Town Council issues ‘Call for Action’ on sea lion situation: Petition has 1,300 signatures to date

La Jolla Town Council (LJTC) has issued a “Call for Action” via a petition posted on its website lajollatowncouncil.org seeking “prompt and effective action to move and exclude sea lions from areas where their presence creates a severe public health and safety problem.”

The La Jolla Town Council asks San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer to appoint someone local to carry out harassment methods approved by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that would discourage sea lions from hauling out at La Jolla Cove.

The petition reads: “The Mayor and City Council should (also) designate the La Jolla Town Council as the contracting entity to develop a short-term action plan to move and exclude sea lions at The Cove from La Jolla Beaches. The Mayor and City Council should give authority for the LJTC to execute a contract to implement that plan.”

The petition includes anecdotes from those who have had negative encounters with sea lions at La Jolla Cove, and signatures from 13 La Jollans with interest in this topic, such as Town Council president Ann Kerr Bache, La Jolla Village Merchant’s Association president Claude Anthony Marengo, San Diego Council of Divers president Joel Tracey and La Jolla Cove Swim Club president Dan Simonelli.

The petition went live on Oct. 21 and has already accrued more than 1,300 signatures. At a time to be determined, the petition will be delivered to City Hall. Read more at lajollatowncouncil.org