Comment Log Display

My name is Corey Hall , My family owns and operates Current
Sportfishing in Dana Point, Ca. We have been in
business 6 years, Our boat operates out of Dana Wharf Sportfishing
within Dana Point Harbor but we are only inside the Harbor for 5
minutes before we are out into open seas. Also we never run our
boats while docked. All engines are turned off and plugged into a
shore power at end of day.  

We are a struggling small business and nothing has threatened to
close our business for good except two things Covid 19 followed by
the new rule for Harbor Craft  proposed by CARB . Shutting down a
business because of a pandemic like COVID 19 no one could have
predicted and it was out of our control, I survived and continue to
operate, So now why the push to put me out of business? The general
public who is our passengers, love the outdoors and fishing once
permitted after COVID shutdowns is a safe outdoor recreation
practiced and loved by so many from all communities and also
provides food to feed their
families . Whale Watching allows people to be connected to nature
and is a relaxing, very stress reducing activity enjoyed by
thousands every single day in California , these customers cannot
afford their own private vessels and we are their access.  This new
Carb proposed harbor craft rule will sink my business ,  I believe
that your board and staff do not fully understand what it means to
put all Sportfishing / and Whale Watching boats out of business
along the coast of California . We along with so many  can not
comply with a new proposed rule to make our boat little to no
emissions, we are all for reducing emissions and always have been,
our boat has the most up to date engines that are available to us,
we repower as new tier engines become available and also apply for
grants from the South Coast AQMD, this has always been how we
operate. We simply can't comply with the new rule in its current
state. We need unlimited time to comply for when new technology
exists and is available, also we need grant funds to remain
available to us to complete future re-powers and to retrofit if we
can ever even do that, building a new vessel is also out of the
question for a business like mine currently. Carb staff have said
they understand some boats will be retired, that is a very sad
statement, we believe not some but all boats like ours would be
retired. Our boats can't just be retired , they have no pension
they have no retirement the boats are the retirement for families
like ours. Everyday it's a struggle we have been dealing with since
the onset of COVID and to disregard those hardships and put this
new proposal on us , does not make sense , this new proposed rule
will be hurting so many communities at a time when California is
supposed
to champion small business. It even further does not make sense
especially for the fact that commercial fishing harbor craft get an
unlimited extension, our passengers can not afford a higher ticket
they deserve an extension too ,  we were told that the belief that
our passengers can pay more for tickets was the only reason we were
told that we were not put into that same category with commercial
fishing. Our customers deserve access to affordable boating. We are
offering public access everyday to the great outdoors.  Once you
retire boats you put family businesses like ours out of business .
Please help us to include boats like ours in the commercial fishing
carve out . This carve out allows for extensions while new engines
can be created. Thank you for reading this email.