As a 35 year resident of west Malibu, it is with great interest that I read of the Point Dume MPA (marine protection area) proponents calling for a “Yellowstone” of the Sea. I have witnessed violent and destructive actions by locals in an attempt to protect Little Dume from outsiders. Now these same people seek to ban all of their neighboring local fishermen and women from catching a meal now and then from Malibu’s most abundant fishing area.
There are many of us here in Paradise Cove who have donated time and money to local environmental causes and we understand the need for conservation. Fishing in our local waters is part of our Malibu way of life and a livelihood we look forward to during our retirement years. We have seen first hand how game limits and the prohibition of gill netting years ago have greatly improved the fish populations here. To say we are running out of fish at Point. Dume is alarmist. Growing up on the beaches here in the 70’s the only time I was able to see fish is when someone caught one. I never saw schools of bass or halibut from a surfboard or kayak. Are people expecting to see quantities of fish like they do in a Monterey Bay Aquarium? If so they’ll be sadly disappointed. So if the proponents feel so strongly that the world is running out of fish perhaps they should be banning Malibu’s sushi restaurants next.
As for protecting the kelp, the fact is that the Santa Monica Baykeeper’s Kelp Restoration Project (launched in 1996) is a success! The kelp beds have been restored continuously for the past six years. It’s taken dedication and hard work from divers and others but the results are in. According to the Bay Restoration Commission, the kelp was destroyed by a series of El Niño conditions and historic storms in the 1980s and 1990s. Contributing factors include polluted runoff and an increase in the urchin population. The sheepshead fish is one predator of the urchin and it’s true that overfishing of sheepshead contributed to the urchin increase. So why not ban taking sheepshead? The current limit is five. Why not reduce it to one?
Furthermore, studies have shown that increased tourism to MPAs without sufficient enforcement can have unintended consequences. If more people are visiting the MPA tidepools, who will be standing guard to handcuff those who pilfer from them? State literature promotes MPAs by touting the increase in tourism they will generate. Are the folks of Pt. Dume ready for increased pressure to open up their gates? As you may know, the City of Malibu provides shuttle service from Westward Beach to the Pt. Dume headlands. It’s not too much of a stretch to think the State will demand the same for this new marine “Yellowstone.” You know the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for.”
Teri Scott