RFA AVERTS YELLOWEYE
CLOSURES – FOR NOW
DFG cancels plans for 5
no-bottomfishing areas on north coast
In response to a legal
petition filed by the Recreational Fishing Alliance with the
state's Office of Administrative Law, the California
Department of Fish & Game cancelled its proposed
restrictions to reduce bycatch of yelloweye rockfish. "We
argued that the Department was issuing 'regulations by press
release' and not following a rulemaking process where the
public could participate," said RFA's West Coast Regional
Director, Jim Martin.
In a dramatic turnabout,
the DFG announced that it was canceling its plan to
institute five no-bottomfishing zones on the northern
California coast. Deputy Director Sonke Mastrup made the
announcement at a public informational meeting in Ukiah on
April 26. The closures, called "Yelloweye Rockfish
Conservation Areas" (YRCAs) would have severely impacted the
communities of Fort Bragg, Shelter Cove, Eureka and Crescent
City.
"We decided we are going
to give the fishermen a chance to save themselves," Mastrup
said at the meeting. "It is imperative that recreational
anglers reduce their impacts on yelloweye and canary
rockfish."
RFA had argued from the
beginning that the problem with yelloweye bycatch in the
private boat fleet could be best addressed through a
campaign of education and enforcement. "A big part of the
problem is anglers bringing yelloweye rockfish, a prohibited
species, to the docks" said Martin. "People are having a
hard time identifying these fish and if we can educate them,
we can reduce the impacts significantly. We are extremely
pleased that the DFG decided to back off the area closures,
which would have been the final nail in the coffin for ports
like Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove."
Anglers from Fort Bragg to
Crescent City turned up at the meeting in Ukiah angry and
loaded for bear. They were soon relieved to hear the DFG
announce the cancellation of the YRCAs – for now.
Chris Hegnes, who manages
Englund Marine in Crescent City, talked about the economic
impacts to his business. "People were talking about just
going to Oregon to fish. Folks make plans to spend time at
our campgrounds – or not – well in advance of the fishing
season and we have already taken a huge hit with the salmon
closure."
"We're not out of the
woods yet," stated Martin. The underlying problem is federal
law that sets arbitrary rebuilding schedules for overfished
species. The RFA is sponsoring legislation in Congress, HR
5425, called the Flexibility in Rebuilding American
Fisheries Act, which would provide healthy fish stocks while
keeping the recreational fishing industry afloat. "We also
need to renegotiate the allocation split of yelloweye
rockfish between California, Oregon and Washington," argued
Martin. "Historically, California has had the most abundant
populations of yelloweye, according to the most recent stock
assessment of that species. Yet we only get 10% of the
coastwide allowable catch."
Martin thanked DFG
Director Don Koch for his support in this battle. "The DFG
is really sticking out its neck for us, and indicating to
the Pacific Fishery Management Council and our Oregon and
Washington partners in the federal management process that
California is no longer willing to take the short end of the
stick. The state has options to keep recreational fisheries
alive in out state waters if we can't get a little more
cooperation out of the other states through the Council
process."
For their part, anglers at
the meeting pledged their support to work with the DFG to
educate the public on rockfish identification and do
everything they can to reduce impacts to yelloweye and
canary. "Fish as shallow as possible this year," advised
Martin. "The new depth restriction of 120 feet from Pigeon
Point to the California-Oregon border will help with
reducing bycatch impacts, but if we can, we should fish
inside of 60 feet to reduce these impacts to zero." "If you
are in an area where you are catching yelloweye or canary,
one word: MOVE," urged Martin.
The RFA is also endorsing
the use of rockfish recompression devices, such as the one
designed by Bill Shelton (more info:
www.sheltonproducts.com). These devices assist in the
survival rate of rockfish we aren't allowed to keep. The RFA
requested that the dockside fish count samplers ask anglers
whether they are using these devices, so that this data can
be collected and improve our position regarding bycatch in
future years. These devices may be required in the future,
but they are not a cure-all.
"The bottom line is that
when we exceed our allocation of yelloweye rockfish
mortality in California, we will get shut down in a
heartbeat," concluded Martin. "This ought to serve as a wake
up call for anglers on the north coast."
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is a national 501(c)(4) non-profit grassroots political action organization whose mission is to safeguard the rights of salt water anglers, protect marine, boat, and tackle industry jobs, and insure the long-term sustainability of our nation’s marine fisheries. For more information, visit www.JoinRFA.org.
Legislative Alert: Support AB 1806 to Mitigate for Damage to Bay-Delta Fisheries
David Nesmith, facilitator for the Environmental Water
Caucus, and John Beuttler, conservation director for the
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, have issued
this joint action alert to pass urgently needed
legislation, AB 1806, to mitigate for the damages to the
state's fisheries caused by the operation of the state
and federal projects in the California Delta. Central
Valley chinook salmon are in a state of unprecedented
collapse, while delta smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin
shad and juvenile striped bass have declined to record
low levels. This
bill requires emergency preparedness to prevent future
Prospect Island-style debacles, as well as requiring
mitigation for both direct and indirect fish losses
caused by the federal and state water projects.
Dan
------
Legislative Alert! ....................... April 25,
2008
Anglers, commercial fishermen, and the fish need your
help to pass critically needed state legislation. As you
know, salmon, steelhead, pelagic fish, and the Bay-Delta
ecosystem are in grave danger of extinction in the next
few years. Our fishing groups are active and united in
efforts to save the Delta ecosystem and fisheries. We
are working closely with Assemblywoman Lois Wolk to
address these serious problems. We can prevail on the
need to have appropriate mitigation for the significant
damages to the public’s fishery resources caused by the
operation of the state and federal water projects, but
we need your help now!
In order to save the estuary’s fisheries, those who use
water exported from the Delta must mitigate the damages
to the public’s fisheries caused by the state and
federal water projects operations. AB 1806 by
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk does just that. It will be heard
in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 21,
2008.
In addition to the provisions in the bill that require
emergency preparedness to prevent future Prospect Island
debacles, this bill requires mitigation for the direct
and indirect fish losses caused by the federal and state
water projects that divert water from the Delta.
Assemblywoman Wolk, and our fishing groups working with
her, would appreciate support from environmental and
conservation groups and the public, to help pass the
bill. The water contractors lobby has been very active
in opposition, but this did not stop the bill from
recently passing the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife
Committee. However, we now face far more difficult
challenges that require your engagement if we are to be
successful.
The next hearing of the bill will be in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee. Letters of support are needed
to the State Legislature by May 14th.
