SAN DIEGO — The conflict between humans and sea lions in La Jolla has been going on for many years, and now a City Council committee wants to close the area of Point La Jolla year-round permanently.
The San Diego City Council’s Environmental Committee voted unanimously last week to send a recommendation for the year-round closure of Point La Jolla to a full council hearing.
The annual sea lion pupping season closure lasts from May 1st to October 31st. Making the closure year-round is something local fishermen are against.
"The tragedy, here at Point La Jolla, is they do dumb things and don’t respect wildlife, and now I, the angler and surfers, have to pay. Our access is closed," said Volker Hoehne, Board member of San Diego, Free Divers, and Waterman's Alliance, a spearfishing advocacy group.
"I'm against this closure because other ways exist to protect sea lions safely. I don’t like the idea of more beach closures and also want to be able to use the park," said Bob Evans, President of La Jolla Parks and Beaches.
The current six-month closure period just started last year. Signs are put up. A chain locks off a wooden stairway, and barriers are up at the western end of the closure area. It also affects the bluffs at Boomer Beach.
"I oppose the idea, along with La Jolla Towne Council and many others, because we are losing access to the water, and the sea lion population continues to grow; you can hear them. They are polluting the area," said an ocean access advocate, Kurt Hoffman.
While people CBS 8 talked to say they support safety and protection, they’d want to see a study on environmental effects.
The Sierra Club Seal Society tells CBS 8:
The Sierra Club Seal Society is pleased that the Environment Committee unanimously approved the year-round closure of Pt. La Jolla for the California sea lions. This provides a safe viewing area for the public to watch sea lions in their natural habitat and leaves an ocean access area open for experienced ocean users.
Some committee members say they’d like to know more about the environmental factors associated with the closure before the full council votes. A date for that has not yet been scheduled.
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