Heal the Bay Blog

Human beings, stingrays and sea jellies share something: We all love to swim in warm water. But that poses some problems.

As more human swimmers enter the surf during the summer, it’s more likely that we will encounter a stingray or a sea jelly. Santa Monica Fire Department Mark Bridge told the Santa Monica Daily Press that since April 1, 18 people have been stung by a sea jelly or stingray in local waters. 

But just because you encounter a stingray or a sea jelly, that doesn’t mean you’ll get stung. 

It’s important to remember that these marine species call the ocean their home and it’s as if we are barging into their living room, advises Vicki Wawerchak, director of Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. “When we walk into the ocean, we are unexpected visitors,” she explains. “They’re not looking for our feet or ankles and we can accidentally step on them.”

The top precaution you can take, she continues, is to “educate yourself on how to coexist in their environment, especially during the summer months when so many of us are in the water. Learn what these animals look like in the sand and sea so you can avoid them.” 

For instance, it’s good to know that sea jellies can’t swim on their own; they’re pushed by the current, so it’s up to you to avoid them. And to escape being stung by the usually docile and curious stingray, shuffle your feet side-to-side and avoid normal forward stepping though the surf. 

But perhaps the best prevention is to learn more about these marine species by visiting them in a safe environment, such as the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, which features Round Stingrays and Moon Jellies, among the more than 100 local sea animals on display.

The plastic bag giants have filed nuisance lawsuits against reusable bag manufacturer ChicoBag, as well as Marin County and the City of Long Beach for taking a stand to reduce unnecessary single use bag litter and waste. Join Heal the Bay in saying “YES” to the reusable bag movement and “NO” to plastic bags. Tell the plastic bag industry to drop these intimidation lawsuits. Sign the petition today. 

Some California cities have been cautious to pass local ordinances banning plastic bags because of threatened litigation by the “Save Our Plastic Bag Coalition,” a group composed of plastic bag manufacturers and distributors. Industry litigation and huge lobbyist pressure derailed initiatives in several cities, including Seattle, Oakland and Palo Alto. 

Despite the bullying tactics, communities continue to fight back, with new cities and counties moving forward with plastic bag bans, including the cities of Burbank and Huntington Beach. In July, the California Supreme Court ruled that the city of Manhattan Beach did not have to conduct a full environmental impact report prior to adopting a plastic bag ordinance, which the Save Our Plastic Bag Coalition had challenged.

Learn more about small business ChicoBag’s battle against the plastic bag industry at Spouting Off, the personal blog by Heal the Bay President, Mark Gold:  “Andy vs. The Plastic Goliath.” 

For the last three months, I’ve been yearning to blog or write an op-ed on AB 376, the state bill that would ban the sale of shark fins in California. I haven’t been more excited about a marine conservation bill in nearly a decade.  But to be honest, having an environmental biologist like me write about shark conservation wouldn’t add much momentum to get the bill passed.

After all, nearly every major environmental and animal rights group in the nation strongly supports the bill.  Many of these groups persuaded globally known actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and January Jones to advocate for the bill via Twitter and op-eds. Even the Monterey Bay Aquarium, generally neutral on environmental bills, decided to sponsor the bill and hire well-respected lobbyists to fight for shark conservation.

The one person I know that could really make a difference in the fight to enact the shark fin ban is my brother, Jonathan.  After all, there is no food writer more highly respected nationally than Jonathan.  He’s the only food writer to earn a Pulitzer and he’s received seven James Beard Awards, the food industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Also, Jonathan’s writing delves into both the worlds of food and modern culture.  His writing on Chinese food is particularly distinct and well respected, as nearly every significant Chinese restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley has a copy of one of his reviews plastered on a window or framed in the lobby.

Unlike my brother, I’ve never consumed shark fin soup.  In fact, I remember threatening his physical harm at a Monterey Park Cantonese seafood palace that actually had a cart featuring the item for $30 a bowl back in the1990s.  Jonathan eagerly called the cart driver to our table just to get a rise out of me.  He thought it was hilarious.  I wasn’t laughing.

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With the world focused on the silly brinksmanship in Congress over the national debt ceiling, there hasn’t been enough focus on the ramifications of the recent California legislative redistricting process.  The final maps, created by an independent body called the California Citizens Redistricting Committee, just came out last week and the new districts are substantially different.  For the L.A. County coast, the changes are pretty dramatic.

Overall, our local coast didn’t do that well during redistricting.  Separating the ports in different congressional and senate districts is not good for San Pedro Bay and misses the opportunity to integrate environmental protection and cleanup efforts among the ports, and L.A. and Long Beach. The new state senate districts separate some of the strongest supporters of Santa Monica Mountains conservation from the actual resource.  That makes it tougher for Westside residents to help out on those issues.

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