-----
Sample Letter
Date
Assemblyman Mark Leno, Chair, Assembly Appropriations
Committee
State Capitol, Room 2114,
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: AB 1806 - Fish Rescue Plans & Mitigation
Dear Chairman Mark Leno & Appropriation Committee Members:
[(your organization) or (you)] would like you to know of our strong support for AB 1806, as it would significantly reduce the potential for fishery disasters like the Prospect Island fish kill this past winter and it would require the State and Federal water projects to comprehensively mitigate for losses to the public’s fishery resources caused by the operation of their projects.
The emergency action plans the bill proposes would ensure state and public lands are provided protections from the likelihood of such events as the tragic Project Island fish kill in the future. We ardently support the mitigation measures required by this proposed legislation, as without such requirements the losses of the public’s fisheries caused by water export from the Delta will not be offset and our fisheries will continue to suffer long-term, significant degradation that prevent their recovery and eventual restoration.
The Delta's fisheries are in crisis. What is happening to them is being described as one of the largest fishery disasters in the country. The salmon season has been completely closed this year, an unprecedented action. Fishery experts note that there are multiple factors contributing to the salmon decline, the most significant are the ongoing impacts of the state and federal water projects.
The goal of realizing a sustainable ecosystem and fisheries in the Delta will clearly not be obtainable without requiring such mitigation. Time has run out for our fisheries in Delta and its tributaries. Actions to help recovery them are needed now or we will continue to see court decisions attempt to remedy the situation through export restrictions.
The SWP and CVP only mitigate for some of the losses of the fish they kill. They clearly lack a comprehensive program to address the destruction of the public’s fishery resources that result for the operation of the projects. The public cannot afford to lose their valuable fishery resources. Billions of dollars have been lost to the state’s economy from the fishery declines since the SWP and CVP began operations. These losses must be addressed now if we are to recover these irreplaceable public resources.
Sincerely,
(your name)
Please cc:
Steve Archibald, Committee Consultant (at the same address above)
Assemblymember Lois Wolk, Attn: Diane Colborn
Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee
1020 N Street, Suite 160
Sacramento, CA 95814
P.O. Box 94249
Sacramento, CA 94249-00119
---
Please contact David Nesmith (EWC / 510-893-1330) and/or John Beuttler (CSPA / Allied Fishing Groups / 510-526-4049) for more information and to organize strategy.
Thank you for your help!
John Beuttler & David Nesmith
Good News X Three
April 16th 2008
It's been quite awhile since anglers have received any good news in
regards to our fisheries but
that is exactly what we want to share with readers today. GOOD NEWS
X THREE!. Over the past 24 hours we have received three updates that
show that when anglers get involved we can make a difference and
help "steer" goverment agencies in the right direction. So for
all of you out there who have written letters, signed petitions,
written checks or called the Governor's office I want to say thanks.
For all of you who have quit writing letters or stopped supporting
the many great organizations out there fighting for your right to
fish I want to ask you to get back involved and rejoin the fight.
The following three stories are a direct result of anglers becoming
involved and the hard work of sportfishing groups and
legislators who support us.
The first piece of good news is that Cal Fish and Game is not only
trucking all the (State) Central Valley hatchery salmon around the
Delta but that the feds will also be trucking a portion of their
fish from the Coleman hatchery to San Pablo bay. F&G now has
two and are working on a third release site and all the fish are
being acclimated in pens before being released. While sport anglers
have known about this debacle for years it was a story
State reviews salmon smolt slaughter debacle by
Nels Johnson of the Marin IJ that caught the eye of assemblyman
Jared Huffman. Huffman a Marin native and avid angler looked into
the story and was the sledgehammer that pushed Fish and Game to
review their fish release methods. Now the Feds are also trucking a
portion of their smolts around the Delta. The Coleman hatchery fish will be
wire tagged and in three years we should see improved returns to
Battle Creek. In a UC Davis study just published of 200 smolts
released directly from the Coleman hatchery only 2% of the smolts made it as
far as the Golden Gate bridge. That is abysmal and shows that
trucking is a much better option. After all these hatcheries were
put in place to mitigate for the loss of salmon dues to dams and if
the fish are not making to the ocean much less back to the hatchery
there is not mitigation. The results of that
study can be found at
file:///C:/Users/Mike/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary
Internet Files/OLK6DB0/Central Valley Fish Tracking_HOME.htm
For all of you who have written letters supporting water4fish.org
and their push in the state legislator level YOU have made a
difference as well.
Water4fish founder Dick Pool wrote that Assemblywoman Lois Wolk passed AB 1806 the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on Tuesday. AB 1806 covers mitigation for the Prospect Island fish kill and requires direct and indirect mitigation for fish losses from the state and federal water export pumps in the California Delta. If this measure is passed, there would be millions of dollars of mitigation money available for rapidly dwindling Chinook salmon and Delta fish populations. I hope that you anglers in Lois's district of Davis will support her in the fall election. We need more like her.
For all of you tired of our fisheries getting pumped down the toilet to support San Joaquin cotton growers we have more good news. Today, Wednesday 4-16 Judge Oliver Wagner found that a key "biological opinion" covering winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon and the Central Valley steelhead violated the federal Endangered Species Act and must be rewritten. His ruling will likely result in less water being pushed around the delta by the Federal pumps.
All three
of these stories started with sportfishing groups and anglers getting involved and
pushing for change. We have a lot of battles ahead and must keep
fighting but at least in these areas we have made a difference
and in a couple of years could see our salmon fisheries go from
bust to boom. Lets hope it's not too little too late. Below are
the three stories that have come out the past 24 hours.
Mike Aughney
--------------
Feds to Truck Salmon Around
Delta
By Dick Pool water4fish.org
Today I got a call from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service regarding our request that they truck
Coleman Hatchery fish around the
Delta.
They have made a decision and they have written Walley Herger a
letter. The second batch of 6 million smolts is scheduled for
release around the first of May. 25% of these fish are marked with
coded wire tags. They will select a portion of the tagged fish and
truck them to Vallejo to the acclimation pens. They will release
the rest into the river. This will allow an analysis of the returns
in three years. They still have some logistics to work out but it
will happen. This appears to be a fair compromise. Thanks to
everyone who wrote Mr. Herger a letter.
The state trucking program is
moving ahead. Trevor Kennedy tells me they have successfully
handled 1.6 million smolts in the last week (18 to 20 truckloads). There were no predators present when the fish were released. All
the state fish will be trucked. This is probably still our best
chance of having a fishing season in 2010. We owe thanks to John McCamman and DFG for supporting us on this one. Thanks also to
Trevor and The Fishery Foundation
Regards,
Dick Pool
Pro-Troll Fishing Products
--------
Two Key Fish Restoration Bills Pass Through Assembly Committee
Two key fish and wildlife restoration bills, AB 1806 and AB 2502, passed through the California Assembly today. These two bills are greatly needed at a time when the Central Valley chinook salmon population and the California Delta ecosystem are in a state of unprecedented collapse. For the first time in history, commercial and recreational fishing for chinook salmon this year will be banned in ocean waters off California and most of Oregon. While the Bush and Schwarzenegger administrations blame the collapse on "ocean conditions," a coalition of recreational and commercial fishing groups, environmental groups and Indian Tribes says the collapse is largely the result of increased water exports out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and declining water quality caused by agricultural pollution.
Lois Wolk's AB 1806 and AB 2502 Pass Through Committee!
by Dan Bacher
AB 1806, the Fish Rescue Plans Bill by
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), passed through the Assembly
Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee today (with the SWP and CVP
mitigation requirements included) on a vote of 8-5. The next
stop will be the Assembly Appropriations Committee in a couple
of weeks. However, legislative staff anticipate it will not come
up for an actual vote in Appropriations Committee for several
weeks, probably later in May.
AB 1806 covers mitigation for the Prospect Island fish kill and
requires direct and indirect mitigation for fish losses from the
state and federal water export pumps in the California Delta. If
this measure is passed, there would be millions of dollars of
mitigation money available for rapidly dwindling chinook salmon
and Delta fish populations.
Direct mitigation is for fish killed directly at the pumps or in
Clifton Court Forebay. Indirect mitigation is for losses of fish
that are pulled out of their normal migration path by the pumps
but perish before they get to the pumps. The state has never
mitigated for indirect losses and the federal pumps only
mitigated for direct losses for a few years. The federal pumps
have never mitigated for indirect losses. Many biologists
believe that indirect losses are far greater than direct.
The Allied Fishing Groups, California Sportfishing Protection
Alliance, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations
and American Sportfishing Association are supporting the bill.
The California Central Valley Flood Control Association, Desert
Water Agency, Resource Landowners Coalition, Valley Ag Water
Coalition and Association of California Water Agencies are
opposing the legislation.
Wolk's AB 2502 also passed easily through the Committee today.
This bill will create a Delta Ecological Restoration and
Recreation Area� that will allow increased angling, hunting and
other recreational access while providing needed fish and
wildlife habitat.
Ducks Unlimited, the California Sportfishing Protection
Alliance, the Recreational Fishing Alliance, California State
Parks Foundation, and Trust for Public Land are supporting the
bill. The CA. Central Valley Flood Control Association is
opposing the bill.
Wolk proposed for the state to buy Prospect Island and Little
Holland Tract from the federal government and Liberty Island
from the Trust for Public Lands and turn them into a state
recreation area. However, a Trust for Public Lands spokesman
said at the hearing that they plan to donate their land for the
creation of the recreation area!
Thanks to everyone who attended the hearing or wrote a letter in
support of these two badly needed bills. We need to let everyone
know we won round one and that round two will be more difficult.
We will need many more letters of support if we are to get these
two bills out of the Assembly in the coming weeks!
Go to
http://www.calsport.org
for updates on these bills.
Dan Bacher
-------
Feds failed to
study pumping effects on salmon
A federal judge has ruled that water regulators didn't consider the
effects of global warming and other environmental issues related to
disappearing California salmon when they approved increased pumping of
the state's Delta region.
U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger (WANE-jer) on Wednesday tossed out a
study prepared in 2004 by federal regulators, saying it was
scientifically inadequate.
The study had concluded that more water could be taken from California's
Central Valley to quench residential and agricultural thirsts throughout
the state. The new pumping plan was already on hold because of a similar
ruling the judge made about the Bush administration's failure to address
effects on Delta smelt species. Wanger ordered additional hearings on
the matter.
From Fresno Bee
Federal judge issues salmon ruling
By John Ellis / The Fresno Bee
04/16/08 13:02:40
Environmentalists won another victory today in their ongoing battle with
the federal government over the Central Valley Project's effects on
several fish species that roam rivers and tributaries feeding into the
system.
A 151-page decision issued by U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger found
that a key opinion - known as a "biological opinion" - covering
winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon and the Central
Valley steelhead violated the federal Endangered Species Act and must be
rewritten.
The practical effects of the decision are unknown until further hearings
are held before Wanger. Those hearings - the first of which is scheduled
for April 23 - will address what to do now that Wanger has found the law
was violated.
But, as with the tiny delta smelt, the result will likely be further
cuts in water deliveries for both the state and federal water projects.
Such cuts would be felt all across the state, from urban users in both
the Bay Area and Southern California to west-side agricultural interests
that depend on water pumped through massive delta pumps for irrigation.
Last year, Wanger threw out a key U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opinion
on water management and pumping in the delta because it did not
adequately address effects on the delta smelt. This decision covers a
similar biological opinion written in 2004 by the National Marine
Fisheries Service that addresses the Central Valley Project's impact on
the steelhead and two salmon species.
DFG
Announces Changes to Recreational Groundfish 2008
Fishing Regulations
Informational Public Meeting Scheduled April 26 in
Ukiah
Recreational fishing regulations are proposed to change on or about May 1, 2008, for those anglers fishing for groundfish in northern California. The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced that these regulation changes will prohibit fishing in waters greater than 20 fathoms (120 feet) in depth and will close specific areas to fishing for rockfish, lingcod, greenlings, cabezon and other groundfish. The primary goal of the new regulations is to reduce the bycatch of yelloweye and canary rockfish.
California continues to be concerned about protecting overfished species, said Marija Vojkovich, DFG marine region manager. In order to help assure the federal harvest guidelines are not exceeded, anglers are currently not allowed to keep any yelloweye or canary rockfish they catch off California coast. This shallower depth restriction coupled with the closed areas will help to prevent incidental take.
DFG approved the in-season regulation changes to conform to similar actions taken by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) on March 14, 2008 for federal waters. The regulation changes will not affect waters south of Pigeon Point in San Mateo County.
The DFG has scheduled an informational public meeting on Saturday, April 26 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ukiah Civic Center Council Chambers, 300 Seminary Ave., in Ukiah. The DFG will be available to discuss additional details concerning the need for the in-season action, address ways the public can avoid yelloweye and canary rockfish, and answer questions.
Yelloweye and canary rockfish are federally designated overfished species which by law must be protected until the stocks are rebuilt to sustainable levels. Population estimates show that yelloweye rockfish stocks are at less than 18 percent of their historical levels and may require more than 50 years to rebuild.
Each year, the PFMC sets a harvest guideline, or the amount of bycatch allowed during the stock rebuilding process for overfished species. By law, the number of yelloweye or canary rockfish caught off California may not exceed the harvest guidelines. Both harvest guidelines were exceeded in 2007, despite an early season closure. Bycatch occurs when anglers unintentionally catch prohibited yelloweye or canary rockfish while fishing for other groundfish, sometimes causing injury or death.
