Thursday’s top of the scroll: Study finds efforts to boost salmon numbers with hatchery-raised fish weakens wild fish
Posted by: Maven on February 9, 2012 at 8:18 am
From the New York Times:
“Since 1964, the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery in California has supplied the watershed with four to 10 million juvenile Chinook salmon each year. The hatchery began the practice as a way of countering the effects of dams that block migration and making sure that the salmon population remained viable. But recent research shows that the massive influx of hatchery-raised fish is masking the fact that wild fish populations are not holding up.
“Without distinguishing hatchery from wild fish, the perception is that we have healthy salmon surviving in a healthy river,” said Rachel Johnson, a fish ecologist affiliated with the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the lead author of a new paper published in the journal PLoS One.
Most hatchery-raised fish are unmarked, but Dr. Johnson and her colleagues navigated past this obstacle by using a new technique that measures sulfur isotopes deposited in salmon ear bones, or otoliths. Chemical elements from food and the environment accumulate in otoliths over a salmon’s lifetime, giving scientists a way of determining an animal’s origins and movements. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times by clicking here.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Effort to Boost Salmon Numbers Weakens Wild Fish, from the Bay-Citizen
- Hatchery fish mask the decline of wild salmon populations, from PhysOrg
Photo of salmon by USFWS Pacific Southwest Region.
Striper fishing proposal voted down
Posted by: Maven on February 8, 2012 at 8:27 amFrom the Corning Observer:
“North State officials are warning about the dangers of a proposed San Joaquin Delta restoration plan, and a Colusa outdoors shop owner believes an attempt to change striped bass fishing regulations was a carefully disguised attempt to get more water, too.
The state Fish & Game Commission last week voted down a proposal that would have allowed fishermen to catch three time more stripers each outing, and reduced the size of keepers from 18 inches to 12.
Pat Kittle, owner of Kittle’s Outdoor & Sports, said had the regulations changed, his business would have benefited.
“In the short term, business would boon,” Kittle said. “I would have made money.” … “
Continue reading from the Corning Observer by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Rule rejection kicks off fish vs. water delta debate, from the Davis Enterprise
Can the California delta smelt survive our demand for water?
Posted by: Maven on February 7, 2012 at 9:06 amFrom News10:
“When the federal government considers protections for threatened plants and animals, the Endangered Species Act requires that economic consequences for humans stay out of the equation.
But as the law nears its 40th anniversary, some wonder how much longer that tenet can withstand growing demand for land, water and other resources.
While the public supports protecting threatened plant and animal life, “at what point are they going to say, ‘Can we afford to do this and take care of ourselves?’” says Jason F. Shogren, professor of natural resource conservation and management at the University of Wyoming. … “
Continue reading from News10 by clicking here.
You Tube: Video lab book – March of the steelhead trout
Posted by: Maven on February 7, 2012 at 8:56 amFrom Doc on Monterey Bay (Marine Biologist and Fisheries Geneticist Carol Reeb):
“This movie documents a walk in late summer along the Carmel River to a small creek where steelhead trout spawn. It shows a river disconnected from the ocean with little water after a long, dry summer. Remarkably, dozens of tiny trout are found clinging to life in small, drying pools, patiently waiting on the rain.”
More from Doc On Monterey Bay by clicking here.
Alex Breitler’s blog with more on the striped bass saga
Posted by: Maven on February 4, 2012 at 7:43 amFrom Alex Breitler’s blog:
“It was Jim Kellogg’s last meeting as president of the California Fish and Game Commission. He took advantage.
“Nobody’s got an answer on how this is done, or who declares it, so I’m going to declare the striped bass a native species of the state of California,” he said.
And a crowd of fishermen erupted in cheer. … “
Continue reading from Alex Breitler’s blog by clicking here.
‘Striper’ catch increase voted down; proposal would have tripled limits
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 8:52 amFrom the Record Searchlight:
“The California Fish and Game Commission rejected a proposal Thursday that would have upped the limits on striped bass, in what would have been the first step to eradicate the species from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its tributaries to protect native fish.
