The Chair announced that the topic will appear on the December Advisory Council agenda. The motion was seconded by Karin Strasser Kauffman and passed unanimously. The U.S. Coast Guard spotted an oil slick during an overflight off the Golden Gate shipping lanes. The slick moved to about seven-eight miles west of Half Moon Bay. Tarballs have begun washing up on beaches and more are expected to wash up on beaches between Half Moon Bay and Ano Nuevo.
Laboratories are in the process of identifying the oil.
Larry Espinoza, OSPR, presented an overview of the effects of the spill on wildlife. Twenty-nine surveyors have formed a recovery team looking for impacted animals. Agencies involved in the incident include personnel from CA Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife, Gulf of the Farallones NMS, Monterey Bay NMS, and many others. Currently, the reporting officer collects information from the investigation or contact and prepares a report of the incident for submission to the NMFS special agent. GCEL then issues a NOVA to the suspect who then pays the fine or files for a hearing before an administrative law judge.