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Letters/Online Comments
RE: “Bills to Watch in 2020: War on Single Use Plastics” (Jan. 24-Feb. 6) I am sure that the tyrants in Sacramento are working as hard as they can to tell us how to live our lives, Stalin would be proud. So much for a free country. Munnster
RE: “Is managed retreat a viable response to sea level rise?” (Jan. 10-23) Thus far, I have not been able to determine that there is any evidence actual sea level rise exists anywhere in the world. I am not saying it does not, but to the extent I can read and evaluate reports, not yet. Of the many vulnerable areas, two of the widely anticipated early victims were Kiribati and Netherlands. Both are still with us, and Netherlands appears to be surviving quite well, with no land loss for either. Cli collapse and beach erosion existed in California long before man supposedly produced enough heat to be have an noticeable environmental e ect, and I am of the “opinion” (note the quotes for emphasis) that the twin beliefs that we are a sigBW nifi cant cause/and can reverse global warming (or climate change) is simply hubris and chicanery, often with corrupt motivation. Sure, we can reduce our infl uence, probably to our own detriment, with little benefi t to the environment. I hope any reader paid attention to the separation of what I represent as fact and opinion. Brian Aherne
RE: “Port of San Diego hopes to fi ne-tune in-water hull cleaning policy” (Jan. 10-23) The Port’s hull cleaning policy continues to be (amended or not) a poorly crafted, toothless and ine ective attempt to reduce copper loading in San Diego’s waterways. The only way to reach the federally mandated water quality goals for copper is to ban copper-based anti fouling paints. Studies have proven that even eliminating in-water hull cleaning altogether would not achieve this. The Port is merely going after an easy target by regulating hull divers in this way. Matthew Peterson
On Board With Johnson
by J.R. Johnson
Helicopter involved in the crash killing Kobe Bryant and eight others was part of the Island Express fl eet; Ara Zobayan, who helmed the fateful fl ight, was the company’s chief pilot.
BY PARIMAL M. ROHIT
LONG BEACH — The sole helicopter service from the mainland to Catalina Island will be grounded temporarily, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and multiple news sources. Island Express Helicopters, which is based in Long Beach and offered quick fl ights to and from Catalina Island, owned the helicopter involved in the crash killing former NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter, a college baseball coach and six others.
No timeline has been given as to when Island Express Helicopters would resume its service from San Pedro to Catalina.
Ara Zobayan, Island Express Helicopters’ chief pilot, was at the helm of the Jan. 26 helicopter fl ight from John Wayne Airport to Ventura County. He had been with the company for 10 years and logged more than 8,000 fl ight hours, according to a statement released by Island Express Helicopters.
“One of our helicopters, N72EX, Sikorsky S76, was involved in an accident on Sunday, January 26th in the Calabasas area of LA
See ISLAND EXPRESS page 7
California celebrated boating and fi shing in June 2019 FAST FACTS
BY PARIMAL M. ROHIT
STATEWIDE — The fi rst nine days of June 2019 served as California Fishing and Boating Week, coinciding with a national campaign of a similar title (National Fishing and Boating Week) at the same time. Legislators in Sacramento approved a resolution last spring to declare California Fishing and Boating Week, June 1-9, 2019.
The resolution, which was fi led with the Secretary of State’s o ce on June 13, 2019 – a whole four days after the nine-day “week” was over – listed several interesting facts about boating and fi shing in the United States. It declared boating and fi shing as “cherished American traditions,” promoting “family values and unity … [and] wholesome recreation and outdoor lifestyles.” More than 141 million Americans (71.1 million adults, 70.5 million children) engage in boating activities each year, according to the resolution.
Recreational boating, as an industry, contributes $170.3 billion to the national economy, the resolution added. This includes direct, indirect and induced spending. The U.S. recreational boating economy also supports more than 35,000 businesses and 691,000 jobs (direct and indirect).
The United States manufactures 95 percent of boats sold in the country, according to state legislators.
Our fi shing economy is supported by 49 million anglers and, according to the 2019 resolution, helps “generate a total economic output of $125 billion and 802,000 jobs.”
