Sounding Off: Editorial muddies the waters

In last week’s editorial on the Marine Life Protection Act and a citywide marine protected area for Laguna (“Devil in the details,” Dec. 11) you said, “we want to make it clear...” Now, I want to make it clear that your editorial is far from accurate or clear.

Has the Coastline staff been asleep? Have they not heard or read the hours and days and years of work and testimony for the MLPA from the Science Advisory Team, a highly respected team of marine scientists?

Your editorial said, “In June, the council voted 4 to 1 to support a citywide no-take zone, before the first public meeting on the MLPA was even held,” calling it “a pre-emptive strike.” A full three months before the vote, March 21, there was a town hall workshop on the MLPA for four hours, at City Hall Council Chambers, in Laguna no less, presented by Calla Allison, our Laguna Beach marine safety officer, and Kevin Snow, our lifeguard chief. I was there and so were many fishermen. There were also a series of publicly noticed, informational workshops by Orange County Coastkeeper and other public meetings in Santa Ana, Long Beach and Oxnard. All this before the council’s decision June 19. Let’s not forget the City Council meeting in which a marine reserve was endorsed; the public testified for several hours before the council supported the staff recommendation.

I want to make it clear the devil is not in the details, the devil is in the misinformation and disinformation that you promulgate. Not once was the issue of our depleted marine resources mentioned, it was clearly all about the fishermen and the fishermen’s Proposal 2 that is not a “compromise” and ranked last for failing to meet scientific criteria and habitat benchmarks necessary for a successful marine reserve. How short-sighted can it be not to give our marine resources a chance to recover with an MLPA citywide marine reserve, and I am proud of our four council members and their endorsement who understand the importance of restoring our marine fisheries.

Clearly you can still cast a line into Laguna waters, but how many fish did YOU catch this year? Clearly very few.

CHARLOTTE MASARIK lives in Laguna Beach.