Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
October 20, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Abalone divers in a perilous quest for a succulent snail
Diving for slow-moving abalone has become one of
Assembly Speaker tours rice fields
Karen Bass hopes to gain understanding for future water bond debate
Capital Press
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Abalone divers in a perilous quest for a succulent snail
Diving for slow-moving abalone has become one of
By Richard C. Paddock,
It's not that abalone is an elusive quarry. The giant snail inches its way across the rocks in relatively shallow water. Even so, diving for abalone has become one of
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At least seven abalone hunters have died so far this year along the rugged coast of
"When you throw yourself into the food chain, there are a lot of factors," said Stratton, 54, a general contractor from
Some divers say the danger is compounded by a ban on the use of air tanks by abalone divers and a lack of education about the hazards divers face.
One recent casualty was Richard Baer, a former U.S. Coast Guard rescue crewman and California Highway Patrol officer. An experienced diver, the 57-year-old businessman drowned Sept. 12 near Sea Ranch in Sonoma County after he got tangled in thick kelp.
"I spent a lot of time training for this kind of thing and I have dealt with a lot of death," said Ron Long, a certified diving instructor who tried to save Baer. "But there was nothing that prepared me to go down in 12 feet of water and stare at the face of my best friend who was drowned."
Long added: "I am not ever going abalone diving again."
The quest for abalone brings thousands of people to the
Abalone aficionados rave about the slow-growing mollusks' "velvety tenderness" and "succulent flavor." Divers often come to the coast in groups -- renting a house or camping out -- and cook their catch at the end of the day. Some divers return year after year.
As the numbers of abalone have declined over the years, the state has banned commercial harvesting and imposed ever stricter regulations on recreational hunters.
Abalone divers must have licenses and can take only one species, the red abalone, north of
Divers are allowed to use a mask, snorkel and flippers. Typically, they also wear a weight belt and take along a covered inner tube to hold their gear.
Statistics indicate that abalone diving is more dangerous than some other activities commonly held to be risky.
Of roughly 40,000 licensed abalone divers, at least 23 have died since 2004 in Mendocino and
Officials acknowledge that some fatalities may go uncounted because no agency is responsible for recording them.
By comparison, of about 300,000 licensed hunters in
"We deal with a lot of recreational activities -- hunting, fishing -- and abalone diving takes more lives than any of them," said Sgt. Shannon Barney, deputy coroner of
In addition to getting tangled in kelp, divers can be buffeted by strong waves that smash them against the rocks. In 2004, one ab diver was killed by a great white shark off the Mendocino coast.
During extremely low tides, some abalone hunters clamber onto the rocks to pick the mollusks out of pools. Occasionally, a hunter is swept out to sea by a wave.
Some divers die simply because they underestimate the ocean -- or overestimate their own fitness.
"A lot of our folks don't necessarily die of drowning," Barney said. "They end up perishing because of heart-related issues because they aren't in the physical condition to get into the ocean."
There is also what locals call "
After traveling here from other parts of the state, some divers are loathe to depart empty-handed -- no matter how rough the ocean.
"By the time you get your wetsuit and your vacation house rental, you are spending a significant amount of money," Barney said. "You can't spend all this money and not come home with something."
All 14 abalone hunters who died in the last two years came from outside the
The most recent fatality was Robert Stewart, 38, of
"People don't understand how strenuous it is and how dangerous the ocean can be," said Jerry Kashiwada, a state biologist and diver who surveys the abalone population.
Blake Tallman, who runs Sub-Surface Progression Dive Shop in
Some divers and officials say it may be time for the state to require "diver ed" when issuing abalone licenses. They note that mandatory gun safety education has been successful in reducing hunting fatalities.
Since Baer's death, his friend Long has taken up the cause of alerting people to the dangers of abalone diving.
He first met Baer 38 years ago when they were Coast Guard rescue crewmen in
Baer, who made his home in
Long, who now lives in
Some divers strap knives to their legs so they can cut the kelp if they get in trouble. But Long said he and his friends didn't carry a knife because it creates its own hazard: It is one more protrusion that can get caught on the kelp.
Long, a retired
Paul Baker, another longtime friend and diving buddy, joined Long in trying to free Baer. Long said it took him three dives to clear the kelp. By then, he estimates, Baer had been underwater five to seven minutes.
Long said he believes he could have saved his friend's life if he'd been allowed to have a small oxygen cylinder. He argues that the state should change its rules and let certified divers carry a thermos-size air canister for emergencies. The canisters could be sealed so that game wardens could determine if one had been used.
"I firmly believe if I had one, Rich Baer wouldn't be dead today," Long said.
Harry Morse, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game, said the scuba tank ban is intended to limit the overall abalone harvest and protect the scarce resource.
He called the circumstances of Baer's death a "unique situation" but said the Fish and Game Commission should consider Long's proposal to let divers carry an emergency air supply.
Long, with a lifetime in the business of rescuing people, finds it hard to accept he could not save his best friend and realizes now how risky abalone diving can be.
"It's a hell of lot more dangerous than people realize it is," he said. "It's my mission to educate people about the danger."#
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-abalone18-2008oct18,0,6466343,full.story
Assembly Speaker tours rice fields
Karen Bass hopes to gain understanding for future water bond debate
Capital Press – 10/20/08
By
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass was a fish out of water sitting behind the wheel of a giant rice harvester near the
But that was the point. Bass, D- Los Angeles, traveled up from her offices in
Bass and her counterpart, Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, have each said they hope to find consensus on a new state water-supply bond in 2009.
In preparation, Bass is doing something her predecessor did not: She's seeing for herself what drives the parts of rural
Bass met with Fresno-area farmers and local officials earlier this year and last week toured the Oroville dam as well as LaMalfa's rice fields. She even harvested some rice with LaMalfa.
Bass said the tour was enlightening.
"It is my first time here (in the
"It just means a lot to us for her to do this," LaMalfa said of Bass' visit. "She's a great person to work with, no matter where your politics are."
Rice, which in the
She said seeing the canals and dams around the Oroville project will help her understand where valley lawmakers are coming from when they develop a water bond proposal next year.
Lawmakers took a tentative step towards a water bond earlier this year, but it did not have much Democratic support outside the
LaMalfa and many other valley lawmakers want the state to help build a new reservoir off the Sacramento River in
Neither project is far along in the process, however, although legislation Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed in September will release some cash to advance the study of both proposals.
Neither Bass nor Steinberg in the Senate have said they are intrinsically opposed to the new dams, but finding the money to fund the local share of each has been problematic.
Bass said last week that she hopes next year will break the logjam.
"I'd like to do something different next year," she said. "Instead of having one bill from one chamber, I'd like to work together on a proposal."
Bass said that work might begin as early as January.#
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=45333&TM=63296.2
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