Seals that lounge around San Diego cove win reprieve from governor after long legal battle

[lindisfarne]

Source: AP/StarTribune.com

SAN DIEGO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cast a lifeline Monday to a colony of federally protected harbor seals that spend their days lounging around a popular San Diego cove and have become the subject a lengthy legal tussle over their fate.

The governor signed a bill that adds a marine mammal park to the list of acceptable uses for the sheltered cove where the seals have lived for years.

The potential reprieve came just hours after a San Diego judge ordered the city to begin chasing the pesky pinnipeds from the beach by Thursday — or risk hefty fines — in order to comply with a 2005 order to restore the cove to its original condition.

A spokeswoman for the city attorney's office declined to say what the city would do now that state law includes a provision for the seals at the site. The spokeswoman, Gina Coburn, said city officials would hold a news conference Tuesday to lay out their plans.

Read more: www.startribune.com/nation/51234477.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

[pinniped]

1. Screw that judge. In San Francisco, they're a tourist attraction.

[Arctic Dave]

3. I had to do a double take of the pic.

I thought to myself, "that's not SD". Then I looked at the message.

[Bette Noir]

6. Those are California sea lions in San Francisco.

Children's Beach in San Diego has a colony of harbor seals. Sorry, but I'm a full-time, semi-professional pinniped geek.

No matter; they're both federally protected, as are all marine mammals.

[pinniped]

11. I was showing off my picture of the pinniped version of eminent domain.

This guy only wants one rock.

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. look at all those fat happy seals. love it.

[HERVEPA]

2. Was there two days ago

My son, brother, and I talked to people on the beach to get them to move so seals would come on to the beach.
The seals get tired and need a certain amount of time on land.
Some of the people on the beach were just oblivious, others obstinate.
The people fighting to get rid of the seals are right wing folks, with tactics similar to those of anti-choice people.
There are environmental folks there most of the time trying to educate people people. Hats off to them.

[aquart]

4. "Pesky pinnipeds"? PESKY PINNIPEDS???

Scum-sucking bipeds.

[Devil_Fish]

5. Do tell Judge, what was the original condition of the cove?

I would bet that the seals have been there longer then people.

[Joanie Baloney]

9. They were there, but out in the ocean

The seals started congregating there to protect their pups after the jetty was built to create the sheltered beach. It made a beautiful cove for kids to play and swim...and as the seals discovered, to shelter the pups from predators. Well, the sea-going kind of predators, I mean.

It is ironic though that the 'cure' was to be constant blaring of recorded dog barking. Yeah - that will make for a nice, peaceful beach experience. Ha!

[Xithras]

14. The cove is man-made

The original condition was rocky exposed shoreline. It was built because the coast through there is rocky and is prone to high waves and undertows, and the locals wanted a place where the kids could swim.

As it turned out, the seals were pretty happy to see the seawall too.

[Gabi Hayes]

7. why don't those lazy fucks get off their fat asses, off the dole, and get a JOB?

disgusting waste of my precious tax dollar

[lindisfarne]

10. They're working! They're working! Entertaining tourists is hard work, if the anti-job idiots would

let them get on with it.

[StarryNite]

12. That is the cutest damn thing!

Sad to think that there are a lot of people who think any animals, other than humans, were put here for people to do whatever they want to with them. It seems to be a lot of the Christian right that have that belief. They make me ashamed to be human.

[Raine]

8. Good! nt

[wordpix2]

13. humans take over the habitat of wildlife and then complain. Thank you, judge.

The seals were there first, or maybe nearby. How about humans stopping their building activities on the coastlines?

[pipoman]

15. I believe this is the tiny bit of real estate

in question. I took this pic this spring. We would never have visited La Jolla Beach if it were not for the seals. Give them the friggin tiny little area...the tourist dollars will easily pay for a new cove for the kiddies.