After months of intense opposition from sport-fishing groups, the commissioners voted unanimously not to pursue a proposal that would have changed regulations to triple daily catch limits and reduce the size of bass anglers could take home.
The proposal to increase striped bass fishing was introduced by the Department of Fish and Game after the agency agreed to a settlement in a 2008 lawsuit. … “
Continue reading from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
SEE ALSO:
- Striped bass fishing regulation changes rejected, from the Oroville Mercury-Register
- Commission rejects striped bass eradication proposal, by Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org
California Water Blog: Extinction is a sustainable condition
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 8:10 am
(If I make the image smaller, than you can’t read the writing, and considering I’ve posted a big Infographic below, it will just be big picture day on Aquafornia.) From the California Water Blog:
“Sustainability is favored by everyone, but, people and groups view and use sustainability differently. Alas, as Keynes observed, “In the long run we are all dead,” and achieve the same sustainable end.
As illustrated above, the word “sustainable” seems to be approaching an unsustainable level. Sustainability is often a buzz-word, which sounds hip, sophisticated, and engaged, but actually says little and sadly substitutes for substance. “Adaptive management” has developed similar usage. … “
Continue reading from the California Water Blog by clicking here.
Promising winter run of Marin coho brings cautious optimism about recovery
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 7:46 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“Eric Ettlinger, aquatic ecologist for the Marin Municipal Water District, stood ankle-deep in the waters of Lagunitas Creek on Thursday and liked what he saw.
“The fish are all around,” Ettlinger said of numerous steelhead trout and a few coho salmon and their fish eggs.
After years of low numbers of endangered coho salmon in Marin creeks, Ettlinger observed a small but resurgent number of those fish and their eggs this winter. … “
Continue reading from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Celebrated Marin County salmon make their return, from the San Francisco Chronicle
Dan Bacher: Commission to discuss striped bass eradication proposal
Posted by: Maven on February 2, 2012 at 8:17 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:
“Hundreds of anglers, conservationists and supporters of Delta fish restoration will be attending the Fish and Game Commission meeting in Sacramento on Thursday, February 2 at 8:30 a.m. to oppose the Department of Fish and Game’s striped bass eradication proposal. The meeting will held at the Resources Building in the First Floor Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento.
The eradication proposal, the “request for the authorization to publish notice of the Commission intent to amend the striped bass regulations,” is number 9 on the agenda. There will be two special presentations, the first by the Department of Fish and Game and the second by the Allied Fishing Groups.
“Fishing regulations are supposed to be based on the best available science,” said John Beuttler, spokesman for the Allied Fishing Groups. “These regulations are not based on the best available science.” … “
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Conservationists concerned over coho recovery plan; fisheries service emphasizes that plan is not final
Posted by: Maven on February 1, 2012 at 7:13 amFrom the Eureka Times-Standard:
“Watershed groups and other conservationists expressed concern Tuesday night with terms used to rank salmon population areas in the a long-awaited draft recovery plan in fear it would reduce efforts for populations not listed as a “priority.”
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’ fish biologist Julie Weeder, the recovery coordinator, said the terminology was not meant to reduce any efforts, but the feedback was exactly the type of information the National Marine Fisheries Service was looking for. She said the agency is required to create the plan, a set of guidelines for the recovery of coho salmon in Southern Oregon and Northern California, but the implementation is voluntary. The coho salmon was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1997 after habitat degradation, harvest and water diversion, drought, floods and poor ocean conditions led to its depletion. … “
Continue reading from the Eureka Times-Standard by clicking here.
State-proposed eradication plan hides real problems for salmon, other fish, says the Golden Gate Salmon Association
Posted by: Maven on January 26, 2012 at 11:24 pmFrom the Golden Gate Salmon Association:
” The Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) submitted formal comments to the California Fish and Game Commission proposing an alternate common sense approach to address the striped bass predation problem. The Commission is currently considering a proposal from the Department of Fish and Game to greatly increase fishing of striped bass in an effort to decrease or eradicate them. The Department made the proposal after being sued over its management of the striped bass fishery by a group of San Joaquin Valley growers calling themselves Coalition for a Sustainable Delta.
