TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Report on Emergency Coastal Development Permit Issued for the Temporary Ban on Fishing from the Manhattan Beach Pier; Declaring an Emergency and Nuisance (City Manager Danaj) (REVISED 7-1-14).
RECEIVE REPORT AND DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND NUISANCE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report, declare an emergency and nuisance, and authorize the City Manager to reach-out to community stakeholders and public agencies to develop options regarding pier fishing for City Council consideration.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended temporary measures.
BACKGROUND:
On July 5, 2014, a swimmer was bitten by a shark that had been caught by a fisherman standing on the pier. Over the past several months there have been reports of a number of sightings of great white and other juvenile sharks in the 7 to 10 foot range near the Pier, which has caused concern in the community. According to media reports, some pier fishers are using bait and equipment that may serve to attract and catch sharks. Through the years, the City has received complaints about surfers and swimmers being injured by fishing lines and hooks from fishers on the pier. Since the incident, swimmers and surfers have related other instances, prior to the incident, where they have been injured by hooks and entangled in fishing lines near the pier, thereby adversely affecting their ability to access and enjoy the ocean. In response to the incident, the City imposed an advisory warning to prohibit fishing from the pier until July 8, 2014. On July 7, 2014, the Acting Community Development Director granted an emergency coastal development permit (CDP) to temporarily prohibit fishing on the Manhattan Beach Pier based on public safety pur...
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