Come on out to the Malibu Surfing Association’s next meeting, and you can hear J.J. Brito talk about his new book, The World’s Richest Busboy. Brisco’s book describes his adventures throughout the world, surfing, working, and living in South Africa, South America, Australia, and more.
He’ll be at Duke’s of Malibu on February 8th, free and open to all! Learn more at Malibu Surfing Association.
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
It looks like the rain might finally be slowing down, but that just means the clean-up can begin. Among the downed trees and mudslides, there are also some ocean issues for you to keep in mind. This much rain carries huge amounts of bacteria and pollution straight through the stormdrain system to the beach, and can also cause sewage spills. Make sure you stay out of the ocean for a full 72 hours and avoid stormdrain impacted and enclosed beaches for 5 to 10 days after a storm, to give the bacteria time to disperse. You might even want to wait a little bit longer, given how much rain fell.
For up-to-date info, check out the Beach Report Card.
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
San Jose banned the bag! Just the latest in a series of local goverments doing the right thing. Locally, Long Beach did it, as did LA County. All of these local bans on plastic bags are going to help end the blight that litters our streets, beaches and parks, and kills our marine life. But as the San Jose Mercury News points out, a statewide ban would be more effective, easier to implement, and better all around.
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyMarine Protected AreasNewsPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
In a history-making decision for ocean protection, the California Fish and Game Commission approved a collection of Marine Protected Areas for Southern California. The decision, made on December 15, 2010 in Santa Barbara, is the final step in a multi-year collaborative process to establish a network of safe havens for marine life throughout the region as a part of the implementation of the California Marine Life Protection Act.
More About the Dec. 15 MPAs Approval
More About MPAs
The network of south coast MPAs was created by a stakeholder group consisting of representatives from environmental and fishing communities, local government officials and educators. Heal the Bay was extremely active in the MPA process, representing the conservation community and also providing a science-based perspective. Our participation was spearheaded by Sarah Sikich, Heal the Bay’s Coastal Resources Director, who served as a member of the taskforce charged with drawing up the map of MPAs.
The final map of MPAs creates 36 new MPAs encompassing about 187 square miles of state waters (~8% of the South Coast), with about 5% designated as fully-protected no-take areas, leaving the vast majority open to fishing.
Locally, this network includes:
By protecting the entire ecosystem in select Southern California waters, these MPAs will help restore and safeguard marine life and coastal heritage for future generations. Southern California’s new network of MPAs will take effect in 2011, following a period where local communities will be educated on MPAs.
Southern California’s MPAs join such ecologically diverse areas as California’s northern Channel Islands, the Florida Keys and New Zealand in establishing safe havens for marine life to thrive and reproduce.
Southern California’s marine ecosystems are stressed and continue to face many threats such as polluted runoff, marine debris, habitat destruction, and overfishing. Kelp beds throughout the Santa Monica Bay have declined substantially since the early 1900s. Several fish stocks have crashed statewide, causing many fisheries to be closed or severely limited. The majority of fishing throughout the State occurs in Southern California – together, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties account for over half the recreational fishing activity in California.
Currently 13% of land on earth is protected. However, less than 0.5% of the oceans are protected. As a valuable tool for both ecosystem protection and fisheries management, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are likely to help replenish depleted fish populations. MPAs have shown to be effective in parts of California, the Florida Keys, New Zealand, and in close to 50 other countries around the world.
Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, consist of three levels of protection:
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyMarine Protected AreasPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
After two years of marathon stakeholder negotiation sessions, endless contentious public hearings and reams of studies and environmental documents, the California Department of Fish and Game today finally established a network of Marine Protected Areas in Southern California, passing a slightly revised version of the Integrated Preferred Alternative by a 3-2 vote.
The final vote reflects tough compromise. The maps protect some key places from extractive uses, like Point Dume, Naples and La Jolla, but fail to meet scientific guidelines in some locations. (For example, the fishermen won the battle for Rocky Point, and the MPA at Farnsworth Banks is little more than a paper park). The commission also made a few small changes at Swami’s and La Jolla in San Diego County.
The final hearing and vote took place in Santa Barbara, a fitting location given that the northern Channel Islands became California’s first designated marine protected areas years ago.
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Malibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
No surprises. Today, the State Lands Commission provided an early Christmas present to Chevron.
As if they needed it.
The Commission voted 2-1 (controller Chiang was the no vote) to approve a 30 year lease for the offshore marine terminal used by oil tankers. No changes and nearly free rent of the Bay for the next 30 years (any renters out there getting longer than an annual lease? Even a 5 year lease?). And worse, no new marine mammal protection measures. Zero. Zed. Zippo. Zilch.
Was it the support from Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, the Sea World Hubbs Research institute, the Tree Musketeers, the Roundhouse, and the long beach sportfishing community? I felt bad that all of the recipients of Chevron’s philanthropy were obligated to speak in support of the lease. But I don’t think it influenced the Commission’s decision. That was greased long ago between Chevron, Maldonado and the Governor.
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Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
You might have already heard about the awesome fish that washed up in Malibu last week. It was more than 10 feet long, shaped like a ribbon, and is a very unusual visitor to our beaches. This oarfish, which was correctly identified by an eight-year-old who came across it lying on the beach, is a very rarely seen deep sea fish.
In fact, there are only a couple of known cases in which oarfish have come ashore.They can grow up to 35 feet long and are awesome looking, with silver scales and bright red fins, and are actually thought to be the original sea serpents that appear in sailor legends. Unfortunately, they only come to shore when they are close to death, and this fish, while originally spotted live and in the water, died shortly afterwards and washed ashore.
It was sent to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, which will conduct tests and possibly put this awesome creature on display. If you’ve been to the the Natural History Museum, you might have already seen the 14 foot oarfish in a glass case in the grand foyer. That specimen washed ashore on Catalina, but only after scientists from the Wrigley Marine Science Center got some photos of it swimming in Big Fisherman Cove. Having such a rare creature wash up in our own backyard is exciting for everyone, but especially for the SoCal marine science community!
Read more in the LA Times.
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
If you celebrate Christmas, but mourn the environmental impacts of all those packages, paper and plastic scraps and shipped-in Douglas Firs, we have the answer for you! There’s an awesome company called The Living Christmas Co. that rents living Christmas trees. They’ll deliver them and pick them up, all through the LA area, and you can even arrange to have the same tree year after year. They also have an online eco-friendly holiday decor store. What an awesome way to try to keep Christmas as earth-friendly as possible. So pick up that tofurkey, give out handmade gifts, and rent a living Christmas tree!
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
In an incredible vote, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to ban the distribution of plastic bags throughout all of unincorporated LA County. This landmark ruling is an example for the state, and municipalities all over the country. Read more on Mark Gold’s blog, Spouting Off, or check out Heal the Bay’s press release.
Long Beach / AvalonMalibu / Pacific PalisadesMarina del Rey / Playa del ReyPalos Verdes PeninsulaSanta MonicaSouth BayVenice Beach
In an interesting twist, Los Angeles County is the new statewide leader on breaking Californians’ 19-billion-a-year addiction to single-use shopping bags. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 today to ban plastic and paper bags in unincorporated areas of the county and allow grocery stores, drug stores and convenience stores to charge a dime for green paper bags. The ordinance is the farthest-reaching bag ban ordinance in California and should result in a 600 million-bag-a-year reduction in the county.
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