Tourists are touching and harassing sea lions at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, Calif. after officials removed a fence to prevent people from accessing their habitat. The city of San Diego removed the barrier after a lawsuit from local businesses claimed the odor of sea lion feces was driving away their customers.
Removing the barrier did nothing to drive away sea lions or reduce their odor. The sea lions remain, but their quality of life is compromised by tourists who now approach them to take pictures with them, touch them and harass them through poking and other disruptive behaviors. In at least one case, a tourist trampled on a sea lion's hind flipper.
This behavior violates the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protects marine mammals from harassment. It is not an effective or humane way to deal with the issue of sea lion waste odor. Please sign the petition to urge San Diego to stop allowing humans to harass sea lions!
We, the undersigned, are concerned that tourists are touching and harassing sea lions at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, Calif. after officials removed a fence to prevent people from accessing their habitat. We understand that you removed the barrier after a lawsuit from local businesses claimed the odor of sea lion feces was driving away their customers.
We understand the business owners' concerns, but removing the barrier did nothing to drive away sea lions or reduce their odor. The sea lions remain, but their quality of life is compromised by tourists who now approach them to take pictures with them, touch them and harass them through poking and other disruptive behaviors. In at least one case, a tourist trampled on a sea lion's hind flipper.
This behavior violates the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protects marine mammals from harassment. It is not an effective or humane way to deal with the issue of sea lion waste odor. We respectfully urge you to stop allowing humans to harass sea lions, and to find a more pragmatic and humane solution to the odor problem, such as regular clean-up or relocation. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
