Water testing: San Diego county voted to temporarily pay to monitor the cleanliness of beach water. 5
Weekend Surf Report
What happens when an elementary school is shuttered for lack of enrollment? See story on page 3 to find out about the fate of Mission Beach Elementary that closed 13 years ago…
SATURDAY
Hi: 5:37 a.m. Low: 12:45 a.m. 7:25 p.m.
Surf: 3–10 ft. Wind: 4–10 mph
SUNDAY
Hi: 6:43 a.m. 7:53 p.m.
Low: 12:49 a.m. Waves: 2–4 ft. Wind: 10–20 mph 1:26 p.m.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
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Crew Classic rows in... See page 18.
Fish farm planned for Mission Beach coast ing the pens in popular ocean fishing grounds frequented by local private fishermen. Researchers from the Hubbs-SeaWorld “As a result of that cooperation with the indusResearch Institute propose building a fish farm as try, the fishermen are in support of the Hubbslarge as 30 football fields just five miles off the SeaWorld program,” Fletcher said. coast of Mission Beach. The fish farm, known as Steve Foltz, vice president of Chesapeake Fishan aquaculture, would help the fishing industry ing Company, a seafood distributor based at the keep up with U.S. demand for seafood, according San Diego Bay, agreed. He said the project is a to Mark Drawbridge, director of the aquaculture good thing all around because it would help meet project. consumer demand. With the U.S. importing as much as 80 percent Hubbs-SeaWorld already operates a white of its seafood, a successful aquaculture could seabass hatchery in Carlsbad that grows and spawn an entire domestic fishing industry, Draw- releases “fingerlings” into the ocean and that elecbridge said. tronically tracks the fish movement. “We are looking to launch the … project to Catherine Miller, a representative of the San demonstrate the commercial and environmental Diego Sportfishing Council, said the Carlsbad adequacy of the offshore [fish] farming,” Drawhatchery boosts the fish population that helps the bridge said. “We’ve been doing research for about local fishing industry. 30 years. The situation right now is that capture Environmentalists remain skeptical but are fisheries can’t keep up with the demand [for open to the project, said Bill Hickman, executive seafood].” director of the Surfrider Foundation in San Diego. Hubbs-SeaWorld researchers envision farming His concerns include pollution from fish feed and striped bass, white bass, California halibut and waste, the attraction of predators such as seals California yellowtail in 24 net pens secured to the and sharks and escaping fish. sandy ocean bottom about five miles off the MisHubbs-SeaWorld researchers say the fish are sion Beach coastline. The aquaculture could pro- native to the California coast and do not represent duce 3,000 metric tons of fish a year and cona threat to the ocean environment. Currents tribute an estimated $25 million or more would carry fish waste away and nets around the annually to the U.S. fishing industry, Drawbridge fish farm would keep predators at bay, according said. to Hubbs-SeaWorld officials. Local fishing industry representatives have “I don’t know if we would support it, but we reportedly come onboard with the project. wouldn’t be opposed to it,” Hickman said. “If it Bob Fletcher, president of the Sportfishing Asso- moves forward we want to make sure it’s done ciation of California, said Hubbs-SeaWorld has properly.” addressed the local fishing industry’s concerns Hubbs-SeaWorld must acquire permits from the over location. California Coastal Commission before it can begin Fletcher said the institute did not propose build- construction within a few years. BY SEBASTIAN RUIZ | BEACH &BAY PRESS
Fishing nets enclose farmed fish, an operation similar to the aquaculture proposed five miles off Mission Beach Courtesy photo coast by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.
An activist protests San Diego Unified School District’s plan to share principals among small elementary schools to save money outside a board meeting on Courtesy photo March 24.
Principal-sharing plan sparks protest BY SEBASTIAN RUIZ | BEACH &BAY PRESS
Pacific Beach Elementary will have to share a principal with another small elementary school of less than 500 students if a plan adopted by the San Diego Unified School District’s (SDUSD) board of trustees comes to fruition. Twenty schools across the district face sharing principals. The plan, adopted in early March, also eliminates magnet school busing and increases class size, among other measures trustees said will save the district an estimated $34 million. Dawna Deatrick, president of Friends of Pacific Beach Elementary, said the PB Elementary staff, part-time counselor and part-time nurse already fulfill multiple roles. Cutting a principal’s time would affect the school’s organization. “Without a principal, there’s nobody to lead the school,” Deatrick said. Lisa Bonebrake, a member of the Bird Rock Elementary Parent Committee, said “half-time princi-
pals” are lawsuits waiting to happen. “Should there be any… other emergency, we will have no principal, vice principal or counselor on site,” Bonebrake said. By law, there must be a designated contact person at the school for emergencies, according to school board officials. The school board made the decision to divide principals’ time without consulting principals or parents, Bonebrake said. She said the community will help find better options so “we can keep our principals.” Bonebrake joined more than 100 students, parents, principals and administrators March 24 at the SDUSD board meeting at the Eugene Brucker Education Center to protest the elimination of student busing to magnet schools and the plan to consolidate principals. Sunset View Elementary School Principal Linda Parker said princiSEE PRINCIPAL, Page 5