The growers brought the lawsuit to deflect attention from their overuse of delta water and the steep decline they’ve sent salmon, smelt and other native fish into. The growers annually siphon huge quantities of subsidized water from the delta for their agricultural operations in the San Joaquin Valley. The loss of this water to the delta and bay estuary has badly damaged state and federal endangered salmon and smelt runs as well as commercially valuable fall run salmon in the past decade. … “
Continue reading from IndyBay.org by clicking here.
ACWA submits comments on striped bass regulations
Posted by: Maven on January 26, 2012 at 8:14 amFrom ACWA’s Water News:
“ACWA submitted comments today supporting proposed changes to fishing regulations for striped bass.
In a letter to the California Fish and Game Commission, ACWA said changes proposed to current striped bass fishing regulations reflect a well-reasoned approach that provides a balance between reducing a Delta stressor and maintaining a viable sport fishery in the Delta. … “
Continue reading from ACWA’s Water News by clicking here.
Kate Poole/NRDC: How to deny that fish need water
Posted by: Maven on January 25, 2012 at 8:12 amFrom Kate Poole at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“I recently came across this checklist for global warming deniers on Michael Campana’s post:
- Deny global warming.
- After global warming is determined to be real, deny that it’s human caused.
- After it is determined to be human caused, deny that it will be harmful.
- After it is shown that it will be harmful, claim that it’s too expensive to stop.
- After it is shown that it will be more expensive *not* to stop, send a threat to a climate scientist.
- Engage some scientists who may have ‘street creds,’ but in another field.
Insert “Delta ecosystem collapse” for “global warming,” and you have the playbook of some of the biggest water users in California who are driven by a desire to continue profiting from an unsustainable level of water diversions from the Bay-Delta. … “
Continue reading from Kate Poole at the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: DFG Director should show some leadership in protecting fish
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2012 at 8:01 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:
“In a January 18 press release, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) proudly announced a new marine and coastal map viewer, called MarineBIOS.
Located at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/gis/viewer.asp, the DFG touts the website an “in-depth source of information” about California’s MPAs (marine protected areas),” as well as some of the more common spatial planning data that was used to create those MPA regulations.”
“This map viewer marks a significant milestone in our effort to manage and make available planning data for marine and coastal constituents,” DFG Director Chuck Bonham gushed. “It’s also cost-effective as it was done in-house, using existing department technology and expertise.”
Of course, the release failed to mention that the majority of these so-called “marine protected areas” were created under the “visionary leadership” of a big oil lobbyist, real estate executive, marina developer and other corporate operatives under Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, a corrupt and unjust corporate greenwashing process privately funded by the shadowy Resources Legacy Fund Foundation. … “
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Living with Birddogs blog: California DFG throws West Coast striped bass under the bus…
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2012 at 7:51 amFrom the Living with Birddogs blog:
“The striped bass has been an important Northern California fishery for over a century. But since the beginning of massive water exports from the Delta in the 1980s the population has been seriously reduced – along with the historic chinook salmon runs and a number of native Delta species.
Just as the Striped bass in California were showing signs of recovery, the California Department of Fish and Game has proposed new regulations that include…
- Increasing the daily limit from two stripers to six stripers
- Lower the minimum size limit from 18” to 12”
- Establish a South Delta catch limit of FORTY fish per day
- Allow taking in a number of coastal rivers south of SF Bay that have previously been off limits
If this sounds like a plan to decimate the striped bass fishery, it is. Why? … “
Continue reading from the Living with Birddogs blog by clicking here.
Dan Bacher: Conservation groups, Winnemem Wintu appeal reduction of salmon protections
Posted by: Maven on January 21, 2012 at 7:29 amFrom Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org:
“A broad coalition of commercial and recreational salmon fishing groups, conservation organizations and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe today filed an appeal with the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to fully reinstate a federal water management plan intended to protect threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead throughout the Central Valley.
