CalOceans News

Solutions for a changing ocean

Ocean Beach resident Mike Laude has been diving and fishing southern California's waters for three decades.  He remembers swimming from Windansea to Bird Rock, "gawking at halibut, lobsters, abalone, moray eels, starfish, urchins, garibaldi, schools of sargo, barracuda, opal eye, and bait fish." 

Like many south coast watermen, Laude enjoys watching sea life, and hunting for his dinner amid the kelp forests and rocky reefs.  In a December 4 North County Times op-ed he writes about catching lobsters nearly as old as he was, and watching abalone numbers dwindle. 

Richard Holt, who serves on the Advisory Council for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, has been fishing and diving south coast waters even longer than Laude.  The picture above is from his website, showing a typical day's catch at Palos Verdes from the 1950's (all caught without SCUBA gear.)

Fish and shellfish are getting smaller and fewer each year, and habitat protection is a key part of the solution.  Mike Laude has followed Marine Life Protection Act process, and come out in support of the compromise plan for southern California.

Many other divers and anglers, along with scientists, conservationists, and educators are expected to attend a December 9 Marine Life Protection Act meeting in Los Angeles to voice their support for a strong marine protected area plan.  The future bounty of our ocean is at stake.

• Tags:
• Marine Life Protection Act
• marine protected area
• integrated preferred alternative
• south coast study region
• historic catches
• fisheries