Oceans need protection from overfishing, armchair biologists
Re: Letter to the editor, “Marine Life Protection Act not a boon for everyone” (Jan. 26, Page 6): It is unfortunate the La Jolla Village News chose to publish Carl Lind’s letter that falsely claims there is no science to make the claim that “left alone, problems of our coastline will be healed by Mother Nature.” The facts are that the world’s most esteemed oceanographers and marine ecologists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography carried out research on the success of marine protected areas that indeed are “left alone.” Given the fact that in the past 50 years we have depleted large populations of commercial fish populations by 90 percent, scientists have found that clearly enforced no-take zones are the most effective way of increasing fisheries resources. In the case of the Cabo Pulmo Marine Protected Area along Baja California’s East Cape region, local fishermen agreed to a plan to halt fishing activity starting in 1999. A decade later, scientists found “that the total amount of fish in the reserve ecosystem boomed more than 460 percent.” Moreover, they found that “fish communities at the depleted site can recover up to a level comparable to remote, pristine sites that have never been fished by humans.” It is easy for armchair biologists such as Lind to make false claims about the MLPA process and the science behind California’s important effort to conserve our marine ecosystems for future generations. Anyone who has viewed the rapidly diminished state of our coastal and marine ecosystems knows that they are a faint resemblance of what they once were. Now that marine protected areas off of our coast are a reality, it is up to all of us to work together to conserve and manage these underwater jewels that are our gift to our children and grandchildren. — Serge Dedina, Ph.D., Executive Director, WiLDCOAST Southern Californians must stand up for our oceans’, wildlife’s health
Re: Letter to the Editor, “Marine Life Protection Act not a boon for everyone” (Re: “Underwater Parks Day a lure for landlubbers and ocean lovers,” Jan. 12, Page 9): Though Mr. Lind’s comment that the Marine Life Protection Act was a legislative bill and not on a ballot, Southern California residents did say “Yes” to establishing marine protected areas. Over the three-year process, the Fish and Game Commission received tens if not hundreds of thousands of comments supporting ocean protection. Public hearings in places like Santa Barbara, San Diego and Los Angeles draw thousands of supporters to voice their opinions and show their support for marine protected areas in their regions. This shows that California does care about our ocean’s health. California’s oceans ARE in trouble. Not only has there been a collapse in barred sand and kelp bass, a recent study has found that the size of fish across the Pacific coast has gone down 45 percent over the last 20 years. If that isn’t a sign of trouble, what is? Marine protected areas do work, and the science can back it up. In places like Cabo Pulmo in Mexico, marine reserves have been a success. Cabo Pulmo reef was about to disappear, and 15 years after it was named a non-take marine protected area, the results where astonishing with biomass increasing 463 percent. A huge part of why this area in Mexico has been successful is because of public involvement. Marine protected areas haven’t just been successful in Mexico but also in other countries like the Philippines and Australia, and even our own backyard in the Channel Islands, where studies have shown that within the areas, fish are bigger and more abundant. Having full protection of areas in the ocean and not just limited regulations for some fish will ensure us that marine protected areas will work and full marine ecosystems will be healthier. This won’t be an overnight success, but results will be there in years to come. But it is up to community to take part and help protect it. I applaud California for being a leader in ocean conservation, and for caring enough to protect our natural heritage for future generations to enjoy! — Diane Castaneda, Conservation program coordinator, WiLDCOAST Custodians of La Jolla’s codes must be up to code themselves
Re: “The Whitney’s view is not accurate,” (letter to the editor, La Jolla Light, Jan. 26, Page A18) Despite [LJCPA trustee Fritz Liebhardt’s] opinion, I have great respect for the volunteers of the La Jolla Community Planning Association and the community planning process. I have followed all of the rules and regulations of the La Jolla Shores Planned District Ordinance, design manual and community plan when I designed my mixed-use home in the Shores. I did not however, count on my next-door neighbor [Liebhardt], an LJCPA committee member and my former architect, and his wife to deliberately misrepresent my project to our community to protect their view. Nor did I anticipate LJCPA trustee Phil Merten to present my neighbor’s false images of my future home to the La Jolla Shores Association, the La Jolla Shores Advisory Board, the San Diego hearing officer, the San Diego Planning Commission and the City Council. Applicants deserve to be confident the LJCPA trustees will be impartial and honor the city rules that empower them to make recommendations, including Council Policy 600-24, The Ralph M. Brown Act, Information Bulletin 505 and 602. The applicants should be assured that each and every member that sits on the various community planning groups is themself in compliance with the community codes they judge others by. Mr. Liebhardt has misrepresented the code compliance issues at 2210 Avenida de la Playa as being resolved. This is not true. The removal of off-street parking is a violation that will not be ignored or forgiven by code enforcement. These violations were deliberate and intentional, not a mistake by the city. He asked who Michael Stepner is; He was the city architect for San Diego and was employed in the Planning Department for 27 years. He is very active in the community, co-chairs the Canyonlands Committee of San Diego Civic Solutions, and was an originator of the “Onions and Orchids” architectural award program. Mr. Stepner and Ernie Hahn are widely credited with spearheading the rebirth of downtown San Diego and especially its vibrant Gaslamp Quarter. He is also the author of the La Jolla Shores PDO. Protecting and fostering our community planning process begins with compliance, truth and transparency. That’s what I am fighting for!!! — Kim Whitney, Member, La Jolla Association, La Jolla Town Council, La Jolla Community Planning Association — Letters to the editor can be emailed to [email protected]
