July 5, 2019 — If the city of Venice goes forward with a plan to ban shark fishing from both the Venice Municipal Fishing Pier and the three miles of beach within city limits, it will likely face citizen backlash and a possible lawsuit.
Rob Merlino, the de facto leader of an ad hoc committee that was formed in 2017, when the Venice City Council considered new regulations at the pier — including a shark fishing ban — wrote in an email Tuesday that they were unhappy they were not consulted prior to the council’s June 25 vote to direct city attorney Kelly Fernandez and staff to draft an ordinance to ban shark fishing.
He said committee members are considering both a boycott of city businesses to prompt them to pressure the council and legal action.