In Reply to: Re: Re: The under water park at Avalon was never never closed to hunting and fishing posted by diverjoe on March 08, 2012 at 22:07:16:

Diverjoe wrote: "What you are missing is all the dive boats took on to them selves not to go there."

That's not exactrly correct.

When the park was created by the City of Avalon (1965 - it had actually been roped off in 1962), it WAS desingated as a no motorized vessel area. That's why the buoy markers are up - not only to keep us in, but to keep motorized boats out. (Kayaks are OK and - technically - a sailboat under sail would have been OK.)

But you're right that one of the great misconceptions about the Park is that it also was given no-take status. That was a genetlemen's agreement among the Catalina-based operators that they'd make it a voluntatry no-take zone. But it was never anything that could be enforced through weight of law.

However, with the creation of the Casino Point State Marine Reserve (it's official name), it now legally achieved no-take stayus as of January 1.

The official wording is: "Take of all living marine resources is prohibited, except for take pursuant to maintenance of artificial structures inside the conservation area per any required federal, state and local permits, or as otherwise authorized by the department. Feeding of fish for marine life viewing is allowed."

- Ken
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Ken Kurtis
Owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Member, Statwide Interests Group (SIG) of the MLPAi