Despite a May 27 ruling by state Judge Yuri Hoffman ordering immediate dispersal of La Jolla’s harbor seal colony, federal judge William Q. Hayes upheld a restraining order protecting the Children’s Pool seals on Friday June 1.

“We were notified last night that the federal restraining order that prevents the city from taking any action to disperse the seals from the Children’s Pool is still in effect,” District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner said in a press release. “This order supercedes the Superior Court order to disperse the seals.”

Lightner held a community forum Thursday, May 30, in an effort to gather input from the public. Seal advocates and opponents spoke. Lightner said she will hold two more meetings on the issue.

“There will be a forum on June 18 to focus on the summer management plan; and a forum on June 25 will focus on the community’s ideas for a marine mammal park at the Children’s Pool,” Lightner said.

Lightner said she supports a plan that will “humanely, cost-effectively and safely allow for the co-existence of people and seals at the Children’s Pool and comply with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regulations and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).”

Lightner joined San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Capt. Shelley Zimmerman and SDPD Asst. Chief Boyd Long May 30 at La Jolla Recreation Center, addressing public concerns regarding Children’s Pool safety.

“I continue to urge you to respect the open [beach],” Zimmerman said. “Officers will continue to respond… We have responded to several calls for service [at the Children’s Pool].”

Zimmerman said police have received many calls to the area over the past five months, mostly regarding the seals, resulting in talking to, citing or booking people into jail, she said.

“We ask people to respect the rights of everybody,” Zimmerman said. “We receive numerous complaints about everybody. In the last couple of weeks we made a custodial arrest.”

While Long reiterated that the Children’s Pool is an open beach, he wanted the public to use caution while entering the water.

“Everybody who wants to go into the water is allowed to,” Long said. “However, if the seals go into the water [are flushed], that person is subjecting themselves to the MMPA.”

For more information about Lightner’s community forums, visit www.sandiego.gov. For information about La Jolla’s harbor seals or divers, visit www.childrenspool.org or www.friendsoftheseals.com, www.aprl.org www.aprl.org/seals.html.