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Water Contractors Blame Striped Bass for Decline of Delta Smelt, King Salmon!
The state water contractors, under their organization "Coalition for a Sustainable Delta," are playing hardball. They now want to blame the striped bass for the decline of delta smelt, longfin smelt, king salmon and other fish in the California Delta in order to divert blame from the state and federal export pumps, even though the striped bass successfully coexisted with native species for over 125 years. The following piece is their press release issued on October 25.
The one big scientific fact that this press release completely avoids discussing is that striped bass, king salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, delta smelt and other fish populations were robust and healthy until the state and federal pumping increased in the early 1970's. Dramatic declines of all of these species took place only after the state and federal federal water projects began exporting northern California water to southern California and subsidized agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. More recently, since 2001 four species of pelagic species - delta smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin shad and juvenile striped bass - have declined to record lows with increases of 1,0000,000 additional acre feet of water every year by the state and federal water projects.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration largely agrees with the water contractors' assessment, having stopped striped bass restoration measures such as a pen rearing project because agency officials claimed the striped bass were eating juvenile salmon and steelhead. Both the administration and water contractors refuse to deal with the real root cause of the decline of all Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta species - the export of huge quantities of water from the estuary and the killing of millions and millions of juvenile fish in the pumping facilities in the South Delta.
Meanwhile, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is campaigning for a water bond measure that would build a peripheral canal and more dams to increase water exports to southern California and San Joaquin Valley agribusiness. If the water contractors, Bush administration and Schwarzenenegger administrations have their way, the ecosystem of the California Delta, the largest and most significant estuary on the West Coast, will be destroyed in order to pave the way for a massive grab of northern California water.
Photo: The Tracy Pumping Plant delivers massive amounts of northern California water to subsidized agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley (Bureau of Reclamation photo).
The one big scientific fact that this press release completely avoids discussing is that striped bass, king salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, delta smelt and other fish populations were robust and healthy until the state and federal pumping increased in the early 1970's. Dramatic declines of all of these species took place only after the state and federal federal water projects began exporting northern California water to southern California and subsidized agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. More recently, since 2001 four species of pelagic species - delta smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin shad and juvenile striped bass - have declined to record lows with increases of 1,0000,000 additional acre feet of water every year by the state and federal water projects.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration largely agrees with the water contractors' assessment, having stopped striped bass restoration measures such as a pen rearing project because agency officials claimed the striped bass were eating juvenile salmon and steelhead. Both the administration and water contractors refuse to deal with the real root cause of the decline of all Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta species - the export of huge quantities of water from the estuary and the killing of millions and millions of juvenile fish in the pumping facilities in the South Delta.
Meanwhile, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is campaigning for a water bond measure that would build a peripheral canal and more dams to increase water exports to southern California and San Joaquin Valley agribusiness. If the water contractors, Bush administration and Schwarzenenegger administrations have their way, the ecosystem of the California Delta, the largest and most significant estuary on the West Coast, will be destroyed in order to pave the way for a massive grab of northern California water.
Photo: The Tracy Pumping Plant delivers massive amounts of northern California water to subsidized agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley (Bureau of Reclamation photo).
Coalition for a Sustainable Delta
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jann Taber 916/391-8811
October 25, 2007
Coalition for a Sustainable Delta Initiates Legal Action On Striped Bass Sports Fishing Regulations
State Department of Fish and Game Put On Notice Regarding Clear Violations of Federal Endangered Species Act
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Coalition for a Sustainable Delta today filed a Notice of Intent to sue the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for violating the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). State sport fishing regulations protect the non-native striped bass, a known predator of several native endangered and threatened species including the Delta smelt.
“It is extremely counter productive for the state to implement programs that protect a known predator of federally protected threatened and endangered species at a time when federal courts are ordering significant cutbacks in water pumping operations to protect the same species,” said Michael Boccadoro, spokesperson for the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta. “It not only doesn’t make sense, it clearly violates federal law.”
The non-native striped bass is widely recognized as a voracious predator and likes to feast on some of the most endangered native species in the Delta. The striped bass was introduced into the Delta region in the late 19th Century. Its population has fluctuated from a low of approximately 600,000 to a high of three million.
In the early 1980’s the sports fishing industry successfully lobbied the State of California to enact legislation that created a striped bass fishing stamp. CDFG used the money raised by the stamp to support the striped bass population in the Delta. Even after the striped bass fishing stamp legislation expired, funds were expended to raise striped bass in hatcheries. The hatchery program run by the state added more than 5.5 million striped bass to the Delta over the life of the restocking program.
