Businesses in Coastal Town Kick Up a Stink About Sea Lions' Waste

Residents of La Jolla, San Diego, say the number of sea lions in the area has climbed over recent years - and so has their waste.

Business owners in a California coastal community are stinkin' mad about their smelliest residents: Sea lions.

Residents of La Jolla, San Diego, say the number of sea lions in the area has increased over recent years - and so has their waste.

Read: Four Sea Lion Pups Are Released Back Into the Sea After 4 Months of Rehabilitation

The smell is so bad that it's keeping tourists away.

"I can't get people because of this problem," La Jolla Swim and Sport owner, Adriana Issakov, told KFMB.

The waste is causing more bacteria in the water and the sand, posing health and safety risks for beachgoers, the channel reported.

Businesses say the "crisis in the cove" is affecting tourism and, in turn, their economy.

Now the La Jolla Town Council is asking Mayor Kevin Faulconer if they can start working with experts to decide how to kick the sea lions out of the cove.

Read: This Curious Sea Lion Climbed 145 Steps to Browse a Gift Shop

"What the La Jolla community wants is prompt and effective action to move and exclude sea lions from areas where their presence creates severe public health and safety problems," said the La Jolla Community Task Force in a letter to Faulconer.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has approved some methods for moving sea lions, including using special lights and sound deterrents.

If they get the go-ahead, they'll start making plans to move the sea lions by the end of the year.

Watch: Cops Rescue Shivering Sea Lion Who Snuggled With Them For Warmth