Ocean Explorers
Society
January 2002
Sponsored by Ocean Enterprises
Special Notice: The meeting date, time, location, and agenda have been changed. We will preempt our regular meeting for the MPLA forum on January 8th. The SDCD will be hosting an open forum on the California Marine Life Protection Act (MPLA). There will be representatives from Fish and Game, Scripps, and the commercial fishing industry to answer questions, and listen to your comments.
This meeting is important. If implemented properly, the MPLA will cause a profound improvement in our marine environment. Please attend if at all possible.
Calendar
| January 8 | Meeting with SDCD |
Contents
Monthly
Meeting
This month, we will
combine our regular membership meeting with the SDCD MPLA forum.
Please note the new date, and location! The
SDCD forum will be held on Tuesday, January 8th, 7PM, at Sumner
Auditorium. Sumner is located on La Jolla Shores Drive between
Naga Way (north) and El Paseo Grande (south). We'll meet for dinner
beforehand. I'll email the details later, or call me.
From
the President
Happy New Year!! Hope you all
had a safe and enjoyoble Christmas. I would like to thank all
of you who attended the Christmas party, I hope you had a good
time! It was especially good to see some of our friends who are
not able to make meetings due to time conflicts. A special thanks
to our host Paul Lee for making his home open to the crew for
what has truly become a club tradition. Plenty of good food, a
raffle with great goodies, and time spent with friends!
We’ll get the machine fired back up in the new year and have another successful, safe and prosperous diving year. Thank you all. -- Mark Clausen
Shore
Diving
Due to the uncertain weather
at this time of year, we'll send out an e-mail alert if we get
a diving window. Please let me know if you don't have access to
emaiul and still want to be notified. I will be happy to call
you.
Boat
Dives
The Lois Ann is hauled out this
month and will not be running.
Flotsam
I've been devoting a lot of space
to the MPLA over the last few months. I hope everyone appreciates
the importance of this legislation, and the process which will
implement the reserve areas. The legislation itself set broad
guidelines for the total area to be set aside as reserves. However,
it left the actual areas, and the level of protection they recieve
to California Department of Fish and Game (DFG).
The initial DFG proposal caused a firestorm of controversy from commercial and sport fishing interests. From what I've been able to glean, the fishing interests are dead-set against this legislation, and the way it will be implemented. They do not want to see any productive areas set aside as reserves. However, unless we set aside productive habitat, there will be no benefit.
Creating refuges and reserves is a relatively new strategy for managing marine resources. It has been successfully used on terrestrial wildlife for generations in both the US and Europe. There have been a few reserves created in the US, though mostly for other purposes. NASA created a reserve in Florida for security reaons. The waters outside of that reserve have been yeilding increasing numbers of record tarpon, and tarpon populations in the region are on the increase.
California Department Fish and Game (DFG) has the responsibility of determining which areas recieve reserve designation under the MPLA. Since publishing their initial draft, they have been carefully considering suggestions and alternate proposals for reserve areas. DFG's process in implementing the MPLA is as open as any I've ever seen in state government. However, this openness means that we all have to participate if we want a voice in the way the MPLA gets implemented.
The Marine Life Protection Act (MPLA) is the most important piece of marine legislation to come along in the last 20 years. If we divers sit and do nothing, then the commercial sportfishing interests are going to have the dominant voice in these proceedings. The SDCD is will be taking a lead position in presenting divers' point of view, but we need to learn enough to make intelligent input for the SDCD and DFG processes.
You can get more information about the MPLA at the DFG website, http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/index.html
San Diego
Council of Divers
The next SDCD meeting is Tuesday,
January 8, at 7:00 pm in the Sumner Auditorium, Scripps Institution
of Oceanography. Open forum about the MPLA. This will be an excellent
opportunity to express your opinions about the marine life preservation
areas and the proposals being considered by Californa Dept. of
Fish and Game. The SDCD will attempt to forge a consensus opinion
within the diving community so we may present a united fron in
any DFG hearings.
Something New
in the Kelp Tank at Stephen Birch Aquarium
There's another new critter to see at the aquarium's
kelp tank these days. The aquarium captured an unusually marked
leopard shark. I haven't seen it yet, but it should be interesting.
Fiji
Frances San Clemente is organizing a trip to Fiji. The price will be about $1799, week of Mar 23-30. Looks like she has full trip and a waiting list. However, there are invariably a few cancellations so I'd contact Frances if you're interested. This includes airfare from LAX but not some of the transfer fees, etc. You may contact Frances at ppaquita@pacbell.net
Accomodations are at Marilin Bay. Check out www.marlinbay.com for details. Overall, this looks like a nice trip.
- Assorted small women's 3mm wetsuits
$25/ea
- Brand new Palm VII never used, in box, $150
- Web TV Plus Internet Terminal, with wireless keyboard $75
Contact Jon and Eileen Parkhurst at 858-792-1077 or emonzon@home.com
Membership
OES
Info
OES members can receive $30 off
the regular OE price for specialty classes.
Subscriptions to Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine are available through the club for only $10. See Mark Clausen for details.
Club T-shirts are still available for $13.00.
Renewal rates are $20 single; $30 for a family. Send your renewal to Mark Clausen; 1862 Willow Way; Vista, CA 92083.
For more information: