Local News in Brief : Stretch of Catalina to Be Marine Refuge

A three-quarter-mile stretch of coastline near Isthmus Cove on Santa Catalina Island, described by marine biologists as having one of the island’s richest concentrations of sea life, will be set aside in January as a marine life refuge, state officials said Wednesday.

The Department of Fish and Game expects to appoint a director of the refuge within the next couple of months to ensure that the sanctuary can open by the first of the year, the earliest date allowed under legislation signed by Gov. George Deukmejian on Monday.

The legislation, whose author is Sen. Robert G. Beverly (R-Manhattan Beach), creates a refuge from Chalk Cliff to Blue Cavern Point, an area that encompasses Fisherman’s Cove and a 100-yard-wide strip of ocean to the east. It will prohibit unauthorized vessels from entering the area and bar divers and fishermen from taking fish or marine plants from it. Because the area offers natural protection from storms, the measure allows boats to enter the refuge during an “emergency caused by hazardous weather.”

Recreational fishermen, who describe the area as one of the best along the island for fishing, have opposed the designation.