In 2007, the groundfish season closed early in northern California to prevent exceeding the harvest guidelines. For 2008, in-season modifications to the allowed fishing depth, as well as area closures in northern California, should prevent exceeding the harvest guidelines and keep the fishery open for the entire season.
Area closures will include five Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Areas (YRCAs) covering 4 to 7 miles of coastline and extending 3 miles out to sea. YRCAs will be closed for take or possession of groundfish, including rockfish, cabezon, greenlings and lingcod. Shore-based anglers and spearfishing divers will be exempt from YRCA restrictions.
Beginning May 1, 2008 (or as close to that date as possible), the season, area, and depth restrictions (listed by management area) for boat-based anglers are as follows:
Northern
Management Area - Oregon border to 40°10' North latitude
(near Cape Mendocino, Mendocino County):
Rockfish, cabezon, greenlings (RCG Complex) other
federal groundfish (other than lingcod): Open to
boat-based anglers from May 1 through Dec. 31 in waters
from 0 to 120 feet (0 to 20 fathoms). Lingcod: Open to
boat-based anglers from May 1 through Nov. 30 in waters
from 0 to 120 feet (0 to 20 fathoms).
YRCAs in the Northern Management Area are as follows:
Point St.
George YRCA (Del Norte County)
Defined as the area within state waters between a line
extending due West through the NOAA buoy off of Point
St. George at 41° 51 00 North latitude and a line
extending due West from Castle Rock at 41° 45 40 North
latitude; from shore to the state/federal water
boundary.
Punta Gorda
YRCA (Humboldt County)
Defined as the area within state waters between a line
extending due West from the Punta Gorda Lighthouse at
40° 15 15 North latitude and a line extending due West
from Reynolds Creek mouth at 40° 12 00 North latitude;
from shore to the state/federal water boundary.
North-Central
Management Area - 40°10' North latitude (near Cape
Mendocino, Mendocino County), to 37° 11 North latitude
(near Pigeon Pt, San Mateo County)
Rockfish, cabezon, greenlings (RCG Complex), and other
federal groundfish (other than lingcod): Open to
boat-based anglers from June 1 through Nov. 30 in waters
from 0 to 120 feet (0 to 20 fathoms). Lingcod: Open to
boat-based anglers from June 1 through Nov. 30 in waters
from 0 to 120 feet (0 to 20 fathoms).
YRCAs in the North-Central Management Area are as follows:
Point
Delgada YRCA (Humboldt County)
Defined as the area within state waters south of a line
extending due West from Yellow Bluff at 40° 02 35 North
latitude and West of a line extending due South from
Dead Man's Gulch at 124° 03 26 West longitude, to the
state/federal water boundary.
Bells Point
YRCA (Mendocino County)
The area within state waters between a line extending
due West from Switzer Rock 39° 38 50 North latitude and
a line extending due West from Kibesillah Rock at 39° 34
08 North latitude; from shore to the state/federal water
boundary.
Point
Cabrillo YRCA (Mendocino County)
The area within state waters between a line extending
due West from Hare Creek 39° 25 00 North latitude and a
line extending due West from Point Cabrillo 39° 21 00
North latitude; from shore to the state/federal water
boundary.
Maps and coordinates for each YRCA will be available at the meeting and online at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/yrca.asp.
For more information regarding recreational groundfish regulations and to stay informed of in-season regulation changes, call the groundfish hotline (831) 649-2801, or visit the Marine Region Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine. For more information about the action taken by the PFMC, visit www.pcouncil.org.
Conservation Groups Oppose San Luis Drainage Resolution Act
By Dan Bacher
Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and Carolee Krieger, President of the California Water Impact Network, on Friday sent a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein blasting the Proposed San Luis Drainage Resolution Act and Settlement Process. "We unconditionally object to the process and the proposed legislation," their letter states. "The proposal will in no way be sustainable, cost effective, environmentally responsible or successful. It is guaranteed to fail and cost the taxpayers literally hundreds of millions of dollars. The proposal will also enrich a small number of landowners within the San Luis Unit by giving them a perpetual water contract that they can then market to urban areas at an incredible profit, once these untested drainage solutions inevitably fail."
The letter then says that the solution to the drainage problem of lands on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley is "massive land retirement in the Western San Joaquin Valley."
Not only is retirement of the land good for the environment, but it makes economic sense. "The cost ineffectiveness of this proposal alone makes it ludicrous and we wonder how it has gotten as far as it has, except for obvious political influence peddling by the San Luis contractors," the letter says. "The National Economic Development Alternative for the San Luis Drainage EIS clearly showed that the closest alternative to that being proposed in this “settlement” by Westlands and Interior would LOSE $15.603 million/year in 2050 dollars ($780 million totally)."
However retiring the maximum amount of land considered (308,000 acres), would be a net benefit of $3 million/year for the next 50 years ($182 million), according to Jennings and Krieger.
This proposal occurs at a time when Central Valley salmon populations and California Delta fish, including delta smelt, longfin smelt, juvenile striped bass, threadfin shad and other species, are in an unprecedented state of collapse.
Two of the key factors behind the fishery collapses are increases in water exports out of the Delta and declining water quality. The land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, laced with selenium and other toxic salts, should have never been irrigated because of the massive drainage problem.
"This drainwater contains extraordinarily elevated concentrations of selenium, boron, chromium, molybdenum, and extremely high concentrations of various salts that disrupt the normal ionic balance of the aquatic system," according to a 1997 report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Continued irrigation of these drainage-impaired lands results in a triple whammy for salmon, delta smelt, longfin smelt, striped bass and other fish that migrate through and reside in the California Delta.
First, the export of water every year results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fish, many of them endangered species, that are sucked into the pumps.
Second, the loss of fresh water to the Bay-Delta Estuary caused by the pumping results in the destruction of the Delta food chain. Fish and invertebrates need fresh water - and the mixing between salt and fresh water - to survive and thrive.
Third, the toxic drainage water from west side agribusiness goes back into the San Joaquin River, resulting in the further contamination of an already stressed and degraded ecosystem.
I
applaud Bill Jennings and Carolee Krieger for opposing the
proposed San Luis Drainage Resolution Act and Settlement Process
and standing up to Senator Dianne Feinstein and corporate
agribusiness.
Below is the text of the letter.
4
April 2008
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Re: Comments Opposing Proposed San Luis Drainage Resolution Act and Settlement Process
Senator Feinstein:
The California Water Impact Network (CWIN) and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) are submitting these comments to you and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on the proposed discussion draft “San Luis Drainage Resolution Act.” We unconditionally object to the process and the proposed legislation. The proposal will in no way be sustainable, cost effective, environmentally responsible or successful. It is guaranteed to fail and cost the taxpayers literally hundreds of millions of dollars. The proposal will also enrich a small number of landowners within the San Luis Unit by giving them a perpetual water contract that they can then market to urban areas at an incredible profit, once these untested drainage solutions inevitably fail.
