Malibu : Marine Sanctuary Backed

The City Council has taken the first step toward creating a marine sanctuary that local environmentalists say would be among the first of its kind.

By a unanimous vote, the council on Tuesday approved a resolution supporting the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises, and directed that a local environmental review board explore the possibility of designating a sanctuary off the Malibu coast.

Mary Frampton, head of the local environmental group Save Our Coast, said the action was an important start toward winning greater protection for marine mammals along the state’s shoreline.