Fishermen’s Group Announces Strategic Plan to Recover Salmon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information:
Zeke Grader: 415.561.5080
zgrader [at] ifrfish.org

Fishermen’s Group Announces Strategic Plan to Recover Salmon and Restore Watersheds

PCFFA Seeks to Hold Government and its Water Contractors Accountable for the Unmitigated Destruction of Salmon Fishery

Sacramento, March 14 – The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) released today the outline of its strategic plan for the recovery of California salmon stocks and the restoration of the watersheds supporting the fish. The announcement was made in conjunction with a press conference around the release of options for the 2008 salmon season which is expected to be closed due to extremely low numbers of spawning fish returning to the Central Valley streams.

Since 2006 PCFFA in conjunction with NOWWE and Porgans & Associates, Inc., have been actively engaged in developing and implementing a Strategic Plan of Action (POA) Designed to Recover Salmonid Species, Restoring and Monitoring Watersheds, via satellite, radio telemetry and video surveillance. The pilot involves the collection of water quality and quantity sampling and live-stream video surveillance monitoring — that will include a live-stream transmission via the worldwide web. To date, more than $200,000 of NOWWE’s and P&A funds have been expended on the efforts No government monies have been expended..

The tracking and monitoring component of the pilot project is one of three key components; the other two involve the retrieval and storage of collected data to the KRIS [Klamath Resource Information System] data base, and the third component is designed to integrate the data collected from NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) monitoring project. This integrate systemwide approach will provide a realtime overview of those conditions that are essential indicators as to the movement and success of salmonid migration and sustainability.

Other components of the plan, which has been underway for the last two years, involve the assessment of water use and availability within watershed essential for the sustainability of salmon and all other beneficial users of water. A complete inventory and assessment of specific watersheds will be targeted for water rights compliance; actions are planned to compel compliance through the administrative-judicial processes.

Since 2006 actions have already been implemented to assess sediment loading and watershed degradation activities impacting salmon survival and impacts to other public trust resources, loss of valuable wetlands and flood retention areas and impacts to private property; i.e., flooding, inverse condemnation and unauthorized discharges of untreated wastewater from municipal facilities. A review of Clean Water Act compliance and violations are also being conducted.

The plan will include comprehensive reviews of the following:
• Expenditures of federal and state moneys for water development; intended to ascertain if public funds were expended in compliance with the provisions explicitly required in appropriation and enabling legislation.
• Performance of the responsible agencies to assess their respective record and effectiveness in carrying-out trust mandates.
• Bay-Delta Estuary management; including proposals for additional water withdrawals from within the watershed, as well as proposals to move more water either through or around (“peripheral canal”) the Delta to increase fresh water diversions, and the fresh water inflow needs of the Delta.
• California’s current water needs and what flows are needed for restoration to the Delta and other waterways to restore fish populations.

P&A, PCFFA and NOWWE plan to publish a series of White Papers, over the course of the next several months in conjunction with the reviews mentioned above.

It is inviting other groups and organizations to join an effort aimed that aims to restore California’s once-magnificent salmon runs through better management of the state’s water resources.