Laguna Beach council asks state to study petition to extend no‑take SMCA to city southern boundary

The City Council on Feb. 25 adopted a resolution asking state wildlife authorities to continue evaluation of a citizen petition to extend Laguna Beach’s no‑take State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) down to the city’s southern boundary at 3 Arch Bay. The petition seeks to convert an adjacent partial‑take SMCA into a continuous no‑take zone that would further restrict recreational and commercial take (including shore and boat fishing) in roughly 1.3 square miles off the city’s shoreline.

The council heard extensive public testimony. Supporters, including Laguna Blue Belt and other conservation groups, said the existing MPA has demonstrably restored kelp forest and fish populations and argued that the city’s southern shoreline deserves identical protection. “Now is the critical time to clearly establish the City Council’s position before decisions are made by the Fish and Game Commission,” petitioner Mike Beeman told the council (03:19:45). Opponents and commercial fishers warned of economic impacts on small commercial operators, the local fleet, and generations of watermen who depend on the remaining open fishing areas.

Council discussion emphasized that the petition is part of a decadal statewide review and is the appropriate time to request further analysis. The adopted resolution (amended on council direction) asks state agencies not to deny the petition in initial consideration, requests a fuller scientific and socioeconomic review and seeks direct engagement between state staff and local stakeholders before any final decision. The resolution also asks staff to transmit the city’s position and to request explicit procedures for local stakeholder participation in the review process.