Westside : Malibu Backs Idea For Marine Sanctuary
A plan to turn 26 miles of Malibu coastline into the largest marine sanctuary in California has won preliminary approval from the city but may need to wait a year before being sent to the Legislature, officials said this week.
Although members of the city’s Environmental Review Board endorsed the concept of a marine refuge Tuesday, a comprehensive bill package would need to be completed in as little as two months to be heard before the Legislature this year, said board Chairwoman Marti Witter.
“The city does not want to submit a document that is not well-prepared and thorough,” she said, adding that it may be necessary to wait until 1997 to send the proposal to Sacramento.
The sanctuary would protect the marine environment out to three miles from shore, but specific prohibitions--such as whether to ban commercial fishing--still need to be decided, Witter said.
The Malibu coastal habitat is rare for Southern California, its rocky bottom allowing diverse marine life, kelp forests and sand dollar beds.
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