“Anglers and boaters are stewards of the environment, contributing $1.6 billion in excise taxes annually to the federal Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which funds habitat conservation and restoration e orts, preserving our natural resources for future generations,” the resolution stated. “Sport fi shing is vital to California’s tourism economy, with 2 million anglers spending $2.9 billion while fi shing, supporting $5.2 billion in economic output and 37,000 jobs.”
The annual economic impact of recreational boating on the California economy, according to the resolution, is $13 billion, 41,125 jobs, 2,820 businesses and 745,641 registered boats.
National Fishing and Boating Week was acknowledged in the resolution as “a fantastic opportunity for families to spend time together on the water” and “a special week, fi lled with events nationwide that provide families an opportunity to reconnect, create new memories, and have fun together on the water.”
County. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our top priority is providing assistance to the families of the passengers and the pilot,” Island Express Helicopters staff said in a statement posted on the company’s website. “The pilot, Ara Zobayan, was our chief pilot. Ara has been with the company for [more than] 10 years and has [more than] 8,000 fl ight hours.” The Log reached out to a spokesperson with the Catalina Island Co. to confi rm details about the helicopter company’s decision; she defl ected The Log’s request to the NTSB. Long Beach Post reported Island Express Helicopters would be halting its Catalina Island service, quoting the same spokesperson contacted by The Log. “[A] Catalina Island Company spokesperson … confi rmed that the company has suspended its service. It is not clear when operations will resume,” the Post article stated. The same spokesperson would not confi rm or deny this information for The Log. Catalina Island’s Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau had sent out a member communication email on Jan. 29, shortly after the Post story was published. The email advised all chamber members to avoid contact with members of the media, with relaSee ISLAND EXPRESS page 6
tion to Island Express Helicopters. Keith Holloway, NTSB’s public affairs offi cer, was not immediately available for comment.
Questions about whether Island Express Helicopters decided to pause its Catalina Island service was made internally or if the company was directed to stop operations (for the time being) by the NTSB or another agency were not answered. The Post story, which was published on Jan. 29, stated this is not the fi rst fatal crash involving the Island Express Helicopters fl eet. Its Eurocopter AS-350, which fl ew out of Long Beach, reportedly crashed near Banning House Lodge at Two Harbors almost 12 years ago. The pilot and two others were killed in the crash, according to the Post; three others were reportedly injured.
A helicopter ride from San Pedro’s Berth 95 – one of Island Express Helicopters’ terminals – to Avalon is about 15 minutes long; Island Express Helicopters offered round-trip tickets for $300.
Island Express Helicopters began offering fl ights from the Southern California mainland to Catalina Island in 1982 and maintained a fl eet of four turbine helicopters. It offers fl ights from Burbank, Long Beach, Orange County and San Pedro.
Engel & Völkers launches its fi rst yachting shop in the Americas
Newport Beach will serve as the home of the real estate brand’s yacht franchise.
BY PARIMAL M. ROHIT
NEWPORT BEACH — A global real estate brand is opening its fi rst-ever yachting shop for the Americas. Engel & Völkers announced it opened a yachting business in Newport Beach. The venture was the result of a partnership with Walter Johnson and Leeann Iacino of Walter Johnson Yachts.
The new yachting shop in Newport Beach will host eight advisors, with plans to expand in the not too distant future. The Newport Beach location complements Engel & Völkers’ yachting shops in Monaco and Antibes in the South of complements Engel & Völkers’ yachting shops in Monaco and Antibes in the South of
France.
“This is a tremendous milestone for our growth in the Americas,” said Anthony Hitt, president and CEO, Engel & Völkers Americas. “We’ve seen the value for our clientele by offering both luxury real estate and yachting services, which very much complement one another. This also opens exciting new referral opportunities for our global real estate network and strengthens the portfolio of offerings to our clients in the Americas and abroad.”
Engel & Völkers was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1977 as a global luxury real estate brand. It operates 195 shops and manages more than 3,700 real estate advisors in the Americas. The brand’s global network boats more than 11,000 real estate advisors in about 30 countries.
The Newport Beach location will be overseen by Paul Benson, a license partner of more than two-dozen Engel & Völkers shops in California, Nevada and Utah.