Continued irrigation of these saline and seleniferous lands is a violation of the Public Trust and Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution prohibiting wasteful and unreasonable use of water. Resolution of the drainage problem clearly lies with massive land retirement in the Western San Joaquin Valley. No other viable or cost effective solution has yet to be presented, and the proposed settlement is clearly not viable from a technical or financial perspective. The proposed “solution” is actually no solution at all. The “real solution” was never even considered in the San Luis Drainage Final EIS, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service put it very clearly in their Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act report on the San Luis Drain Feature Re-
Evaluation Project (SLDFR) EIS as follows:
“We believe the Service’s Preferred Land Retirement Alternative (full retirement) [379,000 acres] for the San Luis Drain Feature Re-Evaluation Project would release Reclamation from any future obligation to provide drainage service to the SLU while maximizing avoidance of adverse environmental effects. Our contention is that a full retirement alternative represents the most logical and least risky option to finally solve the drainage problem from the perspective of protecting and enhancing regional fish and wildlife resources. This land retirement alternative is compatible with CALFED and CVPIA goals and objectives by reducing project water demand, increasing available supplies, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and reducing contaminants reaching the
Delta. It is an approach that appears most compatible with both the Service and Reclamation’s respective missions, since the goal is to find a drainage solution for the study area which includes measures to preserve, protect, restore, and enhance fish and wildlife resources affected by water deliveries to the SLU.”
Clearly, the best solution is to retire as much drainage-problem land as possible within the San Luis Unit, which is a minimum of 379,000 acres and return the water to the environment. This is the least cost alternative and the most likely to succeed. It could also provide water for environmental, wildlife and fishery purposes without costly new dams and conveyance facilities.
The proposed settlement and legislation poor public policy for the following reasons:
The amount of acreage to be retired is less than 1/3 of the amount identified as the most cost effective alternative in the Bureau's own Final EIS and Record of Decision for SLDFR (Appendix N), and is clearly inadequate to address all the potential problems raised by a 9(d) repayment contract that Westlands et al would get in perpetuity. The linkage between the drainage proposals and the rest of the Westlands "package" above remain a serious concern, and the setting of such a precedent would have dire implications for water contracts statewide. CSPA and CWIN unconditionally oppose this so-called “solution”.
The
biological treatment effectiveness is unproven, and likely to
turn selenium into a more biologically active form, whereas land
retirement has proven benefits to reduce toxic drainage, reduce
wildlife exposure, and lower contaminated groundwater levels.
The
solar evaporator mitigation process is incomplete and based on
non-scientific assumptive reasoning, particularly related to
water ponding risks.
Water quantity needs for mitigation exceed contractual amounts available.
The proposed 9(d) repayment contract jeopardizes availability of water for environmental uses and protection of ecosystems and species already listed as stressed and endangered, thereby further corrupting the CVPIA’s mandate to restore fisheries and water quality in the Central Valley and the Trinity River.
The amount of contaminated drainage water, as well as economic costs/losses will be much larger than envisaged in the Bureau’s Final EIS because of the lower amount of land retirement, requiring more treatment and disposal actions than were addressed in the
Bureau’s preferred alternative.
The decision making process for reducing land retirement totals is not identified or justified.
There is uncertainty as to whether the Ecological Risk assessment found in appendix G of the Final EIS is pertinent to the alternative proposed. There are simply too many outstanding uncertainties associated with the SLDFR to safely predict successful, cost effective implementation of a drainage management strategy; manageable wildlife risks; and, therefore, adequate and feasible mitigation.
There is a complete lack of any contingency plans to cease water deliveries to drainage impaired land and close solar evaporator complexes should treatment, compensation, and/or mitigation efforts fail.
There is a lack of compliance with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA) related to concentration of Se, TDS, and heavy metals.
There is a negative benefit to cost analysis for implementation
of the project. From
an investor standpoint, investment of this enormous amount of
money and resources into a project with so much uncertainty
would be reckless. The cost ineffectiveness of this proposal
alone makes it ludicrous and we wonder how it has gotten as far
as it has, except for obvious political influence peddling by
the San Luis contractors. The National Economic Development
Alternative for the San Luis Drainage EIS clearly showed that
the closest alternative to that being proposed in this
“settlement” by Westlands and Interior would LOSE $15.603
million/year in 2050 dollars ($780 million totally).
However retiring the maximum amount of land considered (308,000
acres), would be a net benefit of $3 million/year for the next
50 years ($182 million totally). This amounts to a
public subsidy of nearly a billion dollars that is virtually
guaranteed to fail. It is clear that retiring 379,000 acres
would result in even greater cost savings and environmental
benefits.
We unconditionally oppose the proposed
legislation, the proposed settlement, the proposed 9d water
contract and the proposed Mitigation and Monitoring Plan.
Reclamation has refused to respond to virtually any of the
comments on the process and pretends that there is not
opposition to the proposal as a whole. We cannot disagree more
strongly with the method and substance of this so-called
settlement process.
This letter notifies you and Reclamation that our organizations oppose this process. It should be abandoned, and the NEPA process for the SLDFR should be reinitiated as a Supplemental EIS to consider any new alternatives, including the new evaporation proposal, as well as an alternative to fully retire the 379,000 acres, as identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in their Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report on the SLDFR EIS. Failure to do otherwise would be a severe breach of the Public Trust, Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution, and a violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.
Sincerely,
Bill
Jennings, Chairman
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
(209) 464-5067
Boat inspections
mandatory starting April 8
By Terry Knight --
Record-Bee outdoors
columnist
Clear Lake, with its 44,000
surface acres, will be the
first major body of water in
Northern California to
require all boats entering
Lake County to undergo a
mandatory inspection for
quagga and zebra mussels. On
Tuesday, the Lake County
Board of Supervisors passed
an interim urgency ordinance
establishing the inspection
and decontamination program.
The program starts April 8.
According to Melissa Fulton,
chief executive officer of
the Lakeport Regional
Chamber of Commerce and
Quagga Mussel Task Force
member, the inspection and
decontamination program is
designed to be "boater
friendly" and will be easy
for the fishermen and
boaters to comply with.
"We want to make it
perfectly clear that we are
not closing the lake and
that we welcome fishermen
and other boaters to Lake
County. We also want to keep
Clear Lake clean of invasive
species such as the quagga
and zebra mussels," Fulton
said. "Hopefully this
program will accomplish
both."
