About six miles of the Laguna Beach coastline would be closed to fishing under a leading proposal discussed Thursday night by a state-sponsored panel, which decided to postpone an expected decision.

It was one of several sections of Southern California coastline considered for closure under the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. Although the blue-ribbon task force had been expected to decide on a final proposal Thursday evening, the panel eventually postoned the decision until Nov 10.

“There’s nothing more we’d like to do than come to a decision,” said the task force’s chairwoman, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, who is also chief operating officer for the Western States Petroleum Association. “But there’s a lot here. We got a lot of questions and a lot of feedback, and we’ve got a lot more homework to do.”

The panel is considering a variety of new protections for marine habitat in Southern California waters, from full bans on fishing to less severe restrictions. Areas near Point Conception, Point Dume, the Palos Verdes Peninsula and portions of San Diego County also are being considered for closure. The Bolsa Chica wetlands also are being considered for a fishing closure.

The task force’s day-long discussion follows a year of effort by a group of 64 stakeholders who divided into three groups: one of mixed interests, one dominated by fishing interests, and one dominated by environmental and conservation groups.

The panel will consider whether to adopt one of those three proposals, create another using elements of one or more, or create an entirely new proposal.

The effort has ignited controversy here, as it did in two other sections of California coastline that have already been approved for new marine protected areas. The California coast has been divided into five such areas, with Southern California the third to be considered.

More than 250 people spoke to the panel Wednesday during the public comment portion of the three-day meeting at the Hilton Long Beach, while a group of about 50 fishermen protested outside against what they fear will be excessive fishing restrictions.

“This again is so detrimental to recreational fishing,” Norris Tapp, an Orange County fishing boat captain and also a member of the stakeholder group, told the panel Thursday. “It’s just devastating the fishing — commercial, sport and recreation.”

(Register photo of fishermen’s protest Wednesday by Michael Goulding.)

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