HUNTINGTON BEACH : Surfers Want Limits on Fishing From Pier

Surfers, swimmers and body boarders next to the Huntington Beach Pier don’t want Surf City to become “Fish City.”

Ocean sports enthusiasts told the City Council on Monday that the area near the pier has become a dangerous place because of anglers casting lines from the pier. Surfers and others want fishing restricted in the surf zone.

“We know they are there,” Sato said of the fishing lines. “We just can’t see them. It just creates a big hazard.”

But city officials say the anglers have a right to be there and were not sure they could legally restrict fishing.

Community Services Director Ron Hagan told the council that the city is limited in solving the conflict between surfers and fishermen, primarily because fishing from the pier is protected under state law.

Hagan said the best solution for everyone involved is public education and awareness.

“It’s a matter of trying to get everyone to respect the rights of each other,” he said.

Sato, 37, who said he has been hooked on his wetsuit, suggested the city give lifeguards more authority to regulate where it is safe for fishermen to cast lines.

Sato presented the council with a petition including about 160 signatures--signed by adults and youngsters who participate in ocean sports next to the pier.

Michael Morgan, 36, a former professional surfer who frequently surfs in the waters near the pier, told the council that surfers want to work with fishermen--not ban them from the pier.

“Making the pier a safe surf area would benefit everyone,” Morgan said.