I am saddened by the thought that my children might not be able to enjoy the childhood memories that made my growing up in the Malibu/Point Dume area so special to me. As a Malibu native of 40 plus years and an avid fisherman and diver, the recent proposed marine closures that may take effect in our Point Dume, Little Dume and Paradise Cove areas will not allow for our future generations to experience one of Malibu’s special outdoor resources.
Through the years of my fishing and diving these waters, I’ve noticed the different cycles in our ocean’s condition. Some years, the “El Nino” years, our migratory fish are more abundant then other years when our ground fish, such as bass, halibut and rockfish, are more plentiful as in this current season. The proposed closure area located off Pt. Dume/Paradise Cove area, known as the “Big Kelp Reef,” is one of the richest areas of sea life along our coastline.
This past summer it wasn’t uncommon to see anglers on paddle boards or kayaks catching calico bass, halibut and white sea bass. I feel our fishery is healthier now than 20 years ago when I used to work as a deck hand on our local sport fishing boats out of Paradise Cove and Malibu pier.
I feel we can manage our fishery a little better by lowering our daily bag limits and/or changing our size limit requirements. However, to completely close this area to fishing altogether would be ludicrous and a tragic loss to the local community members who value Malibu’s natural resources.
Brian Hart