Why Agency Coordination and Oversight Matter

What I’m seeing along our beaches and at Channel Islands Harbor makes it clear that protecting our marine wildlife cannot fall on one agency or one group alone. Today I picked up hundreds of feet of fishing line entangled in seaweed all along Hollywood Beach. I left piles after piles of fishing line on the sand  and requested Oxnard beach officials come help with a clean up. 

When multiple agencies are responsible for different parts of the same problem, they need to communicate, coordinate, and work together. Without that cooperation and consistent oversight, problems can fall through the cracks—and the consequences are now visible on our beaches.

Fishing line, discarded fishing gear, trash, and human activity too close to marine wildlife are not isolated issues. They are signs that we need better communication, clear responsibility, updated signage, and ongoing oversight.

This is not about stopping people from enjoying the harbor or fishing. It is about making sure people, wildlife, and our beaches can safely coexist.

Permanent signs, clear information, proper enforcement, and agencies working together can prevent problems before they become emergencies.

I’m asking our local, state, and federal agencies to work together to protect these areas and make sure everyone knows how to responsibly share the shoreline with the wildlife that depends on it. What I collected today on Hollywood Beach was not only alarming but a clear indication  of the failure of oversight in this area from all agencies involved in protecting our beaches, harbor, and marine life.