The “biological opinion,” issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service, functions as a water management plan governing huge water diversions in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary as well as dams on most major Central Valley rivers, according to a news release from the groups and Tribe.
“Although a district court upheld most of the biological opinion as scientifically justified, it found that parts of the plan contained some technical problems and sent it back for further review and analysis. The court left the biological opinion in force while federal water managers and wildlife agencies make the necessary fixes,” the groups stated. … “
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at IndyBay.org by clicking here.
Southern California: Steelhead recovery planned
Posted by: Maven on January 21, 2012 at 7:19 amFrom the Santa Maria Times:
“Southern California steelhead are some of the most threatened fish in the federal Endangered Species Act, and their northern-most cousins inhabit the creeks and streams of Santa Barbara County.
The fish, whose habitat ranges from the Santa Maria River to the Mexican border, once numbered an estimated 45,000, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service.
Now they are as rare San Francisco Giants fans in Los Angeles.
Last week, NOAA Fisheries released its recently completed recovery plan for the fish, one of six Pacific salmon species native to North America, and it gives the agency a blueprint for the long term recovery of the fish in Southern California streams. … “
Continue reading from the Santa Maria Times by clicking here.
California groups appeal reduction of salmon protections
Posted by: Maven on January 20, 2012 at 8:31 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“A federal water management plan intended to protect threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead throughout the Central Valley should be fully reinstated, says a coalition of commercial and sport salmon fishermen, conservationists, and a native American tribe.
Their attorneys made the argument Thursday before the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
The biological opinion by the National Marine Fisheries Service functions as a water management plan governing water diversions in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary as well as dams on most major Central Valley rivers. … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
MORE: California Groups Appeal Reduction of Salmon Protections, Press release from Earthjustice
National strategy proposed to respond to climate change’s impacts on fish, wildlife, plants
Posted by: Maven on January 20, 2012 at 7:07 amFrom the Department of the Interior, this press release:
“In partnership with state, tribal, and federal agency partners, the Obama Administration today released the first draft national strategy to help decision makers and resource managers prepare for and help reduce the impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems, and the people and economies that depend on them.
The draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, available for public review and comment through March 5, 2012, can be found on the web at www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov
The strategy represents a draft framework for unified action to safeguard fish, wildlife and plants, as well as the important benefits and services the natural world provides the nation every day, including jobs, food, clean water, clean air, building materials, storm protection, and recreation. … “
Continue reading from the Department of the Interior by clicking here.
NOAA seeks public input on coho salmon plan; public has until March 5 to weigh in on draft recovery plan
Posted by: Maven on January 16, 2012 at 6:26 amFrom the Eureka Times-Herald:
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is seeking public comment on its draft recovery plan for threatened coho salmon in Northern California and Southern Oregon rivers and streams.
”This draft recovery plan is a blueprint for rebuilding coho salmon species in the watersheds of Southern Oregon and Northern California,” said Irma Lagomarsino, NOAA fisheries service supervisor for Northern California, in a press release. “What final design and structure it takes will be in large part up to the input we receive from the local community.” … “
Continue reading from the Eureka Times-Herald by clicking here.
Kate Poole/NRDC: NOAA protects salmon in fresh and saltwater and we should keep it that way
Posted by: Maven on January 15, 2012 at 6:48 amFrom Kate Poole at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“Nothing creates trouble like basing major government initiatives on false information. Yesterday, the White House announced what it characterized as an “ambitious plan of government consolidation” to transfer the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), currently housed in the Department of Commerce, to the Department of Interior. In announcing this new initiative, President Obama stated that: “As it turns out, the Interior Department is in charge of salmon in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them in saltwater,” drawing laughter and echoing statements that he previously made at last year’s State of the Union speech.
The President’s claim may be a good joke, but it’s simply not accurate.
