Bass barge can stay put

City Council renews floating nursery’s permit but says operators must maintain it, keep sea lions away.NEWPORT BEACH -- A floating nursery for sea bass will stay at its mooring in the Newport Channel just east of the Balboa Pavilion, but the facility’s operators must keep it in better condition or risk losing their permit.

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday decided, in a 4-2 vote, to renew the mooring permit for the Balboa Angling Club’s white sea bass barge, in spite of demands from some residents that the barge be moved elsewhere. Mayor Don Webb and Councilman Dick Nichols voted against the permit renewal.

“I’m ecstatic with their decision, and I look forward to, within the next year, to work closer with the residents to try to work out a better solution,” said Alex Samios, a director of the Balboa Angling Club.

“The council had a tough decision and they voted in favor of the conservation effort.”

The barge is a collection of pens used to replenish the state’s stock of white sea bass, which dipped dangerously low in the 1980s because of overfishing, Samios said.

The angling club manages the barge, Sea World provides the young fish raised there, and the state Department of Fish and Game monitors the program.

The floating pens have been a fixture in the harbor for about 14 years, but land-dwelling neighbors began complaining last year after sea lions broke through a barrier and began sunbathing on the barge.

Neighbors on Tuesday argued that the facility should be moved because it’s unsightly, pollutes the waters, and draws sea lions because it’s sometimes full of fish.

The angling club has taken steps in recent months to keep sea lions away, and the council will review the permit in a year to make sure the barge meets maintenance standards. The club will be required to maintain the mooring cans, which had been sinking; keep the facility clean of bird waste; and prevent sea lions from hanging around, said city harbor resources supervisor Chris Miller.

“I think the conditions are pretty stringent,” he said, adding that if they’re met, city officials will be satisfied.

Moving the sea bass facility isn’t out of the question, but the problem is finding a spot that’s conducive to raising fish, Samios said. The young fish require a particular depth, water flow and oxygen levels to thrive.

Council member Tod Ridgeway suggested towing the barge away when it’s not in use, but Samios said that would be logistically difficult because the barge is unwieldy and would need a second mooring.

“We don’t want to just keep moving around,” Samios said.

“We need to look for a permanent place where we can conduct our operation and our program with the right pieces that make our puzzle work,” he added.

While residents were disappointed with the council’s decision to let the barge stay, they’re not bitter.

“We’re very friendly with Alex [Samios], it’s just that the barge is kind of an eyesore for us neighbors,” said Phil Doane, who lives on Balboa Boulevard. “We’re not against the program.”