The Los Angeles City Council honored Heal the Bay on Friday, and unanimously approved a resolution establishing Oct. 20 as “Heal the Bay Day in L.A.” in recognition of two important programs established 20 years ago.
Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the 11th District that encompasses L.A.’s coastal neighborhoods on the Westside, led a presentation honoring the nonprofit Heal the Bay for its contributions across the city and greater Los Angeles area.
“Since taking office, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Heal the Bay, most notably during our recent Coastal Cleanup Day,” Park said during the presentation. “On Sept. 23, 7,200 Heal the Bay volunteers removed more than 15,000 pounds of garbage and 404 pounds of recyclables from 95 miles of beaches, rivers, waterways and trails. Well done.”
Park highlighted the 20th anniversary of the longtime organization’s Bay Aquarium and its Angler Outreach Program.
Located at Santa Monica Pier, the Bay Aquarium welcomes 100,000 guests annually and hosts programs and events that highlight local environmental issues and solutions.
According to Heal the Bay, its Angler Outreach Program is designed to educate L.A. and Orange counties’ pier and shore anglers about the risks of consuming fish contaminated with toxins.
In addition, Park said, “Abandoned and improperly disposed fishing lines pose serious threats to wildlife and they can also damage boats off the Venice Pier. We see the impacts of those practices everyday.”
She added, “The angler program has been at the forefront of public health education and advocacy about better practices to help protect our marine wildlife and environment.”
Park announced she would be introducing a motion calling on city departments to assess the feasibility and determine staffing and cost requirements of setting up a fishing line recycling program at Venice Pier in support of the organization’s work.
Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the Fifth District, including parts West L.A., and Tim McOsker, who represents the 15th District, including the San Pedro area and parts of South L.A., expressed their gratitude for Heal the Bay’s work.
“There is no greater organization doing this work — making sure everybody knows how dirty our water is — than Heal the Bay. Part of what makes Heal the Bay so special is that they extend their work beyond your typical beach cleanup, though they do a spectacular beach cleanup,” Yaroslavsky said.
Tracy Quinn, Heal the Bay president and CEO, said, “We started with a single focus of healing Santa Monica Bay, but over the years we have built upon a foundation of science, education and advocacy into an organization that is working to protect the people and waterways in greater L.A. from summit to sea.”
Quinn added, “Water is something that connects us all, especially here in Los Angeles.”
Founded in 1985, Heal the Bay is dedicated to making coastal waters and watersheds in greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean, according to its website.