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Some Newport Beach fishermen claim the city’s efforts to keep the beach clean are killing off the grunion.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Verna Fath
\nand other anglers said the small, silvery fish aren’t plentiful as in year’s last. During the grunion spawning season in
\nspring and summer, they\u2019ve seen the city\u2019s tractor-like beach
\ncleaners plow through low-tide areas near Balboa Pier, churning up
\nfish eggs.<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cI can understand wanting to make the beach look nice, but not at this cost,\u201d Fath told the Daily Pilot.<\/p>\n
<\/br>City officials deny these claims and say they never
\nuse the city\u2019s heavy-duty beach-cleaning equipment in the wet sand,
\nwhere grunion wash up on the beach and lay their eggs at night during high tides.
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Although it\u2019s illegal for anglers to catch the
\ngrunion with a line, it doesn\u2019t stop the fish from nibbling on Fath\u2019s
\nsnag line, she said. She\u2019s become adept over the years in knowing when
\nthe grunion are biting and when they\u2019re not.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/br>Newport\u2019s
\nGeneral Services Director Mark Harmon said Tuesday that the city
\nconsults with a marine biologist from Pepperdine University on when
\ngrunion are spawning in the area. City workers are instructed never to use the
\ncity\u2019s beach cleaners in wet sand, where grunion might lay their eggs.
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The
\ncity uses large tractors that each have a plow-like device attached to
\nthem that sifts and churns the sand to scoop up things such as cigarette
\nbutts and shards of broken glass.<\/p>\n