Monterey Bay Forum

Put all your kitty’s cat litter in a securely tied bag. Make sure it goes to a land fill and not into Monterey Bay for otters to feed on.

There’s a new Santa Cruz, CA website dedicated to Otter-ly information. Check out seaotters.com based in Santa Cruz, CA.

To get off the Endangered Species List, sea otters must grow from 2,700 to 3,090. Their numbers have stayed steady instead of growing in recent years. Scientists wonder why. Various pollutants may contribute.

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“Southern sea otters have been listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act since 1977. While California sea otters have made a substantial recovery, decades of protection haven’t helped their population bounce back as dramatically as hoped. Annual surveys currently peg the California sea otter population at about 2,700 individuals, short of the minimum of 3,090 for 3 years running needed for delisting from the Endangered Species Act. Their numbers have hovered at 2,800 otters in recent years, and the current estimate represents a population dip instead of growth.

“What is behind this population plateau? Scientists have pinned the cause on too many deaths of mature adults, especially females who should be producing pups. However, understanding why otters are dying is far from straightforward. No single factor jumps out as the most important cause of California sea otter deaths. Rather, scientists have discovered that otters encounter a complex and deadly cocktail in contaminated waters, and many are dying from the combined onslaught of diseases, parasites, and toxic compounds.

Federal agency National Oceanographic & Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) recently pressed criminal charges and has levied huge fines against a nationally known biologist for feeding large fish.

Also, NOAA recently levied enormous fines — which keep going up — against two persons using jet skis to save surfers in Monterey Bay.

The overall issue is that a federal agency (NOAA) under Obama and with the blessing of local congressman Sam Farr now controls access of the public to use of Monterey Bay. Do you accept this control?

Because the jet ski users are contesting the charges, NOAA’s response has been to double and triple the fines. Per discussion by Dr. Bill on radio 1080, NOAA is acting as judge, jury and prosecutor and not allowing any defense.

Sam Farr, congressman for the Monterey and Santa Cruz, CA area, refused to come on a local radio show Saturday, Jan. 14 and discuss his views of NOAA and the legal charges against people using the Monterey Bay for work and play. Sam Farr’s office likewise did not contact the radio station. Farr’s offices were contacted repeatedly without success.

“Put a sign on your car, in your window and on a telephone pole telling Sam Farr what you want” says Dr. Bill on 1080 Radio. “Or just write, Sam Farr — Farr Out!”

NOAA’s senior positions are filled with political appointees who push for the political agenda of the current administration. Dr. Bill refers to NOAA as the “green Gestapo”.

Per the 1080 radio show Jan. 11, 2012 NOAA spent millions of Obama Stimulus money on a new building close to the beach at Asilomar CA state park in Monterey, CA. NOAA will not permit any non-native plants in the area and has built a building which, to put it mildly from the comments of listeners to the raido show, does not blend into the environment. Check out the NOAA building next time you drive along the Asilomar state beach beach in Monterey.

For more information on NOAA, congressman Sam Farr’s lack of response to air his views on NOAA and current fining of the biologist and jet ski users contact
www.ksco.com

Olive, a seal rescured from Monterey Bay recently, will be released back into Monterey Bay soon.  She was covered with black oil naturally gushing up during the recent storms.  To clean her up, she was washed with olive oil.  Hence her name.  Several agencies including the Monterey Bay Acquarium and U.C. Santa Cruz assisted in her rescue.