Engel & Völkers has been servicing the yachting industry on the Mediterranean since 2007; the fi rm
even brokered the deal to feature Regina, a luxury yacht liner, in the James Bond fi lm “Skyfall.” be overseen by Paul Benson, a license partner of more than two-dozen Engel & Völkers shops in California, Nevada and Utah.
Engel & Völkers has been servicing the yachting industry on the Mediterranean since 2007; the fi rm
even brokered the deal to feature Regina
the James Bond fi lm “Skyfall.”
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CRUISE AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS FOR FISCAL YEARS 2021 - 2025
165 Number of Callsof
$2.81 million City Revenues
Avalon City Council approves resolution setting guidelines for cruise ships The city and community have been discussing cruise ships since Oct. 2019; it has ultimately come down to the economic benefi t the vessels have on the island.
BY LINDSEY GLASGOW
$19.03 million Estimated Passenger Spending $19.03 million
492,924 Number of Passengers
AVALON — The Avalon City Council, on Jan. 21, unanimously passed a resolution establishing several guidelines regarding cruise ships.
Those guidelines set a limit of three cruise ships per week during both the summer and off seasons and prohibit cruise ships from visiting on the weekends during the summer season or during special event weekends — such as JazzTrax – unless written approval is given by the city manager.
The resolution also stated the harbor master and fi nance director would provide an annual report on cruise ships including the number of vessels that visit Avalon, number of passengers, amount of wharfage collected, any safety or security incidents that may have occurred while the ship was in port and projections and scheduling information for the next year.
City Manager and City Clerk Denise Radde prepared the resolution and pre
According to a sta report, 112 cruise ships are slated to visit Avalon in 2020; under the newly approved guidelines, no more than three cruise ships can visit per week.
sented it to the City Council at the Jan. 21 meeting.
“I do not take this decision lightly,” Radde said before detailing the recommendations. “It’s weighed very heavy on me for a couple weeks now.”
City Council members have discussed the topic several times with the community in the past few months. City staff in Aug. 2019 received a request from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) to visit the city a total of 53 times on Wednesdays between 2021 and 2023. This sparked a discussion on how many and which days of the week cruise ships should be allowed to call Avalon as a port-of-call and what maximum number/size of cruise ships should be allowed to call Avalon as a port-of-call, although ship visitation has been relatively stable since 2015. RCCL, on Jan. 8, revised their request, expanding the approved 53 summer-only visits to a total of 165 visits to Avalon (from July 2021 through August 2024). According to the staff report presented at the Jan. 21 meeting, the city plans to approve the request. City staff numbers project cruise ship passengers will spend an average of $5.9 million every fi scal year from 2021 through 2024. The city is estimated to profi t $2.81 million total from cruise ship traffi c from 2021 through 2025.
When it came time for council members to make a decision, it ultimately came down to the economic impact.
I’m thinking anything we can do to ensure there’s good quality work for all of our workforce is a good thing,” City Council member Oley Olson said ahead of the vote.
Many small business owners have spoken at the various meetings in support for cruise ships, saying they rely on the visitors to keep the doors open and supply adequate hours for their employees.
During the same discussions, some argued the city should place tighter restrictions on the number of visiting cruise ships, questioning the ability of island’s infrastructure to support the visitors.
The Jan. 21 staff report presented some data on some of those concerns. “When analyzing the data, even during the peak of the tourist season, the WV”IFP [wastewater treatment plant] averaged below 60 percent capacity for 2019 and 65 percent capacity for 2018. Further analysis shows that during the tourist season, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (when cruise ships are not present in the Avalon Harbor), are at relatively the same capacity as Mondays and Tuesdays,” the staff report stated.
According to the staff report, data received from the city’s landfi ll contractor indicated impacts to the Pebbly Beach Landfi ll as a result of cruise ship tourists were negligible. However, the report noted data available was inconclusive as currently there is no way to single-out trash from cruise ship visitors. The staff report said impacts on water infrastructure were also inconclusive, due to the lack of data showing how potable water demand is met. “It’s hard to determine that our cruise ship people are contributing more than say our weekend visitors or anybody else who comes to the island,” Radde said at the City Council meeting. The report recommended actively working with the cruise ship industry to co-develop strategies to ensure Avalon’s fragile natural resources are protected.
At the Jan. 21 meeting, the public again gave comment, with community members on both sides of the issue speaking.