According to Fulton, the way
the program will work is
that a boater entering the
county will be directed to a
boat inspection station
where the boat will be
inspected by a certified
inspector. If the boat is
determined to be clean of
mussels and their lava
(called veligers), the
operator will be given a
sticker that he or she must
place on the boat. The
sticker and inspection is
free from April 8 through
June 30.
After June 30, there will be
a small fee for the
inspection and sticker. The
stickers are valid until
Jan. 1, 2009. If the boat
fails to pass inspection, it
will be directed to one of
the four decontamination
stations located around the
county. The decontamination
process includes washing the
boat, its bilge, livewells
and trailer with water
that's at least 140 degrees.
Fulton said signs on the
highways leading into the
county would issue
instructions so that boaters
can comply with the
ordinance. These
instructions include a radio
station you can tune to or a
telephone number to call,
both of which will direct
the boater to the nearest
inspection station.
Initially the inspection
stations will be located at
the Clearlake Oaks Fire
Station, Upper Lake Fire
Station and the Konocti
Vista Casino and Marina,
located on Soda Bay Road
just south of Lakeport.
Fulton said other inspection
stations will be added in
the near future.
Lake County residents who
leave their boats full time
in the county can get a
sticker without being
inspected. All they have to
do is contact the Clearlake
Chamber of Commerce
(994-3600), the Lakeport
Regional Chamber of Commerce
(263-5092) or the Lake
County Visitor Center
(274-5652) and complete an
Affidavit of Compliance to
receive a free sticker. That
program is good until June
30. If your boat leaves the
county, it may be inspected
upon returning to the
county.
Actually, the ordinance says
all water vessels will be
inspected and that includes
boats, boat trailers,
kayaks, rafts, jet skis,
inflatable rafts or any
other device capable of
being introduced into a body
of water in Lake County.
The ordinance also states
it's illegal to dispose of
any live bait into the lake,
including live minnows,
worms or other live bait.
According to Fulton,
fishermen can still use live
minnows and other live bait
but they can't be dumped
into the lake after fishing.
The same applies to the
water in a minnow bucket. It
must be disposed of away
from the lake or storm
drains that empty into the
lake.
The sheriff's boat patrol
will be looking for boats
and other watercraft without
stickers and the fine for
those cited for not
complying with the ordinance
will be $100 for a first
offense, $200 for a second
offense and not less than
$500 for a third offense.
Fulton also said she is
contacting bass tournament
directors to inform them of
the recently passed
ordinance so they can pass
the information on to their
members.
"Clean and dry is what we
want in regards to boats
entering the county and that
includes bilges and
livewells as well as the
boat motor itself," Fulton
said. "We ask for patience
and cooperation from boaters
to keep our beautiful waters
in Lake County free of the
invasive mussels."
Delta Water Exports Cut Back
It's About Time!
The state Department of Water Resources cut the water pumping from the Delta by
25 percent Thursday to comply with a federal court order to protect Delta smelt.
The State Water Project water pumping cutback will reduce water deliveries south
of the Delta from about 2,000 cubic feet per second to about 1,500 cubic feet
per second. Normally at this time of year, with current water conditions, the
State Water Project pumps about 8,000 cubic feet per second.
The reduction is aimed at protecting the adult population of Delta smelt, which
has increased around the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant. At this time of year the
smelt migrate upriver to spawn. The smelt, 2- to 3-inch fish found only in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Estuary, can get sucked into the pumps. It is a
threatened species under both federal and state endangered species laws.
The state will begin to draw water from the San Luis Reservoir a month earlier
than usual to meet demands of farmers and cities south of the Delta and in the
Bay Area. The state projects water deliveries will be reduced 30 percent this
year because of the court order.
Abalone Fishing Season to Open April 1
New Tagging Requirement
The season for California's popular red abalone sport fishery will open April
1 in waters north of San Francisco Bay. New in 2008, the Department of Fish and
Game (DFG) will now require free divers and shore pickers of all ages who pursue
this mollusk to have an abalone report card and to tag their catch immediately
after exiting the water.
California's red abalone is a very valuable fishery resource, said Nancy Foley,
Chief of DFG's Law Enforcement Division. This new regulation should enable our
law enforcement officers to better enforce regulations designed to prevent the
overharvest of this abalone fishery.
While the abalone report card is not new this year, the tagging requirement is.
The new regulation will allow DFG to better track abalone taken from California
waters and ultimately manage the species more effectively.
The abalone report cards have greatly increased the consistency of our estimates
of annual take and are a vital source of information needed to manage this
resource, said Associate Marine Biologist Jerry Kashiwada. The tags will help
address the issue of people neglecting to fill out their cards and help ensure
annual limits are not exceeded. The new requirement will allow us to account for
abalone taken by persons under 16 years of age and on free fishing days.
In the past those numbers were largely unknown.
California 2008 Sport Fishing Regulations for Abalone are as follows:
- Red abalone may be taken from April 1 through June 30; and from Aug. 1 through
Nov. 30 in California's waters north of San Francisco. The sport fishery is
closed in July to allow abalone a recovery period during this traditionally
high-take period.
- The daily bag limit is three per day, with a maximum of 24 abalone per year.
- Abalone taken must measure at least 7 inches in diameter.
- Abalone may only be taken by hand or by abalone irons. Scuba gear and
surface-supplied air are prohibited.
- Free divers and shore pickers (16 years or older) must possess a valid sport
fishing license. Abalone report cards are required by everyone fishing for or
taking abalone.
- Licenses and report cards are required on all abalone fishing days, including
the two free fishing days, June 7 2008 and Sept. 27 2008.
- Abalone must be tagged immediately upon exiting the water or immediately upon
boarding a vessel, whichever comes first. Persons using non-motorized vessels
(like kayaks) may wait until reaching shore to tag their abalone and record
information on their abalone report cards.
- All abalone must be tagged with a detachable tag corresponding to the abalone
report card of the diver/picker. Even abalone given to others must retain the
tags until ready for immediate consumption. Tags separated from abalone report
cards prior to use are invalid. Tags must remain attached to abalone report
cards until an abalone is being tagged.
- Abalone must remain in the shell with tags attached until being prepared for
immediate consumption.
Everyone engaging in the take of abalone is responsible for knowing and abiding
by all California Marine Sport Fishing Regulations pertaining to abalone.
DFG has produced a short video that demonstrates the new tagging procedures that
will be required. To view this video online and to see a complete list of
abalone fishing regulations, log on to www.dfg.ca.gov/education/video/AbaloneRegulations.html.
A complete list of abalone fishing regulations is available in the 2008 Ocean
Sport Fishing Regulations booklet, which is available wherever fishing licenses
are sold or online at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/oceanfish2008.pdf
Abalone cling to rocks, from wave-swept intertidal ledges, to deep ocean reefs
where they feed on kelp and other algae. It can take nine years or more for
abalone on the north coast to grow to legal size for harvest, and those animals
must supply the fishery for several years to come. Similar to rockfish, they are
a long-lived species but have low rates of reproduction.
