Background
A second meeting to discuss the pelican situation on
the Santa Cruz Wharf was held on September 19, 2001. In
attendance were several Native Animal Rescue (NAR)
volunteers, The Ocean Conservancy, Save Our Shores,
Pelican Network, City Wharf staff, Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) staff, one recreational
fisherman, and several staff from the International Bird
Rescue Center.
Michelle Templeton (NAR) agreed to serve as chair with
Kymber Bonham (NAR) acting at co-chair. The group agreed
to call itself the Pelican Protection Alliance (PPA). PPA
will work with the City of Santa Cruz and the Department
of Fish and Game to ensure that this summer’s
unacceptable loss of pelicans and other seabirds is not
repeated. A four-point action plan was developed at the
meeting addressing: education, gear modification, policy,
and a contingency plan for next year.
(1) EDUCATION
PPA discussed the following components to an
educational strategy to reduce gear entanglements and
increase public awareness about the brown pelican:
Flyers placed on car windows (especially in the
morning) at start of summer and when bait fish come in
with messages about how to avoid entanglements, what to
do if you catch a bird, NAR contact info, fine
information and a warning about possibility of wharf
closure. Flyers should be in multiple languages (English,
Spanish, Vietnamese, Filipino).
Contact card – small, wallet sized card with
information on what to do if you snag a bird and NAR
contact information. Distribute on cars or by docents at
the beginning of the summer.
Signs Provide additional signs on the wharf
including both bird entanglement information and natural
history information. Use multiple languages and/or use
images where possible.
Kiosks Wharf interpretive kiosks (controlled by
the Museum of Natural History) appear underutilized. Jen
Jolly will be updating the kiosk in front of Marini’s
with a brown pelican focus and is willing to include an
entanglement prevention message. Jen agreed to work with
NAR and IBRC.
Kennels IBRC staff suggested placement of
animal carriers on the Wharf in summer (for holding birds
until NAR arrives). The kennels are visible and can also
be used for educational messages (i.e., NAR’s phone
number and brief message about what to do if you catch a
bird can be on the carrier itself)
Docents Could be UC Program, Natural History
Museum folks, city staff. PPA believes that during peak
baitfish season it important to have folks in uniforms,
California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) or City
rangers/lifeguards) on the wharf interacting with the
fishers.
Educational messages should include: how to avoid
snagging birds (don’t cast into diving birds, control
your line on the wharf, control areas where fish are
cleaned and control trash areas, dispose of line
properly), what to do if you snag a bird or see an
injured bird (don’t cut the line, don’t clip the hook,
secure the bird and call NAR). NAR’s phone number should
be made available.
Wharf Supervisor Dan Buecher noted that the City
definitely plans to add signs to the Wharf before next
summer. PPA members will try to meet with the City in the
coming weeks to discuss signs and other educational
concepts.
(2) GEAR
MODIFICATIONS
Several of the ideas that came forward at the
September 5, 2001 pelican meeting were determined not to
be feasible, or not worth the effort. For example, IBRC
and NAR staff and volunteers did not think it was
worthwhile pursuing barbless hooks, dissolving hooks, or
lighter weight line since none of these gear
modifications would significantly reduce injuries to
birds. However, there was agreement to pursue making bait
fishing on the wharf a net only fishery and imposition of
a reasonable bag limit. Options: net only for baitfish
year round or net only during peak seasons (July through
September). Gear modifications will be explored further
with City staff and Fish and Game staff.
(3) ORDINANCE
PPA discussed the desirability of adding language to
the Santa Cruz municipal code clarifying the City’s
authority to close some, or all, of the Wharf to fishing
when necessary to protect birds.
It was decided to meet with the City’s Parks and
Recreation Commission staff to develop a policy regarding
the problem..
(4) CONTINGENCY
PLAN
PPA discussed the need for a multilayer contingency
plan. When fishing effort picks up at the beginning of
the summer, educational efforts should start. This may
include flyers on vehicles and/or docent interactions
with fishers. When the baitfish and birds start to
congregate in large numbers, the educational efforts
should increase and net fishing only rule should be
implemented in areas where birds congregate.
The City should develop a system of monitoring bird
entanglements. NAR (and kayak operators) should notify
City staff (who would be responsible for notifying DFG)
of number of birds being handled. The City should
identify a predetermined trigger to closing the wharf (or
part of wharf). PPA recommends that the trigger be
preventative and based on risk to birds rather than
actual entanglements. The contingency plan should include
a mechanism for determining when it is safe to reopen the
wharf to fishing.
IBRC and NAR noted the importance of including
responsibility for costs of treating injured birds into
the contingency plan. The total cost of treating the
birds entangled on the Santa Cruz Wharf this year is
estimated at over $50,000.