“I believe you need more factual and detailed data and thorough investigation and understanding of these impacts,” said Leslie Warner in a letter read by another community member at the meeting.
“I think one of the things we could do that might make the situation a little better, is spend a little effort on how to manage these visitors better rather than trying to exclude them,” said another community member.
Two issues not settled at the Jan. 21 meeting were whether to remove the marketing incentive for cruise ships to come to Avalon and whether to increase the wharfage rates. Radde said city staff will bring those topics back for a discussion before the City Council in the near future.
The Log on Social Media
“Crazy! I didn’t know that! Did a Google Earth of the island. Appears to have a runway and an area that could have been remnants of a base! Cool history.” Chuck’s Ahneema II, on Facebook, in response to The Log’s Jan. 20 share of a historical photo of the former Air Force base at Santa Rosa Island.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Assembly will revisit resolution on aquatic invasive species
Joint resolution was introduced in September 2019 and could be back on the legislative fl oor in April.
BY PARIMAL M. ROHIT
SACRAMENTO—California could be making another stand against Washington, D.C., though the move of solidarity isn’t over a hot button issue like offshore drilling. Instead the California legislature could be challenging the federal government … on vessel discharge regulation and aquatic species.
Assembly Joint Resolution 25 (AJR 25) was introduced by Assembly member Laura Friedman, D-Burbank, in September 2019. It didn’t come up for a vote during the last session, but Friedman’s staff stated AJR 25 could be back on the legislative fl oor by April – giving the resolution about six months to be deliberated before the 2019-2020 session comes to an end.
Friedman’s proposed resolution, which was co-authored by several members of the state legislature, asserts the federal government, in its attempt to manage vessel discharges, is interfering with California’s authority. AJR 25 asserts California has stringent measures in place to manage aquatic invasive species – and recently enacted federal legislation would threaten the state’s management of its waters and wildlife resources.
“This measure would state that the legislature strongly and unequivocally objects to federal preemption of state authority relating to the regulation of vessel discharge in California waters, remains steadfast in its commitment to protect California’s waters from aquatic invasive species introductions, and is resolved to consider any appropriate action to overturn the federal preemption of California authority,” the language of AJR 25 stated.
Pres. Donald J. Trump, in December 2018, signed into law the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act. One of the provisions of the authorization was the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, which, according to AJR 25, would “preempt state authority to regulate ballast water and other discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel.”
California is no stranger to receiving vessels from all over the world and managing aquatic invasive species, according to AJR 25.
“California is the point of entry for 79 percent of marine invasive species in Western North America. Since 2000, state agencies and nonprofi ts have spent tens of millions of dollars on the prevention of nonnative species introductions, management of aquatic invasive species impacts and eradication of localized species invasions,” AJR 25 stated.
AJR 25 stated aquatic invasive species are primarily transported into and introduced to California’s waters by maritime shipping.
The state legislature began managing and regulating ballast water in 1999, according to AJR 25. Vessels, as of 2017, were required to manage biofouling once in California’s jurisdiction – the fi rst regulation of its type in the nation.
“California is a recognized leader in the management of ship-mediated vectors of aquatic invasive species introductions,” AJR 25 stated. “California is a global leader of biolfuel management policy and coordinates with regulatory partners throughout the world, including Australia and New Zealand, on research efforts and to ensure regulatory alignment and consistency.”
The proposed resolution went on to state California faces signifi cant threats because of aquatic invasive species. Industries or activities threatened by aquatic invasive species, according to ACJ 25, include recreational boating, commercial and recreational fi shing, aquaculture operations, tourism, native species (such as Delta smelt) and marine transportation. “Hundreds of millions of Californians and tourists enjoy the state’s ocean for recreation exploration, and relaxation,” AJD 25 stated. “California’s ocean-based tourism and recreation sector comprised more than 18,000 business establishments (15 percent of United States total), employing almost 368,000 persons (18 percent of the United States total) and generating $8.7 billion in wages (19 percent of the United States total) and more than $17.6 billion in gross domestic product (18 percent of the United States total).”
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Artifi cial reefs can be used in fl at, sandy or muddy areas to imitate rocky coasts and reefs to promote and attract marine life. Many of the artifi cial reefs in California are made of quarry rock, although other materials such as concrete blocks or rubble, pier pilings, car tires and ships, have been used.