Currently, the only sustainable abalone fishery in California is in the northern
region of the state, which has remained productive for nearly 60 years. In 2006,
the last year numbers are available, the estimated catch was 264,000 abalone.
Data from the abalone report cards and targeted surveys such as telephone
surveys have improved both the amount and the accuracy of data available to DFG
biologists. This all translates into more accurate annual harvest estimates,
Kashiwada said.
According to recent telephone surveys contracted by DFG to increase information
on the abalone catch, an estimated 32,400 fishermen tried to catch abalone in
2006, and spent an estimated $9.9 million in northern California communities.
However, each dollar directly spent on abalone fishing stimulates a trickle-down
effect of additional spending as it enters local economies. When these
additional expenditures are taken into account, the total economic impact of the
abalone fishery for 2006 is estimated at more than $14 million.
Abalone report cards must be returned to DFG within 60 days of the close of the
season (due Jan. 31, 2009). Report cards should be mailed to DFGs Fort Bragg
field office and laboratory, 19160 South Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA
95437-5798; the cards can be submitted early. Regulations also require that
abalone report cards be returned even if no abalone were taken.
Update from Dick Pool
Water4fish.org
Wednesday of this week
John Beuttler (CSPA
Conservation Director) and I
met with John McCamman,
Acting California Director
of Fish and Game. The
subject of the meeting was a
request for leadership from
the department in restoring
the collapsed Central Valley
salmon runs and other Delta
dependent species. Eight
proposals for action were
presented to the Director.
The attached letter
discusses them. The
proposals deal with short
terms efforts that can help
recover the runs by 2010 or
2011. They are based on the
assumption that there will
be little or no salmon
season in 2008.
The Director expressed
interest in the proposals.
He will review them within
the department and respond.
This is the biggest fishery
crisis ever in California.
If there are other ideas
that can help, please
forward them and we will get
them on the list.
Regards,
Dick Pool
Water4fish.org
------
February 27, 2008
Mr. John McCamman
Acting Director
Calif. Dept. of Fish and
Game
1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 98814
Dear Director McCamman:
This letter is a follow up
to the discussion we had at
the Feb. 21st stakeholders
meeting. At that time, I
requested more state
leadership in short term
actions to restore the
collapse of several of the
Delta fisheries particularly
salmon.
The sport fishermen of
California are very upset
that some of the most
important game fish of the
state are victims of the
Delta collapse. More
disturbing than the collapse
is that no plans have
emerged from the state to
turn the situation around.
We believe this is a genuine
emergency and should be
dealt with accordingly. We
are looking for leadership
from the Department. Not
only is it an emergency to
fishermen, it is a potential
disaster to a significant
sector of the state's
economy. Hundreds of
businesses are at
substantial risk, thousands
of jobs are at stake and the
economic livelihoods of
dozens of coastal
communities are in serious
jeopardy. The record low
salmon seasons of 2006 and
2007 have already taken a
heavy toll. At least four
retailers have closed their
doors forever and two others
are for sale. Most others
are hurting badly.
At least half of the San
Francisco charter fleet
boats have abandoned their
business and will not be on
the water this year. The
boating industry is also
hurting badly. Approximately
seventy percent of the boats
sold are for fishing. One
manufacturer has already
announced he will close his
doors.
The fishing industry and
fishing groups have declared
a crisis. The fishery needs
action now. It cannot wait.
The two species which drive
the biggest share of the
Northern California
Bay-Delta and saltwater
economy are striped bass and
salmon. Both of these are in
a disaster primarily because
of the collapse of the
Delta. The Sacramento River
salmon runs dropped 90% from
804,000 spawners in 2002 to
80,000 in 2007. The 80,000
figure is below the minimum
number of fish needed to
sustain the species in the
future.
The striped bass index in
the delta has dropped to an
all time low. Secretary
Chrisman and the Governor
are looking to the Delta
Vision Task Force to solve
the Delta problems. We have
and will present our views
to this group but we do not
believe they can react in
time to make any meaningful
short term changes. Instead,
we are asking the Department
of Fish and Game to declare
a crisis and lead an effort
to bring every possible
short range action that can
help the situation into
play. We have prepared the
attached proposed list of
actions.
It is not yet complete but
we would like your views on
each proposal. We would also
like the assistance of the
Department in making the
list more robust and
technically accurate.
As you know, the
Water4Fish.org campaign was
started last year as a means
for fishermen to organize
themselves politically and
demand a turn around in the
California water policies
that are destroying our
fisheries. Fishermen can log
onto this website and send
letters to the governor, the
legislature and to congress.
Given the powerful corporate
agricultural lobby's ever
increasing demand for more
water at the expense of our
fisheries, we have no choice
but to organize ourselves
and engage in grass roots
political
action. Water4Fish.org is
now the largest fishery
advocacy program ever run in
the country. Currently
32,000 letters have been
sent to political leaders
and 10,000 hard copy
petitions have been signed.
We believe by election time
2008 we will have 100,000.
These supporters are mad as
hell about what is
happening. We hope to be
able to email all of them
that a sound recovery
program is underway. I am
attaching the list of the
businesses and other groups
that are supporters of the
Water4Fish program. A copy
of this letter will go to
each of these supporters.
The economic contribution of
Sportfishing to California
is very large. There are 2.4
million sport fishermen in
the state. The activity
generates $2.4 billion in
retail sales with an
economic impact of $4.9
billion. It also generates
$1.3 billion in wages and
salaries and supports 43,000
jobs in the state. All of
these are threatened if the
fishery declines are not
reversed. The situation in
California is now extremely
critical.
We appreciate your offer to
discuss this situation and
look forward to establishing
a plan for progress.
Emergency DFG Actions
Requested By The Fishermen
of California
1. Impose rigid
emergency water export
restrictions for the State
and Federal Water Project
from the Delta during the
out migration periods of
salmon and steelhead stocks.
These should be set to
dramatically reduce the
killing of millions of
smolts that are pulled out
of their historic migration
routes to the sea and are
lost as they are pulled
across the Delta and are
drawn into the pumps and
destroyed annually. Pumping
operations should also be
set to properly position and
then protect thefood web for
smolts as they traverse the
100 miles of delta waters
2. Require mitigation for
all fish losses. The federal
Central Valley Project and
the State Water Projects do
not mitigate for indirect
losses of fish that result
from project operations that
pull out-migrants into the
interior Delta where many of
them are lost before they
get to the pumping plants.
In addition, the CVP, unlike
the State Water Project,
does not mitigate for the
direct losses of fish
destroyed by being entrained
into their pumping plant.
