.
Pepperdine sophomore Chris Lupin who has fished in Southern California for five to six years and in Malibu for two months advocated option No. 2 at the meeting.
“Point Dume is the crown jewel of fishing in Malibu Lupin said. To lose it would devastate the fishing community here.”
Lupin said he believes the fishers’ voices influenced the council’s decision.
“I think if there wasn’t such a strong [outpouring] with the fishing community they [the city council] would have gone with option No. 3 Lupin said.
Lupin described the decision as a victory for both sides. However, the fishing restrictions are almost the same as with option No. 3 for Malibu, with closures affecting Point Dume, Westward Beach, Zuma Beach, Broad Beach, Trancas Point and a mile north of Trancas Point. Major closures would also affect Palos Verdes, Laguna Beach and San Diego, among other popular fisheries.
I think it was a fair decision for the Malibu City Council to make Lupin said. They listened to an even number of speakers on both sides.”
Junior Travis Hunter an avid fisher accompanied Lupin to the meeting also appearing before the city council on behalf of local fishers.
In high school Hunter worked as a deckhand on sports fishing boats in San Diego and in a fishing tackle store.
“There are zero overfished species in the Malibu area and there are zero species close to becoming endangered Hunter said.
Hunter expressed the importance of the presence of fish to fishers.
We want fish to be there down the line for our children and grandchildren he said. The sportsmen are the actual stewards to the environment.”
Hunter said he thinks the council made a terrible decision.
Hunter blames a lack of awareness for the overwhelming support of the MLPA.
Mike Gardner who has lived and spear-fished in Point Dume for 20 years said he is disappointed but not discouraged that the city council did not choose to support option No. 2.
“It’s not like they have any control over this process [because it is only a recommendation] Gardner said. It wasn’t that big of a deal to me. Everyone’s got different opinions.”
Gardner described his biggest frustration as what he described as a general disregard for other significant factors that hurt fish populations including septic tank runoff boat anchoring runoff from construction landscape fertilizer and storm drains and urban runoff.
Hunter agrees that factors beyond fishing impact the coastal environment.
“A lot of pollution and runoff from fertilizer hurts the environment significantly more than fishing ever will Hunter said.
Hunter said he believes residents are easily persuaded to support legislation that supports life but they continue to perform actions that detriment the coastal environment.
By providing food for my table [by fishing] I don’t buy fish from Ralphs Gardner said.
Gardner said Ralphs and popular sushi restaurants such as Nobu may sell fish from unsustainable fisheries.
I don’t eat toro at Nobu that may be flown in from unprotected fisheries around the world Gardner said. I have less environmental impact.”
The Malibu Times published “Fishermen enviros butt heads over MLPA survey results” Sept. 2 which discussed the results of recent MLPA surveys. A survey conducted by The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation and designed by Linwood Pendleton of The Ocean Foundation studied the activities of 5865 visitors to the California coast and found that more than 90 percent of visits are for “non consumptive” activities including scuba diving tide-pooling and surfing.
Consumptive activities like spear fishing lobster diving and hook and line fishing scored in the single digits as activities enjoyed by survey respondents according to the Malibu Times.
Ken Pitts an environmentalist and Advanced Placement environmental science teacher at Santiago High School in Corona Calif. is a proponent of the creation of underwater marine reserves.
“I understand that some sport fishing companies are going to be hurt but they can adjust the product they offer to tourists and sport fishermen Pitts said. They can also adjust who they cater to. This planet is not all about Homo sapiens and their financial well-being.”
Sibert said the mission of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission is to “act as a nursery … and protect species.”