The first time that President Obama made this comment, several groups corrected him, pointing out that the Commerce Department actually has primary responsibility for salmon, in both fresh and saltwater. In California, the National Marine Fisheries Service, a division of NOAA, is in charge of preventing our major freshwater dams and diversion projects from destroying our native salmon runs. In fact, the Obama Administration just made an announcement this week about NOAA’s efforts to reduce the adverse impacts of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project on threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead trying to migrate through the Delta on their way to the sea. … “
Continue reading from the NRDC Switchboard blog by clicking here.
Southern California: Restoring steelhead to cost up to $2.1 billion over next century; Funding would cover 100-year plan
Posted by: Maven on January 13, 2012 at 6:32 amFrom the Ventura County Star:
“Restoring endangered steelhead trout to the Southern California rivers and streams where they once swam in abundance will cost as much as $2.1 billion over the next 100 years, according to a new federal report.
Along with a financial commitment, a “shift in society attitudes, understanding, priorities and practices” concerning water use will be needed to save the fish that swim between the ocean and rivers, according to the more than 600-page Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan recently released by the National Marine Fisheries.
Beyond the steelhead, people stand to gain from the restoration by increased tourism, job creation and an improved river ecosystem, the plan states. … “
Continue reading from the Ventura County Star by clicking here.
This just in … Multi-agency agreement proposed to improve scientific understanding of salmon and steelhead protections in the south Delta
Posted by: Maven on January 12, 2012 at 9:51 amFrom via email from the California Natural Resources Agency:
“NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco and California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird today announced a proposed agreement regarding new south Delta water operations. The proposed agreement among the National Marine Fisheries Service, the California Department of Water Resources, and public water agencies, will improve scientific understanding of potential salmon and steelhead benefits to new water operations in the south Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta this spring.
“This agreement is the direct result of concerted efforts by the state of California, water contractors, NOAA, and our federal partners to find constructive solutions to the challenges of water and fish management in the Central Valley,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the NOAA Administrator.
The proposed agreement establishes new approaches to managing state and federal water project operations in the south Delta that will target and test benefits to salmon and steelhead while determining ways to protect water supplies. The test period will be through April and May 2012.
“It’s a small but important step in getting science out of the courtroom and into technical venues that can actually improve the balance between the water needs of salmon and steelhead, and more than 25 million Californians,” said California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird.
Elements of the proposed agreement include installing a seasonal rock barrier at the head of Old River to help keep steelhead from straying toward the pumps where mortality occurs, establishing a broader range of potentially permissible “reverse flows” in the lower Old and Middle rivers, and broadening acoustic tagging of fish to gather more precise information on migratory patterns. The proposed agreement can be found here http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/drlubchencovisitswr.htm
In 2011, the federal court in Fresno, Calif. found that NOAA’s 2009 biological opinion under the federal Endangered Species Act governing the operation of the state and federal water projects was flawed in certain respects, and the court has ordered NOAA to develop a new opinion by February 2016. This proposed agreement for 2012 addresses several specific parameters pertaining to south Delta operations that have been a focus of litigation.
The U.S. Department of Justice will request approval of the proposed agreement with the U.S. District Court in Fresno. The court may schedule a hearing on the proposal, or otherwise solicit comments from all parties, and then decide whether to accept the proposed agreement, and if so, under what terms and conditions. “
Corps of Engineers leads coalition effort to save coho salmon
Posted by: Maven on January 11, 2012 at 7:00 am
From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
“They race along the twisting road above the narrow sandy beaches and rocky Sonoma coastline, bound to live free or die. For three years their guardians have carefully tended to their every need, but now the time has come for these coho to be returned to the wild to thrive, at least that’s the hope.
Three trucks with tanks carrying 175 adult coho salmon approach Chanslor Ranch. A portion of Salmon Creek located near the ranch was determined to be the best place to release the fish. At the bottom of a narrow, steep dirt road lays the release point where dozens of local residents including families with children eagerly wait to assist with the release. Had it not been for a coalition of government agencies, scientists, private landowners and citizens dedicated to coho salmon conservation, this event might never happen. … “
Continue reading from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by clicking here.
