San Diego Seal Rookery About to be Invaded

Councilmembers Call for Protection

SAN DIEGO, May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Half of the city councilmembers here today called on Mayor Jerry Sanders to keep a rope up that is crucial for keeping people a safe distance from seals nursing their young on a tiny beach they call home. The rope is scheduled to be taken down this weekend, just before the city council votes Monday on keeping it in place year round.

The memo is posted at www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd6/pdf/memorandum/100512.pdf.

The city council hearing will be held at 6pm in the Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect Street, La Jolla 92037. The agenda and supporting materials are posted at *http://tinyurl.com/24hfog2.*

Since 2007, the city has been prevented from taking action to protect the seals by orders of a state court judge. The rope was only kept up during pupping season the past three years due to federal court orders obtained by attorney Bryan Pease on behalf of the Animal Protection & Rescue League (www.APRL.org) and La Jolla Friends of the Seals (LJFS).

A new state law signed last year allows the city to treat seal watching as the legally preferred use for this 150 foot beach that is surrounded by 70 miles of swimming beaches in San Diego. An independent Zogby poll sponsored by APRL in 2007 found that over 80% of San Diegans prefer that this beach be used for seal watching rather than swimming.

"Without the rope barrier, there is strong evidence that the public will harass the seals (knowingly or unknowingly) as well as each other, which impacts the public safety and creates a situation that could be avoided/significantly lessened if the rope remains," reads the memo signed by Councilmembers Donna Frye, Todd Gloria, Marti Emerald, and Council President Ben Hueso.

Councilmember Frye's Natural Resources and Culture Committee voted unanimously last month to recommend to the full council a proposal to close the beach during pupping season, keep the guideline rope up year round, and prohibit dogs on the beach at all times. The councilmember for La Jolla, Sherri Lightner, voted for the proposal but is now opposing it at community meetings.

Councilmember Lightner previously proposed turning the area into a dog beach to chase the seals and supported a judge's seal dispersal and beach dredging order that was costing the city millions of dollars obtaining permits to implement. More info at www.savesandiegoseals.com.

SOURCE Animal Protection & Rescue League