The funds were also used to develop the Striped Bass Restoration and Management Plan. Consistent with the plan and CFGC policy, the Department continues to enforce “size” and “bag” limits for striped bass fishing in the state. Fishermen are limited to two fish and each fish must be at least 18 inches in length. The “bag” and “size” limits are designed to further the commission’s official striped bass restoration goal of three million fish. These regulations, however, effectively foster the demise of tens of thousands of native Delta fish that are protected under the ESA.
Four species of fish are primarily affected. They are the Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, the Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, the Central Valley steelhead, and the Delta smelt. While the salmon and the steelhead spend most of their lives in the ocean, they return to the Delta to spawn.
Unfortunately, the Delta smelt and other endangered fish provide a readily available food supply for the striped bass. The CDFG itself estimates that each year up to six percent of the population of these endangered species are consumed by the striped bass – a fish that is not supposed to be in the Delta in the first place. Two federal agencies have also acknowledged the problem.
In its 2007 Recovery Outline, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) considers the striped bass as a threat to the salmon and steelhead. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is on record stating, “It is quite possible that at low population levels interactions with [striped bass] could prevent recovery (of the Delta Smelt).”
“It is unconscionable that state agencies are continuing to implement programs that in effect are defeating concerted efforts to protect the estuary and the native fisheries. This systematic destruction of thousands of native fish in the Delta is a clear violation of the Endangered Species Act,” said Boccadoro. “State agencies cannot acknowledge a fisheries crisis in the Delta and then knowingly take steps that are clearly making it worse.”
This latest legal action follows on a similar notice provided to Mirant Delta LLC in September in connection with their operation of the Pittsburg and Contra Costa Power Plants. Unless these illegal actions cease, the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta intends to file the appropriate complaints in federal court.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jann Taber 916/391-8811
October 25, 2007
Coalition for a Sustainable Delta Initiates Legal Action On Striped Bass Sports Fishing Regulations
State Department of Fish and Game Put On Notice Regarding Clear Violations of Federal Endangered Species Act
SACRAMENTO, CA – The Coalition for a Sustainable Delta today filed a Notice of Intent to sue the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for violating the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). State sport fishing regulations protect the non-native striped bass, a known predator of several native endangered and threatened species including the Delta smelt.
“It is extremely counter productive for the state to implement programs that protect a known predator of federally protected threatened and endangered species at a time when federal courts are ordering significant cutbacks in water pumping operations to protect the same species,” said Michael Boccadoro, spokesperson for the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta. “It not only doesn’t make sense, it clearly violates federal law.”
The non-native striped bass is widely recognized as a voracious predator and likes to feast on some of the most endangered native species in the Delta. The striped bass was introduced into the Delta region in the late 19th Century. Its population has fluctuated from a low of approximately 600,000 to a high of three million.
In the early 1980’s the sports fishing industry successfully lobbied the State of California to enact legislation that created a striped bass fishing stamp. CDFG used the money raised by the stamp to support the striped bass population in the Delta. Even after the striped bass fishing stamp legislation expired, funds were expended to raise striped bass in hatcheries. The hatchery program run by the state added more than 5.5 million striped bass to the Delta over the life of the restocking program.
The funds were also used to develop the Striped Bass Restoration and Management Plan. Consistent with the plan and CFGC policy, the Department continues to enforce “size” and “bag” limits for striped bass fishing in the state. Fishermen are limited to two fish and each fish must be at least 18 inches in length. The “bag” and “size” limits are designed to further the commission’s official striped bass restoration goal of three million fish. These regulations, however, effectively foster the demise of tens of thousands of native Delta fish that are protected under the ESA.
Four species of fish are primarily affected. They are the Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, the Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, the Central Valley steelhead, and the Delta smelt. While the salmon and the steelhead spend most of their lives in the ocean, they return to the Delta to spawn.
Unfortunately, the Delta smelt and other endangered fish provide a readily available food supply for the striped bass. The CDFG itself estimates that each year up to six percent of the population of these endangered species are consumed by the striped bass – a fish that is not supposed to be in the Delta in the first place. Two federal agencies have also acknowledged the problem.
In its 2007 Recovery Outline, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) considers the striped bass as a threat to the salmon and steelhead. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is on record stating, “It is quite possible that at low population levels interactions with [striped bass] could prevent recovery (of the Delta Smelt).”
“It is unconscionable that state agencies are continuing to implement programs that in effect are defeating concerted efforts to protect the estuary and the native fisheries. This systematic destruction of thousands of native fish in the Delta is a clear violation of the Endangered Species Act,” said Boccadoro. “State agencies cannot acknowledge a fisheries crisis in the Delta and then knowingly take steps that are clearly making it worse.”
This latest legal action follows on a similar notice provided to Mirant Delta LLC in September in connection with their operation of the Pittsburg and Contra Costa Power Plants. Unless these illegal actions cease, the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta intends to file the appropriate complaints in federal court.
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