Salmon numbers booming: Ocean conditions, Delta experiment credited for growth
Posted by: Maven on January 6, 2012 at 8:34 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“A record number of fall-run Chinook salmon returned to the Mokelumne River to spawn in 2011, just three years after salmon populations plummeted across the Central Valley.
Fish counts at Woodbridge Dam exceeded any year since monitoring began in the 1940s. Some swam upstream all the way to the fish hatchery below Lake Camanche, where they were killed and their eggs and sperm harvested to make baby fish. Or, they spawned in the river on their own.
Either way, officials say the Mokelumne has rebounded from the disaster of the late 2000s faster than any other stream in the Valley, swelling from a mere 418 fish in 2008 to more than 18,500 this past season (with a few stragglers still heading home this week). … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
MORE: Alex Breitler runs drills down the numbers on his blog.
Water Food Environment blog: Salmon and their mysterious ways
Posted by: Maven on January 5, 2012 at 8:42 amFrom the Water Food Environment blog:
“Chinook salmon are both beloved and a very mysterious fish. In the Sacramento Valley, the northern part of California’s Great Central Valley, it is encouraging and positive that fall-run salmon are returning in larger numbers this year as reported on Christmas by the Sacramento Bee; yet, there is much more we can do to help salmon.
For the past several decades, I have been involved in efforts to improve salmon habitat and have carefully watched the various efforts that have all been intended to improve migratory corridors and habitat for this mysterious fish. To be sure, there have been major efforts to improve salmon in the Sacramento Valley, yet the numbers of salmon have not increased as projected. Why? … “
Continue reading from the Water Food Environment blog by clicking here.
Liberty Blog: One step forward, two steps back for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Posted by: Maven on January 5, 2012 at 8:35 amFrom the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Liberty Blog:
“The story of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the valley elderberry longhorn beetle is a frustrating one, demonstrating the absurd realities of federal environmental regulation and putting to rest the notion that the Endangered Species Act is a flawless statute.
The valley elderberry longhorn beetle should be an ESA success story. In 1980, the Service designated the beetle as a threatened species. Fortunately, in September 2006, staff biologists at the Service found that the beetle had recovered and recommended that the species be taken off of the federal list of threatened and endangered species. … “
Continue reading from the Liberty Blog by clicking here.
San Luis Wildlife Refuge cashing in on tourism
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 1:33 pmFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife opened a 16,000-square-foot visitor center and office in 2011, and it’s expected to double tourism dollars to the Los Banos area.
The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters and Visitors Center, built with $9.8 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money secured in 2009, opened to the public in October after a blessing from representatives of the Southern Sierra Miwok Nation, the land’s original owners. … “
Continue reading from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here.
The Moral Liberal: Do fish have more rights than people?
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:50 amFrom The Moral Liberal, this commentary:
“Is an obscure fish more important than California farmers who need water? The Ninth Circuit sided with the “delta smelt,” a fish lacking in any commercial value which typically grows to only 2 to 3 inches in length. Water is scarce in parts of California, but water distribution has been limited out of concern for this tiny creature.
The farmers went up against the Endangered Species Act, a federal law that wins virtually every time it is challenged in court. … “
Continue reading this commentary at The Moral Liberal by clicking here.
For Tomorrow blog: Understanding the Endangered Species Act: Purpose and limitations
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:46 amFrom For Tomorrow, a blog:
“Is it enough to rescue vanishing species?
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is crucial piece of legislation that safeguards the survival of many species, but the act does have limitations. An understanding of these limitations is paramount in the fight to save endangered species.
The current endangered species act, passed in 1973, was developed to list and provide recovery plans for threatened and endangered plant and animal species in their natural habitats. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is primarily responsible for the implementation of this act and manages a list of endangered species from around world. USFWS develops a recovery plan and designates a critical habitat for each endangered species at the time of listing. … “
Continue reading from For Tomorrow by clicking here.
