Activists for and against making the La Jolla Children’s Pool a seal sanctuary will be out in force this afternoon. A city council committee will consider how to manage humans and seals so they can coexist.
Since the early 1990s, seals have used the beach. Legal battles have raged over whether the city can declare the area a marine sanctuary and put up ropes to prevent people from disturbing the seals.
Ellen Shively of Friends of the Seals says now the city has the power to declare the pool a sanctuary, it’s time to decide how to manage it.
"We’re going to have to compromise," Shively said. "It’s only 200 feet of sand, and the habitat is just a perfect seal habitat. What we’re arguing for is a good management policy."
The city's Natural Resources Committee could recommend keeping a rope barrier up year-round, or only during pupping season. However the Council of Divers opposes any rope at all.
The final decision will be made by the full city council.