Southern California’s UNDERWATER WORLD ofARTIFICIAL REEFS
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife began exploring artifi cial reefs to enhance sportfi shing in 1958. There are now 32 CDFW reefs along the California coast and the department is currently evaluating who is using them – and for what purposes.
BY LINDSEY GLASGOW
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA—Bait, cast, wait, wait some more and sometimes, catch. That’s the fi shing experience above the surface. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has long researched and implemented programs aimed at maintaining sportfi shing success in the face of the cumulative effects of increasing fi shing pressure as well as negative impacts on the near-shore ecosystem.
Artifi cial reefs came into the picture in the late 1950s, when CDFW instituted a study to see if things such as automobiles could be dropped in fl at, sandy or muddy areas near the shore to imitate rocky coasts and reefs in order to draw more sport fi sh, such as kelp bass and sheephead, to provide recreational anglers with small boats better fi shing closer to harbors.
PAST In 1958 when the study began, little to no full-scale scientifi c evaluation of artifi cial reefs had been made, according to an article titled “Artifi cial Habitat in the Marine Environment,” which was published in CDFW’s Fish Bulletin 124 in 1963. CDFW was working off long-known information that greater numbers and kinds of fi shes inhabited rocky coasts, reefs, and banks compared to smooth, unbroken sandy or muddy bottoms.
In May of 1958, 20 old car bodies were placed in 50 feet of water at Paradise Cove, not far from the Malibu shore. A few months later in September 1958, six wooden streetcars were placed in 60 feet of water approximately 1 mile offshore from the Redondo Beach-Palos Verdes coastline. Divers, during a spread of years following May 1958, performed routine dives to observe and obtain information on kelp growth, numbers and species of fi sh and invertebrates and other observations. Over the course of 29 dives between May 1958 and November 1960 at the Paradise Cove reef, a high of 24,000 semi-resident fi shes was counted, with the average being around 4,200, according to the “Artifi cial Habitat in the Marine Environment” article. In October 1958, the fi rst naturally seeded young giant kelp plants were discovered and by Jan. 1959 some had grown to 2 feet.
According to the fi ndings published in the “Artifi cial Habitat in the Marine Environment” article, various perch species made up the greatest number of fi shes on the reef, accounting for 74.5 percent of the total, followed by kelp and sand bass, señorita, rockfi sh, and sheephead.
A similar study was conducted at the Redondo Beach Street car reef, where divers found over 2,800 fi shes were concentrated within 25 months, according to the “Artifi cial Habitat in the Marine Environment” article. After 27 months, the average fi sh population on the reef consisted of 35 percent kelp bass and sand bass, 26.3 percent miscellaneous seaperch, 11.6 percent gobies, 9.7 percent blacksmiths, and 17.4 percent all other species combined, according to the same report. In 1960, the department began a study in Santa Monica Bay looking at materials used for artifi cial reefs, hoping to determine the relative attractiveness for fi shes of various materials and the relative life of these compared to cost. Streetcars, auto bodies, quarry rock, and concrete shelters were tested. Observations over several years indicated concrete boxes were the most effective in attracting fi shes, with quarry rock a very close second, according to “A Guide to the Artifi cial Reefs of Southern California” (1989), a booklet authored by Robin D. Lewis and Kimberly K. McKee about CDFW’s artifi cial reefs. A few years later, CDFW started building more artifi cial reefs in Southern California with most made of quarry rock, although some were made with concrete blocks or rubble, pier pilings, car tires and ships.
Artifi cial reef construction and research became one aspect of the
Santa Barbara
Oxnard
Los Angeles
Long Beach
CDFW was involved in building 32 artifi cial reefs in the state – 30 are between Santa Barbara and the international border with Mexico.
San Diego
department’s new Nearshore Sport fi sh Habitat Enhancement Program in the 1980s. The program’s goals were to rehabilitate and enhance stocks of certain living marine resources, improve recreational fi shing opportunities and evaluate the potential of using artifi cial reefs as mitigation/compensation for the loss of certain habitat and associated living resources. The California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 706 (Fish and Game Code, Article 2, Section 6420-6425) in 1985, formalizing CDFW’s status as the lead agency in California’s reef building process. It authorized CDFW to construct additional reefs and administer reef studies with cooperation and assistance from the California university systems and other appropriate academic institutions and organizations.