Hastings, GOP target Endangered Species Act
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 11:45 pmFrom McClatchy News:
“The gray wolf hit a major milestone on Dec. 21, when the Obama administration said the wolf’s population in the Great Lakes region had grown to the point where the animals no longer required federal protection.
With more than 4,000 gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the wolf could be removed from the Endangered Species List, which “once again … has proved to be an effective tool for bringing a species back from the brink of extinction.”
But critics of the law say that happens far too infrequently, and that’s a big reason that many Republicans in the House of Representatives — led by Doc Hastings of Washington state — want to overhaul the 38-year-old law. … “
Continue reading from McClatchy News by clicking here.
60 years after leaving, porpoises again play in San Francisco Bay
Posted by: Maven on December 28, 2011 at 6:50 amFrom National Public Radio (NPR):
“Something that has been missing from San Francisco Bay since World War II appears to be making a comeback: Harbor porpoises are showing up in growing numbers, and researchers are trying to understand why they’re returning.
The walkway across the Golden Gate Bridge is almost always packed with people taking photos. But Bill Keener isn’t here for snapshots of the stunning views. He’s aiming his massive telephoto lens at a dark shape in the water 200 feet below.
“There’s a porpoise right there, coming very, very close,” he says. “Here’s a mother and calf coming straight at us.” Keener is with Golden Gate Cetacean Research, a nonprofit group focused on studying local porpoises, whales and dolphins. … “
Continue reading from National Public Radio by clicking here.
Christmas Day top of the scroll: Salmon rebound in Sacramento Valley
Posted by: Maven on December 25, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“The salmon came back.
After four long years of record-low numbers, the fall-run chinook salmon population surged back from the ocean this year, once again filling the Sacramento Valley’s rivers on their spawning run.Hatcheries on the American River, the Feather River and Battle Creek – the region’s three largest – saw the return of more than double the number of fish in 2010, and five times as many as in 2009. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Friday’s top of the scroll: Wet winter, spring kind to Delta smelt; Population hits highest level in 10 years
Posted by: Maven on December 23, 2011 at 7:17 amFrom the Stockton Record:
“The Delta smelt – that finger-long fish whose welfare was the subject of intense political debate during the recent drought – has rebounded to levels not seen in a decade, the California Department of Fish and Game reported Thursday.
But even after this year’s 10-fold increase in population, the smelt remains but a fraction of its former abundance.
And that says something about the fish’s perilous state in recent years.
“Hopefully, this is the start of a new trend,” said Carl Wilcox, Bay-Delta regional manager for Fish and Game. … “
Continue reading from the Stockton Record by clicking here.
From the Silicon Valley Mercury News:
” … After a three-year drought that stoked political rhetoric pitting water users against the needs of Delta smelt, a wet 2011 saw a great year for both.
Record amounts of water were delivered from the Delta and imperiled fish numbers rebounded significantly.
A key annual survey showed Delta smelt numbers at their highest level since populations of smelt and other fish collapsed in the early 2000s. The index, 343, was more than 10 times greater than last year’s figure, 29. The last time the measure as high was 2001, when the index was 603.
“There are lots of factors that we’ll be examining in the coming months to evaluate what happened, but flow always helps,” said Carl Wilcox, Bay-Delta regional director for the California Department of Fish and Game. … “
Continue reading from the Silicon Valley Mercury News by clicking here.
MORE:
- Read the press release from Department of Fish & Game by clicking here.
- Alex Breitler breaks down the numbers on his blog here.
Column: Fish and Game Commission appears to get this one right
Posted by: Maven on December 23, 2011 at 6:55 amFrom the San Bernardino Sun:
“The Fish and Game Commission shot down proposed Department of Fish and Game regulations on private hatcheries and privately stocked lakes that would have forced most of them to close their doors and reduced the quality and availability of sportfishing throughout the state.
The commission unanimously rejected a DFG proposal that would have required a wide range of biological assessments before they could plant fish from their hatcheries or before lake managers could have fish planted during last week’s meeting in San Diego. A broad-based coalition of sporting, business, and conservation groups were on hand to urge the commission to turn down the plan.
