Comment Log Display

I am the co owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching,
located in Dana Point Ca. Dana Wharf is celebrating 50 years in
business, we operate year-round, and we employ just under 50
employees.  My Father Don Hansen founded this business and for all
of the 5o years we have operated we have always instituted programs
to bring customers to our locations and introduce them many for the
first time to the sport of fishing. our  industry provides  jobs
and helps other small businesses as well . We also sell the 2nd
highest amount of California Fishing license through our location ,
supporting the Fish and Wildlife Department of California.  I am
requesting your assistance in directing staff at the  California
Air Resources Board (CARB) to revise their proposed rule.
Specifically, returning Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels (CPFV)
back with Commercial Fishing Vessels (CFV) for compliance with the
Commercial Harbor Craft (CHC) rule.  To not do so will have a
devastating impact on our family-owned business, coastal
communities that surround us, and ocean access to those that can
least afford to participate.  
For the first-time ever, CFV and CPFV would be separated.  The
proposed regulation grants CFV a different proposed timeline for
compliance and the use of different equipment even though the
report CARB commissioned from the Cal Maritime Academy (CMA) finds
that our vessels are similar in nature. It appears to make little
sense to separate us out and impose the use of equipment that CMA
indicates is not available and, if it was, would cause significant
safety concerns and economic impacts to passenger vessels. 
CMA indicates that even if the equipment could be installed it
would create stability issues and reduce passenger counts by up to
42%. Reducing our passenger capacity will devastate our bottom
line, but even more of a concern is the use of this equipment and
its impact on safety to passengers and crew. It is extraordinary
that CARB would propose to require technology that would require
such structural modifications that CMA found it is not appropriate
to be utilized in these vessels. CARB has made public statements
acknowledging the equipment is not available and would not work for
sportfishing and has suggested we remove our current vessels from
California, how can this be ?  We can not relocate our business so
this must been they want us to go our of business entirely. CARB
staff believes that we should purchase new vessels that are made of
steel, which would be required to be significantly larger to
accommodate the mandatory equipment but would not be able to carry
any additional passengers. This would make the cost of tickets soar
to at least double current rates putting ocean access out of reach
of families and those from disadvantaged communities. As an example
my 56 foot boat of steel would need to be retrofitted to be 95 plus
feet and help the required large equipment reducing our passengers
by 42-50% , a few things that no one talks bout 1. I can't make a
105 foot boat fit in a 65 foot slip ? 2. The equipment knows as
DPF's are very large and weigh a lot and are said to be very very
hot requiring the boat to sit at idle and run for long period of
time , they are also not approved yet by United States Coast Guard
. 3. The largest issue by far if that there will be no more grant
funds like Carl Moyer , surely this is a mistake? 

As you know, these are almost exclusively family run operations
like mine that are attempting to recover from a year of lockdown
during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Governor announced the his
intention was to help recover the tourist industry and CPFV are a
significant driver of coastal economies. This proposal would create
several economic hardships and likely drive many CPFV operators
like me out of business. Meanwhile, those with similar vessels in
the Commercial fishing fleet would maintain opportunities for
grants to assist with upgrades to proven technology that doesn't
create safety issues. 

The CPFV fleet provides value to our communities far beyond their
operations for fishing and tourism. Many individuals use the fleet
as their only access to the ocean as they cannot afford their own
boat, this part of our customer base can not afford any increases
to the ticket costs , also the trips we donate we will not be able
to donate anymore due to the hight costs of operations . Please put
us back with CPF so that we can phase into he new engine
requirements   , the technology needs more time and frankly so do
we .  My father once thought he would leave a legacy for his family
to take over when he leaves this earth now at 87 he is watching an
industry he loves face total devastation . We are just one family
business , we have just under 50 employees  but our stories are all
the same, complete devastation if this rule was to pass in its
current form.
Thank you for your time

Mike Hansen
Dana Wharf Sportfishing
34675 Golden Lantern 
Dana Point , Ca. 92629