By the California Department of Fish and Game

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens cited a Southern California man early Sunday morning for poaching dozens of lobsters inside a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Wardens observed Marbel A. Para, 30, of Romoland (Riverside County) and a companion SCUBA diving in the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve after midnight on Jan. 15.

This location, which is in the Heisler Park area off the coast of Laguna Beach, has historically been closed to lobster fishing for years (even prior to the establishment of the MPA).

After the divers left the water and returned to their vehicle, the wardens made contact with them and discovered 47 California spiny lobsters in their possession. In addition to illegally taking the lobsters from an MPA, the divers were well over the legal possession limit of seven lobsters per diver, and all but five of the lobsters were undersize.

Para claimed that all the lobsters were his, and his companion was not cited.

This is the first major violation that DFG wardens have cited in any of the Southern California MPAs since they went into effect in Southern California on Jan. 1, 2012.

The MPAs were created through the Marine Life Protection Act in order to simplify and strengthen existing marine reserves and fishing regulations to allow recovery of fish populations that have been in severe decline.

“The vast majority of our fishing and diving constituents are responsible and law-abiding,” said DFG Assistant Chief Paul Hamdorff. “It is always our goal to catch those who choose to intentionally abuse the resources of this state for their own benefit.”

Wardens cited Para for several poaching violations including unlawful take and illegal possession of lobster, and possession of overlimits and undersized animals.

A report will be filed with the Orange County District Attorney and Para may face additional charges related to this case.
All the lobsters were confiscated, photographed as evidence and then safely returned to the ocean.

To view the original article, click here.

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I am going to a wild party tonight, so I doubt that I will be making the Sunday Services dive and debrief.

Trying to make good on a New Year’s Revolution - a dive once a week - I stopped by Redondo Beach for a quick exercise dive.

I have NEVER seen Redondo Beach so flat!

What surprised me was the lack of divers; there probably wasn’t more than a dozen in the parking lot or in the water.

I geared up and made the easiest entrance I think I’ve ever made - including some boat dives.

Logged SCUBA Dive #401

Solo Diving
Veterans Park, Redondo Beach, CA USA

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1500 psi
Max depth: 89 feet
Waves: Flat - the flattest I’ve ever seen
Visibility: 15 feet
Water Temperature: 56 degrees
Air Temperature: 67 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 28 minutes

I had my game bag with me to collect lost gear, so I submerged in 10 feet of water and went West.

Sand dollars, sand and trash…

Down the canyon I went.

At 89 feet I found a nice snorkel!

I turned around and came across a shovel head - no, not a shark, an actual shovel head from a hardware store.

A crab was living under it, so I just left it.

Coming back up the canyon, it suddenly turned really dark, almost like a night dive.

Looking up, I saw a massive school of mackerel that blocked the sunlight; it quickly passed.

I made my way back up the canyon and slowly back to an extremely easy exit - as a matter of fact, “the sand step” that was so common at the surf zone appears to be gone.

Score! If you think it’s yours, contact me with specifics and it shall be returned.

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