Cleanup Described As “Best Ever”
Organizers of the 23rd Annual Avalon Underwater Cleanup are describing this year’s event as “the best ever.” Over 400 divers and volunteers assisted in cleaning the bottom of Avalon Harbor on February 22. This is the only time during the year that the ordinary sport diver is allowed to descend into the bay. Although the harbor is clean by most harbor standards, during the year a variety of both odd-ball and common items are either tossed into or accidently dropped into the bay. With excellent water clarity (at least at the beginning of the event) large amounts of trash were recovered. Some of the more unusual items found this year included dentures dug from the sand by Jeff Tucker, a skate board found by Dennis Megerman, and an eight-foot dingy recovered by California Diving News dive team Dale Sheckler and his son Eric. Among the hundreds of pounds of bottles, cans and other garbage, valuables are always found. Diver Dave Frindley found a silver cross, dive team Pat Scott and Janet Moran found very old coins, and Annette Hench and Ken Allison won the “Most Valuable Find” award with their recovery of a gold nugget ring.

The cleanup dive occurs every year in February and benefits the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, a non-profit recompression chamber operating 24/7, and the Catalina Conservancy Divers environmental organization.

Channel Islands Reserve Runs Into Problems
A cooperative group of recreational and commercial fishing groups have sued the California Fish and Game commission to stop the newly ordered closure of large sections in the Channel Islands National Park as marine reserves. These recently formed zones were to have been “no take” zones, prohibiting the harvesting of any kind of seafood for either commercial or recreational purposes.

The suit, however, became a moot point because the state’s budget crunch. Money needed for proper planning, management, and enforcement is hard to come by. Even so the Governor has signed the order to proceed with the implementation of the law for the reserve making it fully effective April 9.

Los Angeles Underwater Hockey Resumes Play
Los Angeles Underwater Hockey is playing again at the Lynwood Natatorium Thursday evenings. Underwater hockey is played at the bottom of the pool using snorkeling gear, glove and a short handheld stick with a plastic coated lead puck. Scrimmages take place each week at the Lynwood indoor pool (Natatorium). Novices are welcome. Go to www.glacd.org or www.sandeaters.org and click on the hockey link for details, directions and a map.

F&G Regs Simplified Online
With the number of closures, new seasons, and various size limits applying to various species, making heads or tails from the CA Fish and Game regulations can be difficult. The Fish and Game department has made this simpler with their new web page located at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd. Especially useful is the “California Ocean Fishing Regulation Map.” Click on your region of interest and it give you a synopsis of “What’s Open” and regulations that apply and “What’s Closed” and some additional comments.

Return to Cover Page/Contents for April 2003 issue

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