USA West Coast

Find us on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/EarthraceUSA

Operations Director
Krystin Leonhardt krystin@earthrace.net

Earthrace Conservation—Los Angeles, CA area
Southern California, with hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline, was perfectly suited for Earthrace Conservation’s first chapter.

Sharks
At the forefront of threats to our ocean is Shark Finning. Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discarding of the rest of the fish. The removal of sharks as apex predators could spell collapse for their ecosystems and ultimately the ocean.

On February 14, 2011 Assembly member Paul Fong introduced Assembly Bill 376 which prohibits any person to possess, sell, and offer for sale, trade or distribution of shark fins. The bill exempts taking sharks for recreational/commercial purposes and persons with licenses/permits to take plant or animal life for scientific or educational purposes.

AB 376 has passed the Assembly and the Senate Natural Resources Defense committee; however the fight is far from over. The opposition of the bill continues to grow stronger and it is imperative that supporters let their Senators know they support this action.

Find your Senator’s contact details here http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Seals
Casa Beach, in La Jolla, CA, has long been the home to Harbor Seals. In 1931, Ellen Browning Scripps donated money to build a sea wall in order to create “a safe place for children to swim”. The area was dedicated to human use and became known as “Children’s Pool”. As seals were hunted back then, many populations abandoned traditional haul out areas. When hunting ceased and seals began to make a comeback, Casa Beach became an ideal rookery for the Harbor Seal. Shy by nature, Harbor Seals are easily disturbed by human activity.

There are over 70 miles of usable beach in San Diego County. No other Harbor Seal breeding areas exists for 140 miles. Sadly, a group of “anti-seal” activists has made shared use dangerous for both humans and seals, often encouraging seal petting and taking pictures with seals. Disruption of the mothers and pups can lead to pup abandonment as well as transmittable diseases.

The city of San Diego has the ability to deem Casa Beach a Marine Mammal Protected Habitat for the seals. On May 17, 2010, the San Diego City Council voted to close the beach for the pupping season (December 15 to May 15) and to keep the rope guideline up year round.

Unfortunately, no permanent solution has been implemented to protect the seals.

Contact the Mayor of San Diego, Mayor Jerry Sanders (619) 236-6330 or JerrySanders@sandiego.gov and let him know you support year-round seal protection.

Marine Mammal Captivity
San Diego is home to the world-renowned marine park SeaWorld, housing 6 Orcas, nearly 50 dolphins, 4 Belugas as well as many Pinnipeds. Earthrace Conservation supports the three Rs of responsible captivity: Rescue, Rehab, Release. We fully support the ongoing protests and public education of the damage done by holding marine mammals captive.