10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY october 31-november 6, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Over the last couple of weeks, anchovies have been showing up in shallow waters of Monterey Bay en masse, causing a local feeding frenzy among the marine mammals, sea birds and beachgoers. Tens of thousands of the bony fish have been cutting through crystal clear waters, often ending up on shorelines and causing a noisy scene of seagull squawks and sea lion barks. While the phenomenon is not new, the exact forces driving these changes in populations, especially in such large quantities in Monterey Bay, is not well understood. Francisco Chavez, a researcher with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, has been tracking these fish for the last nine years. He suggests that the high anchovy numbers could be due to larger climate shifts, changes in food availability early in their life cycle, or a combination of various factors. “We have no idea how all of this happens, but in California, Japan and Peru, the fluctuations in the anchovies and sardines are coincident,” says Chavez. “Recently, climate cycles have changed.” What we do know is anchovies move up and down the coast, as well as up and down the water column. They are motivated by food like copepods and other small crustaceans living on kelp forests, and they have been found to retreat to lower areas of the submarine Monterey Canyon to seek refuge from whales and other predators. In response to prior anchovy influxes, the Monterey municipal marina installed aerators to oxygenate the water and prevent mass die-offs, which can occur when large numbers of fish deplete the available oxygen and asphyxiate. “In the past five years, this is the first time that they’ve been turned on,” says Nichole Rodriguez, harbor coordinator for the City of Monterey. “It’s not something that we use regularly.” On Friday, Oct. 25, beachgoers at Del Monte Beach were harvesting anchovies in ankle-deep water, some simply by scooping them up with their hands; children used small fish nets. Biologists at Monterey Bay Whale Watch believe that upwelling has driven anchovies up from the depths for food, but closer to shore to escape predation from whales. “We had 71 humpbacks on our morning trip, which is a crazy amount for this time of year,” says Levi Blair of Monterey Bay Whale Watch. “Normally, we’d be seeing those every few days during the prime time of the year, not necessarily right now.” While five seats on the Salinas City Council are on the ballot Nov. 5, there is also attention on the two councilmembers who are not up for reelection this year. A new PAC called Protect Salinas has raised over $165,000, mostly focused on contested seats. But it also reports spending nearly $5,800 each against Tony Barrera and Andrew Sandoval, whose terms are up in 2026. On Sept. 27, opponents of Sandoval’s leadership took it a step further and formed a committee called Citizens Supporting the Recall of Andrew Sandoval. The founding paperwork names three people, including Salinas resident (and appointed Planning Commissioner) Tyler Burrola, as well as two attorneys from the firm Rutan Tucker LLP: James Sutton, based in San Francisco, and Thai Viet Phan, based in Irvine. They did not respond to requests for comment. Sandoval has represented North Salinas’ District 5 since 2022, when he won by a 14-percent margin against incumbent Christie Cromeenes. His leadership, both in substance and style, has been controversial since day one. His inquiries about a potential conflict-of-interest by his former colleague Steve McShane led to a pending investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission and McShane’s resignation. Candidates for other districts have criticized Sandoval’s governance style, including Aurelio Salazar, who is running in District 6 and describes Sandoval as a bully. “If there is an elected [official] that makes a decision based on their personal feelings toward me and not serving the people, then they shouldn’t be in office,” Sandoval says. He worries that the Nov. 5 election could lead to a shift in the dynamic on council, potentially overturning rent stabilization. It is unclear if the recall committee has started collecting signatures. The group needs 437 signatures to get a recall election; District 5 has 11,376 registered voters. Fish Food Anchovies flood Monterey Bay waters, activating the food chain (people included). By Katie Rodriguez news Flex Your Right Monterey County Elections operates Flex Voting Centers, where voters from throughout the county can register and cast their ballot early on the same day. 10am-3pm Friday, Nov. 1 at Pacific Grove Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. 10am-3pm Saturday, Nov. 2 at Big Sur Library, Highway 1 at Ripplewood Resort, Big Sur. On Election Day, all polling places are open 7am-8pm Tuesday, Nov. 5. Free. 796-1499, countyofmonterey.gov/ elections. Entrepreneurial Spirit Startup Factory is a hands-on workshop geared toward high school and college students looking to start their own businesses. Topics include how to create a winning pitch, financial literacy and problem solving. 8am-5:30pm Saturday, Nov. 2. CSU Monterey Bay, Business & Information Technology Building, 3052 Divarty St., Seaside. $81.88/general admission; free/students. bit.ly/4f1wWmb. Veterans Appreciation Hartnell College hosts a series of events for Veterans Appreciation Week, leading up to a Veterans Day parade in Salinas on Nov. 11. 8am Monday, Nov. 4 (breakfast with a veteran) at Veterans Resource Center, HCC-138, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. 11am Tuesday, Nov. 5 (lunch with a veteran) at Veterans Resource Center. 4pm Wednesday, Nov. 6 (By My Side film screening) at Steinbeck Hall, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. 11am Thursday, Nov. 7 (community Veterans Day event) at Hartnell College roundabout. 8am Friday, Nov. 8 (pan and cafecito with a veteran) at Veterans Resource Center. Free. 755-6700, hartnell.edu. Meet the Superintendent Salinas Union High School District holds a town hall meeting for the public to meet new Superintendent Zandra Jo Galván. 6pm Wednesday, Nov. 6. North Salinas High School library, 55 Kip Drive, Salinas. Free. 796-7000, salinasuhsd. org. Land Watchers The Bureau of Land Management seeks nominations for vacancies for its Central Coast Resource Advisory Council. The council provides advice and recommendations to the BLM on local public land use planning and management. Nominations due Nov. 15. poviatt@blm. gov, blm.gov/get-involved/rac/california/central-california-rac. Housing Review The County of Monterey seeks public input on the draft environmental impact report for its Housing Element. Public review period ends Nov. 20. 796-6414, countyofmonterey.gov/generalplanupdates. Shadow Campaign A recall effort emerges against midterm Salinas City Councilmember Andrew Sandoval. By Celia Jiménez Beachgoers line up on Monterey’s Wharf 2 to witness thousands of anchovies swimming among local marine life looking to feast. e-mail: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX Monterey installed aerators to prevent mass die-offs. Katie Rodriguez
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