CDFW, in all, built 32 artifi cial reefs in the state – 30 in Southern California waters – most between 1962 and the early 1990s.
Brian Owens, a senior environmental scientist with CDFW, said the program came to a halt in the 2000s due to a lack of funding.
PRESENT Owens said CDFW does still get requests from parties interested in building artifi cial reefs and not just for sportfi shing reasons.
“We’ve gotten all kinds of reefs requests,” Owens said.
Those requests have included interests in building artifi cial reefs for mitigation from potential sea level rise and coastal storm damage, restoration, diving, kelp harvesting, oyster beds and dampening impacts from marine protected areas.
CDFW is not developing any artifi - cial reefs at the moment. The department is, however, looking to develop a statewide artifi cial reef maintenance plan.
“We do have interest in developing our statewide management plan,” Owens said.
The department is currently surveying people who use the reefs, hoping to build a picture of how and why artifi cial reefs are used by anglers and divers, how frequently these reefs are visited by each recreational user group and qualitatively describe the fi shes and invertebrates living on the reef. Owens said the surveying will take place through March.
“It should give us a little better picture of whose using the reefs and why,” Owens said.
The survey is also intended to evaluate if the reefs are still in place and determine their conditions.
CDFW built reefs off the coasts of Marina del Rey, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Mission Beach, Pendleton and one near the international border with Mexico. Owens said of the bigger ones, including one near the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, appear on some fi shing maps. Owens said the data gleaned from the survey will hopefully give a sense of if the artifi cial reefs were successful in growing the sportfi sh population.
“I think if you talk to fi shermen they would say it’s successful,” Owens said.
FUTURE The results from the survey CDFW is currently conducting will be used in developing a statewide artifi cial reef plan and will also help guide strategies for possible future reef developments in California.
The department, over the past fi ve or so years, has held several public meetings on artifi cial reefs to discuss the present situation and future of artifi cal reefs.
Discussions not connected to CDFW have also sprung up about turning soon-to-be decommissioned oil and gas platforms into artifi cial reefs. There are 27 oil platforms along the Southern California coast nearing the end of their working lives, which are set to shut down. The decommissioning of the platforms has stirred up both supporters of turning oil rigs into reefs and opponents.
Time will tell what, if anything, is next for artifi cial reefs in California.
20 TH
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Fishing line recycling stations such as these on the Huntington Beach Pier provide a place for anglers to deposit their old line to keep it out of landfills and out of the ocean.
Lindsey Glasgow photo
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slips@islandyachtmarina.com www.islandyachtanchorage.com Sister companies Newport Landing Whale Watching and Davey’s Locker Whale Watching & Sportfishing plan to make Balboa Pier in Newport Beach the latest location to add fishing line recycling stations.
BY LINDSEY GLASGOW
NEWPORT BEACH—Floating on the surface of the water and on the decks of piers, monofilament fishing line can harm wildlife and foul boat propellers. Sometimes even the best intentions, tossing fishing line in trash cans, can still end with curious birds entangled. Arleigh Boykin, who fishes off Huntington Beach Pier every week, said if the trash can lids aren’t on all the way, birds can get into them – and if there’s old fishing line inside, birds can sometimes get entangled.
“I feel bad for the birds,” Boykin said. Fishing line recycling stations have been popping up all around Southern California and anglers at Huntington Beach Pier, where four recycling stations were installed in 2017, generally seem to be taking advantage of them and hoping for more piers to add them. “I like those there because it seems to keep the pier a little cleaner too,” Boykin said. “People aren’t just cutting their line and dropping it.”
“It’s a good deal,” said William Wyatt, who fishes the Huntington Beach Pier.
The California Division of Boating and Waterways, California Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green program, Keep the Delta Clean, Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Boat U.S. Foundation have, since 2010, been placing containers at piers, marinas, harbors and other fishing spots throughout the state. So far they have collectively placed over 280 with almost 60 recycling stations in Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
“I think everybody wants to fight against marine debris,” said Vivian Matuk, who is the environmental boating program manager for California State Parks and California Coastal Commission. “Everybody wants to do a tiny step towards that.”