Such losses also include
those lost in the salvage
process. This must be
corrected. Millions of
salmonids and other species
are lost annually. The total
since the projects went on
line is absolutely
horrendous and the
cumulative impacts accounts
in large part for the
decline of these fisheries.
3. Require state of the art
screening of all major water
diversions and pumping
facilities in the Delta
including the state and
federal project pumps. The
old louver screens at both
projects are ineffective and
outdated and the agencies
that operate them know full
well that they need to be
replaced.
4. Require state of the art
fish collection and salvage
operations of all the fish
currently entrained and
subsequently salvaged at the
state and federal projects.
Millions of fish are
currently lost annually due
to stress and predation with
today's antiquated systems.
The requirements should
include modern collection
handling and net pen
acclamation facilities.
5. Improved hatchery
operations including
trucking of all of the
imprinted salmon and
steelhead to locations below
the delta. Acclamation of
these fish using proven pen
technology where the fish
are held in net pens and
subsequently released
significantly reduces
predation and generated
survival and improved
escapement rates that are
several orders of magnitude
higher than simply
jettisoning the fish out of
the trucks into the water.
The department should have
contracts in place for this
acclamation process, as the
release of hatchery fish
begins soon. Given the
decline of the fall-run
salmon, this action alone
could double the number of
2008 salmon that return in
2011.
6. Expansion and use of net
pens for the grow out of
salmon, steelhead and
striped bass. This
technology has been proven
to substantially improve
survival rates. Salmon pens
are now operated by the Tyee
Club in Tiburon and in other
communities. Striped bass
pens were successfully
operated in Suisun and San
Pablo Bays in the 1990's.
The baby fish are raised for
up to one year and then
released.
7. Appointment of a joint
government and fisherman
task force to scope, plan
and expedite short term
projects and regulatory
actions that can help the
fishery. Knowledgeable
representatives of both the
sport and commercial sectors
should be included as well
as representatives from U.S.
fish and Wildlife and NMFS.
This group should meet
regularly and have access to
the agency resources.
8. Pollution from the
agricultural return flows in
Delta tributaries must be
brought into compliance with
the Clean Water Act
standards ASAP. The
department should be the
lead agency in an aggressive
campaign to compel the
regional and State Water
Resources Control Boards to
stop pollution at is source
instead of allowing over
fifty miles of Delta waters
to be significantly impaired
and out of compliance with
the Clean Water Act and the
state's basin plan
objectives. This
noncompliance has
significant impacts to the
Delta's foodweb and needs to
be stopped now.
Yours Truly,
Richard B. Pool
A Job Well Done!!!
Mike Aughney
Our
governor and government
agencies sure are doing a
great job managing our
fisheries and water
resources. Just ask
them..... and they will tell
you in their press releases
about all the great things
that are happening. We would
tell you that........
Coastal port businesses
are going to be
decimated by this year's
salmon closure. The
ripple effect is not
just the 100s millions
of dollars lost by businesses
directly related to
fishing. It's also all the
other related businesses
from hotels to
campgrounds to boat
manufactures to repair
shops to seafood
wholesalers and retailers to
tourism to airlines ect ect
ect....
The
ripple effect will be
huge and 1000s of people
will lose their jobs and
businesses because of
it. If you think that
the 2002 Klamath salmon kill
had an effect on our coastal
communities just wait until
this debacle blows through
port.
This is certainly Cal
Fish and Game's finest
hour. They along with the PFMC
closed deep water
rockfishing putting all
the pressure on the
nearshore stocks and
then take most of that
away due to over
fishing. DUH.... when
you take away 80 percent
of the fishable area,
others are going to
see an increase in
pressure. I say open up
some deeper
waters to fishing. Yes,
a few canary rockfish
will be lost in the
process but some early
studies are showing that
populations are bouncing
back decades quicker
than anticipated on the
south coast and can
likely take the impact and
still continue to recover.
For
several years F&G
has turned a blind eye to
huge water diversions
out of the delta that
have destroyed our salmon
and striper
fisheries. All
the while never stepping
up and doing their job
which is to protect and
manage our fisheries and
wildlife.
In their Feather river
hatchery alone they have
cut production back from
25 million to just 12
million salmon fry and
then release most
without the use of
acclimation pens and the
majority are eaten by predators
within the first day.
They have said that they
will have multiple
releases sites and pens
at each this year but
only after that story
got out to the media. We
need to be INCREASING
hatchery production
right now not decreasing
the numbers to mitigate for
the lack of spawning habitat
due to dams and water
diversions.
Pictured above Fish and
Game's new logo
F&G never reviewed a BOR
fish salvage plan on
Prospect Island and then
threaten volunteers with
citations or arrest when
they moved in to rescue
1000s of stranded sport fish
(again, they relented
once the story got into
the mainstream media).
Other than a warden and
a biologist "overseeing"
they didn't have anyone
from the department on
site assisting in the
rescue. "It was a
holiday weekend and there
was no one who could
respond" was their answer to
critics. That's the
equivalent of the fire
department standing by
while civilians put out
a four alarm fire.
F&G has patrol boats,
some worth well over a
million dollars tied up
in berths for months,
sometimes years because
they don't have enough
wardens to staff them or
they are broken down due
to lack of maintenance
and being run
unprofessionally. Their
budget almost certainly
includes the purchase of
more boats this year but
who is going to run
them? Sell a couple of
boats and hire a few
more wardens. Why are
the boats staffed with
mostly wardens? Hire a
couple of out of work
party boat skippers to
run them for you. At the
very least you won't be
blowing up engines that
cost over$100K to
replace.
And now the Terminator
is trying to push
through a canal that
will surely decimate all
fisheries connected to
the Delta and Fish and
Game managers say
nothing. Why? If they
did the Terminator would
certainly put them on
the same list as Sara
Conner. I would bet that not
one manager at Fish and
Game, the Department of
Water Resources or The
Bureau of Reclamation
loses their job for any
of the above debacles. So long
as they keep their
mouths shut they will be
on the fast track to a
promotion. Open it and
you will be in charge of the
state line check station in
Truckee looking for quagga
mussels in a blizzard.
My only question is when
are some if these
incompetent managers
going to be fired?
If you or I were
responsible for the
death of a few dozen
fish (say due to an
industrial spill or a
few canary or salmon
hidden in the boat) we
would be put on trial
and get a free pass to
our very own the Fish
and Game dog and pony
show. Why aren't the
managers of BOR, BWR and
F&G held to the same
standard and laws as the
public? Surely their
decisions have killed
millions of sport fish
in just the past few
years. They get "rewarded
with six figure salaries
and are never held
responsible to do their
"job" which certainly
looks to be the
complete MIS-management of our
fisheries and water
resources. In that
regard they are doing a
great job.