Working Together to Protect Our Wildlife & Community

An Update on Our Petition

When I started this petition, my focus was simple: protect the sea lions at the Channel Islands Harbor haul-out by improving public education, posting clear signage, and addressing illegal fishing and harassment of wildlife in the area.

As I continued documenting what I was seeing, I began to realize that the issue extends beyond the haul-out itself. The harbor is connected to the surrounding coastal environment, and concerns involving fishing activity, fishing line and other debris, beach habitat, wrack, birds, and other marine life are all part of a larger ecosystem.

At the same time, I have become increasingly aware of concerns affecting the people who actually live in and around these areas. Public nuisances, excessive partying and noise, disturbances to neighboring residents, littering, traffic and congestion, and activities that interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of nearby homes and public spaces are also important community concerns.

What began as one concern has grown into a much broader understanding of how interconnected these issues are. Protecting wildlife and the environment also means maintaining a safe, respectful, and enjoyable community for the people who live here.

I have reached out to the agencies, organizations, conservation groups, and other knowledgeable people I could identify who may have a role in addressing these concerns. My hope now is not to tell any one organization how to do its job, but to bring the right people and expertise together so they can communicate, coordinate, and work collaboratively toward clear, lasting solutions.

There are already laws, ordinances, regulations, and protections in place to safeguard wildlife, residents, and our coastal environment. The question is how we can improve communication, coordination, public education, and appropriate enforcement so those protections work as effectively as possible.

This petition is ultimately about bringing people together.

We want a harbor and surrounding coastline where the public understands how to respect wildlife, where fishing regulations are clearly communicated and enforced, where litter and fishing debris are addressed, where public nuisances and excessive disturbances are appropriately addressed, and where the agencies responsible for different aspects of the community and environment can communicate and work together.

We also want to recognize that this is a shared public space. Visitors should be able to enjoy the harbor and beaches, while residents should be able to enjoy their homes and neighborhoods without unreasonable disruption.

I have done what I can to document what I have personally observed and to bring these concerns to the appropriate organizations.

Now I hope the people with the expertise, authority, and resources will take the information forward and work together to protect our wildlife, our environment, and the quality of life of the community.

This started with one sea lion.

It has grown into a call for all of us to do a better job protecting the wildlife and coastal habitat we are fortunate enough to share, while also respecting the people and neighborhoods that call this area home.

Thank you to everyone who has signed, shared, listened, and cared. 🦭🌊❤️ Please keep signing and sharing this petition. Every voice matters, and together we will continue to build the support needed to bring the right people and organizations together, create meaningful solutions, and make lasting changes possible.