Sister companies Newport Landing Whale Watching and Davey’s Locker Whale Watching & Sportfishing in Newport Beach are planning to bring similar recycling containers to Balboa Pier in Newport Beach. Newport Landing Whale Watching Marine Education Program Manager Jessica Roame is spearheading the project.
“I began to realize it’s a lot of waste, there has to be a way to recycle it,” Roame said.
She sought and was given approval from the city’s Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission on Jan. 7 to build at least five, three-foot by six-foot PVC pipe fishing line containers, along with signage at popular fishing locations along the Balboa Pier. The City Council will still need to sign off. “I was so overwhelmed with the support I got,” Roame said.
Roame has been with the company for seven years. The busy summer season brings a lot of sportfishing trips, which also means lots of fishing line. The company provides fishing gear, including the rods and line. Roame said as part of regular maintenance, they respool each rod at the end of every week and discard the old line. She said the discarded line adds up to on average 5 miles every week in the summer. “The waste involved with the line usage was quite a surprise to me,” said Roame, who has a background in biology.
About two years in with the company, Roame began recycling the company’s old line. Roame was put in touch with a program run by Berkley Fishing, which has been a pioneer of fishing line recycling since the 1990s, in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Newport Landing mails the old fishing lines to Berkley, who works directly with the recyclers to keep the fishing line out of landfills – where it would sit for 600 years before breaking down – and waterways, where it can entangle wildlife or foul boat propellers. The fishing line is melted down and made into things such as park benches and marine fishing habitats for artificial reefs in lakes and under piers. Berkley works with marinas, cities, counties, sporting goods companies and anyone who wants to send their fishing line. The lines collected from the DBW’s containers are also mailed to Berkley.
After recycling their sportfishing lines for several years, Roame started to think about how to incorporate the public on the project.
“I thought we could easily commit to putting some recycling containers on the pier and collect them every week,” Roame said.
She brought the idea of placing recycling containers on the Balboa Pier to company’s owners and she was given full support.
The containers will cost around $40 to make and will be funded and built by Newport Landing and Davey’s Locker. Volunteers will then check them weekly and collect the recycling content.
Roame said what they need now, is more boots on the ground to help with the collection of the recycled line. She said people have already come into the store with fists full of line to recycle, excited about the project. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Roame via email at jessica@newportwhales.com.
Roame said she hopes this is a “legacy project,” lasting decades beyond her tenure with the company. “My hope is that we will see fishing line recycling as acceptable and common as plastic bottles or cans,” Roame said.
Ground broken on Town Square project and new segment of LA Waterfront Promenade
A groundbreaking ceremony held on Jan. 27 marks the start of construction for one of the LA Waterfront revitalization projects in San Pedro; a future neighboring project includes slips for boaters. BY LINDSEY GLASGOW LOS ANGELES—Shovels have hit dirt, marking the start of construction on the San Pedro Promenade and Town Square Project, which are part of the larger redevelopment of the LA Waterfront, which encompasses 400 acres of Port of Los Angeles property in San Pedro and Wilmington.
“We are breaking ground on what will become the front door of our new LA Waterfront,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino at a groundbreaking ceremony held on Jan. 27. The Town Square project will transform a four-acre lot at 6th Street and Harbor Boulevard into an outdoor space for the public to enjoy views of the bustling port with harbor swings, seating, landscaping, architectural finishes and lighting.
The new segment of public promenade being constructed will run parallel to the Port’s Main Channel for about 1 mile meeting the new Town Square. It is expected to be completed in summer 2021.
“Just imagine the place where we stand today and extending a mile to the south of us will soon provide the public with an unprecedented view of the number one container port in the Western Hemisphere,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka at the groundbreaking.
The Port of Los Angeles is funding the $33 million project, which will connect San Pedro’s Downtown Harbor to the future San Pedro Public Market development. The Port District hopes the projects will help transform the waterfront area into a visitor-serving destination which embraces the existing authentic character of the Port of LA as a working waterfront and bustling industrial port.
“This will be the place for visitors and residents alike to take in all the beauty of our working port,” said Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi, Jr. at the groundbreaking.
