Special efforts to study drop in Carpinteria seal rookery population could be underway

CARPINTERIA, Calif. - The Carpinteria City Council is looking at different solutions after seeing the harbor seal haul out and rookery population drop in recent years.

The city may be taking steps to add new protections to the area, and have a committee look at the conditions in the area that might be a factor.

It is located east of Carpinteria State Beach and below the bluffs off of Bailard.

The area is clearly marked and the public is asked, through signage, not to walk through when there are seals on the beach especially pups bonding with their mothers.

By comparison, in 2012 there were over 400 seals at the site.

This year only about 200 have been seen.

The area is monitored by docents who educate the public from a bluff top location.

The council first heard this item at a recent meeting and now the staff has several options going forward.

That would include the formation of a committee to look into the protections already in place, and whether or not to enhance them. They could also include more signage, or the planting of bluff top vegetation to shield the view of the seals from the public looking down.

There may be a larger committee which includes city officials and marine mammal experts.

The area is also referred to as a "Seal Sanctuary". It is about a ten minute walk from the Bailard parking lot.

A city report says is thought to be
one of just four locations where harbor seal colonies exist along the southern California
coast.

Another location, in La Jolla also has similar protections from the local community.

The City Council takes up the matter tonight's meeting.