It seems to me that the best option proposed so far is something close to a “underwater no-take zone” that:
- -Protects the coves
-Will not create pushback from non-diving fisherman groups that fish from the pier (is this a real concern?)
-Won’t alienate club members who like to fish elsewhere in the Puget sound
-Won’t incite the resistance of the entire fishing industry
-Easier to implement than a marine reserve (although not sure if this was referring to legal stuff or just because of pushback from above-water fishing folks)
-If there is interest in creating more broad protection I might personally support it but would love to get get Seacrest protected first. Hate to have nothing because we either couldn’t agree or went to big. Baby steps...
Laywer: Really appreciate your offer to provide Pro-Bono legal support. Can you recommend where we should start / what to explore?
I assume there are a lot of specifics TBD including:
- -Would this need to be a new ordinance or does a similar form of protection already exist?
-Would it make more sense to seek a different form of protection that can be more easily adopted (ie: no legislation required - just a designation by an existing regulatory group)
-How is/should the scope of the protected area defined?
-Who do we need to engage? Is there other legwork that needs to be completed first?