It became clear the DFG was coming up with an expensive solution for a problem that didn’t exist. … “
Continue reading this column from the San Bernardino Sun by clicking here.
Unfit salmon and ‘plain old Darwinian selection’
Posted by: Maven on December 22, 2011 at 7:40 amFrom the New York Times Green blog:
“Captive-born salmon waste no time making themselves at home. In crowded aquaculture tanks, they outperform wild counterparts in survival and reproduction — great news if you’re a salmon farmer. But these changes come at a cost. The more capable a salmon is of thriving in captivity, the less capable it is of succeeding in the wild.
Billions of hatchery-raised fish are released each year to aid ailing wild populations. Researchers have long known that salmon born in captivity under-perform in the wild but were not sure why. According to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it is basically a matter of evolution — and it occurs at a surprisingly fast pace. … “
Continue reading from the New York Times Green Blog by clicking here.
Population of Chinook salmon coming up Sacramento River improves
Posted by: Maven on December 17, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom the Record Searchlight:
“Ken Hoffman will be out on the Sacramento River fishing Sunday, enjoying the great outdoors and making a living.
Sunday is the last day of the fishing season for fall run Chinook salmon on the Sacramento River. As a fishing guide, Hoffman said he plans to be out on the water in the Los Molinos area with clients while enjoying the last of what was a good season.
“We hate to see it go,” said Hoffman, who also is known as “River Pirate.” “It means a lot because it’s kind of putting us back on track. It’s a building block for the future.” … “
Continue reading from the Record Searchlight by clicking here.
Commission rejects DFG regulation changes for California fish stocking
Posted by: Maven on December 16, 2011 at 8:58 amFrom the San Diego Union Tribune:
“Trout and catfish tanker trucks will keep rolling from private hatcheries to all state waters following Thursday’s action – or make that non-action — by the state Fish and Game Commission.
California’s fish stocking program by private hatcheries in state waters will continue under the same permit regulations as the Commission rejected the Department of Fish and Game’s proposed rules changes for stocking and growing fish.
The Commissioners instructed the Fish and Game Department to come back to the Commission only if the agency feels it’s necessary and to clarify the DFG’s legal exposure for not going forward with the DFG’s regulations. The DFG’s fisheries staff sought to require hatcheries and fisheries to pay for a broad spectrum of biological assessments before stocking or growing fish. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
MORE: A report was prepared for the California Association for Recreational Fishing that studied the costs of implementing the regulations on four different fishing lakes. Read the study here: 12-11 CARF Cost Implications for Stocking Regs
Thursday’s top of the scroll: House panel probes inner workings of Endangered Species Act
Posted by: Maven on December 15, 2011 at 9:18 amFrom the Capital Press:
“The House Committee on Natural Resources will be examining the effects of the Endangered Species Act on job creation and economic growth.
During the first of several planned oversight hearings, committee chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., criticized the statute for becoming “a tool for excessive litigation.”
The multitude of lawsuits has drained the government’s resources for actually protecting species, he said during a hearing in early December.
“The litigation mindset that is consuming the Endangered Species Act has had considerable job and economic impacts across the West, unnecessarily pitting people against species,” said Hastings. … “
Continue reading from the Capital Press by clicking here.
Fish and Game Commission to rule on fish stocking changes
Posted by: Maven on December 15, 2011 at 9:11 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“With ocean fishing closures set for Southern California on Jan. 1 as required by the California Legislature’s Marine Life Protection Act, a freshwater version of that unfunded mandate for ocean fishing now threatens freshwater angling and the more-than-century-old tradition of stocking of fish in private waters.
The difference is this one didn’t come from the Legislature. It came from Department of Fish and Game fisheries staff members.
On Thursday, the California Fish and Game Commission is expected to rule at its meeting in San Diego on the Department of Fish and Game’s proposed changes in its fish stocking and permit regulations for private hatcheries such as Alpers and Mt. Lassen and put-and-take fisheries such as Dixon, Poway and all lakes in San Diego County where stocking of private hatchery trout occurs. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
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