The San Pedro Public Market project, another major piece in the revitalization of the LA Waterfront, will break ground in the spring with completion anticipated in fall 2021. At the Jan. 23 Los Angeles Board of Lindsey Glasgow photo The Log • Feb. 7 - Feb. 20, 2020 • 13
Harbor Commission meeting, commissioners gave unanimous approval to issuing an appealable Level II Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to the San Pedro Public Market LLC (SPPM) for Phase 1 of the project.
The $150 million San Pedro Public Market project will cover 42 acres, along the west side of the Los Angeles Harbor Main Channel. The area encompasses the old Ports O’ Call marina and village, where boaters leasing slips were forced to vacate years ago for the redevelopment. Right now, the area is mostly open space blocked off by chain link fence with no trespassing signs. According to the project website, plans for the space include 600-feet of courtesy boat slips, a food hall, a 6,000-seat open-air amphitheater concert venue, outdoor public spaces, an outdoor garden with shipping container kitchens and games, retail and maritime-related offices. The project is a public-private partnership between the Port of LA, the Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development.
“This waterfront project designed by a group of world class talents will offer guests unprecedented access to LA’s waterfront and an experience that is unique to Southern California,” said
A ceremonious groundbreaking event marks the start of construction on the San Pedro Promenade and Town Square Project, which are part of LA Waterfront revitalization.
San Pedro Public Market Developer Wayne Ratkovich at the Town Square groundbreaking.
According to a report presented to commissioners at the Jan. 23 meeting, phase one of the San Pedro Public Market development will include 100,000 square feet of restaurant space, 40,000 square feet of retail, and 30,000 square feet of maritime-related office uses. It will also include replacing and restoring the existing over-the-water wharf structures and floating docks at berths 76 and 77 and creating new floating decks for commercial sportfishing, whale watching, harbor cruises, water taxis and related water-adjacent tenants.
Plans to redevelop the area have been around since 2016.
“We’ve finally reached that pivotal point in this long process, we are actually going to build something,” Buscaino said at the groundbreaking. It was also announced at the Jan. 23 Harbor Commission meeting, Executive Director Seroka has approved a Level I CDP to demolish three buildings located at Berth 44, which will make way for Bellwether Financial Group to develop a new state-of-the-art shipyard facility, dubbed LA Shipyard.
In Memoriam: Robert Parsons Former yacht and insurance broker also worked as a captain and volunteered in public service.
BY PARIMAL M. ROHIT
SAN DIEGO—The Southern California boating community has lost another titan of industry, as Robert Parsons, a former yacht broker and captain, has passed away. His age was not shared with The Log at the time of publication. He died on Jan. 23 after a battle with dementia.
Parsons joined the Navy when he was 17 and served aboard a submarine in Asia and the Pacific Ocean. He returned to San Diego, where he began working as an electronics instructor. His military career lasted for 10 years before Parsons transitioned into a second career as a yacht captain.
His days as a yacht captain would take him to Mexico, where he met the lady who later became his wife, Beverly. They teamed up and worked aboard charted boats or private yachts up and down the West Coast during a five-year stretch.
Parsons moved on to become a captain and navigator aboard a longrange tuna boat, but he would return to San Diego, where he joined Fraser Yachts in 1980. There he worked as a yacht and insurance broker – and alongside Beverly. Robert and Beverly would, under the banner of Fraser Yachts and Driscoll Yachts, create Interpac Yachts. The couple would ultimately leave Fraser and Driscoll to operate Interpac on their own.
Running concurrent with Parsons’ career as a yacht/insurance broker was his time as a volunteer for law enforcement. Parsons would attend the San Diego Police Academy in 1982, launching a 30-year run as volunteer for the San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff Department, Sheriff’s Weapons Training Unit and San Diego Sheriff Museum. He was also a San Diego County Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper.
Parsons, personally, was an animal lover and into skiing, ballroom dancing and Latin dance. He was also quite the handyman, according to his wife. Parsons is survived by his wife, Beverly, his siblings, and his nieces and nephews.
A private farewell service will be held in Parsons’ honor. The family has scheduled a Celebration of Life at Brittany Tower Social Room in San Diego, from 2-6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Parsons’ ashes will be spread in three locations: San Diego, Mazatlan, and Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada.
