Monterey's Kelp Harvesting Law Shot Down
Last year the City of Monterey passed an ordinance forbidding non-Monterey residents from harvesting offshore kelp. A kelp harvester was cited by the city, and during the court hearing the judge ruled that Monterey's law was not legal. Only the state of California and their Department of Fish and Game have the ability to regulate the taking of living resources. This ruling will certainly impact enforcement of Monterey's fishing regulations in the new Ed Ricketts Marine Park.
The beach between the Topaz Street jetty and Redondo Pier has slowly eroded for the last 20 years to where nearly none exists at some points, with waves lapping over the bike path during stormy high tides. In an attempt to replenish the beach with sand, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is bringing sand dredged from the Marina Del Rey boat channel to the beach. Barges are dumping sand off Knob Hill Avenue (south of the Topaz Street Groin) to then, in turn, be pumped on to the beach north of the Topaz Street Jetty. The sand dumped is being labeled "clean" by project leaders. It is hoped the beach will be widened by at least 50 feet.
What is not clear is the impact on two popular dive sites offshore from where the beach is being widened. Just to the north of the jetty is the remains of Old Redondo Pier #3 and about a 1/4 mile further north is the Redondo Submarine Canyon. Precautions are being taken so as to not disturb these dive sites. Visibility will most certainly suffer for some time, at least at the Old Pier dive site. Divers are not being denied access to the beach, but heavy equipment will hinder activities through the end of March.
Abalone season opens in Northern California April 1st. There have been some recent changes to the rules governing abalone taking so this is a good time to review the "regs." Anyone harvesting abalone who is 16 years of age or older is required to have a fishing license. That license must be on their person if they are shore picking or within 500 yards of a free-diver working from shore. If the free-diver is using a boat, the license must be in the boat or on their person. Ab hunters are also required to purchase and have on their fishing license a Recreational Abalone Stamp. Starting this year, a punch card is issued with each stamp purchase. The new rules limit the total number of abalone to 100 per person per season. Harvesters are required to punch the card once and immediately for each abalone landed. If you lose the punch card, you are also done for the season; it is illegal for an individual to purchase a second stamp during the same season and punch cards only come with the purchase of a stamp.
Abalone harvesting is limited to daylight hours from April through June, and August through November, and only north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The minimum size is 7 inches across the widest part of the shell. Abalone too small to keep must be returned to the rock from which it was taken. Good sportsmanship requires that it be held against the rock until you can detect that it has a good grip and will not fall off
The daily take and possession limit on legal-sized abalone is 4 per day per person. Under no circumstances can any single individual legally take more than 4 legal-sized abalone during any single day. Though strongly discouraged, there is no limit on the number of undersized abalone taken, gauged, and returned to the rock from which it was taken.
No dry sacking, take abalone for yourself and not for your buddy. No hi-grading, once you have pulled 4 legal-sized abs, you must not look for a bigger ab to replace smaller ones. An individual may possess no more than 4 abalone. This includes what's at home in the freezer, what's in the ice chest in camp, and what's in the abalone float you're dragging ashore. There is no requirement that an individual have a fishing license to possess abalone (the license is only required for take).
Thus, it's entirely legal for a licensed abalone diver to get 4 abalone on Saturday, give them to their unlicensed spouse, and go out Sunday to get 4 more. Selling or bartering abalone is illegal.
North of San Francisco, use of underwater breathing equipment is illegal when harvesting abalone; divers are limited to using breathhold techniques only. Starting this year, it is illegal to bring abalone ashore aboard any boat or floating device that also has SCUBA, SNUBA, or hookah equipment onboard. When the boat or floating device is indeed floating, this new regulation is quite clear: no abalone are allowed onboard if SCUBA tanks are also onboard.
You may not remove the animal from its shell until preparing it "for immediate consumption." One ranger I know defines "for immediate consumption" as "the fire should be hot".
James Holm, M.D., has been named medical director of hyperbaric medicine at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, replacing retiring founder and medical director John Alexander, M.D. Dr. Holm has a background in emergency and internal medicine, and has been a certified diver since 1969 and a NAUI/PADI instructor since 1978.
The hospital's hyperbaric chamber opened in 1984 and remains one of the largest multiplace hyperbaric facilities in the U.S. Since its inception, Dr. Alexander has treated more than 400 divers for decompression illness, as well as other patients with conditions such as carbon monoxide poisoning, diabetic foot ulcers with non-healing wounds, and tissue damage caused by radiation treatments.
The Northridge Hospital Medical Center hyperbaric chamber continues to treat diving emergencies. Dr. Holm also provides dive physicals. To schedule an appointment, or for diving emergencies, call (818) 993-0263.
