Download Allied Fishing Groups: S.1894, to eliminate Striped Bass

Allied Fishing Groups
6597 Cane Lane / Valley Springs / CA 95252 / 209.772.9398
Black Bass Action Committee / Bass Classics of Santa Clara / California Fly Fishers Unlimited
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance / California Striped Bass Association / Chico Flyfishers
Coastside Fishing Club / Delta Fly Fishers / Diablo Valley Fly Fishermen / E.C. Powell Fly Fishers
Fishery Foundation of California / Fly Fishers for Conservation / Fly Fishers of Davis
Friends of Butte Creek / Granite Bay Flycasters / Gold Country Fly Fishers / Grizzly Peak Flyfishers
Golden Gate Angling & Casting Club / Golden West Women Flyfishers / Hi’s Tackle Box / ICON Products Inc.
Lock Lomond Bait / Mission Peak Fly Anglers / NCC - Federation of Fly Fishers / NORCAL Kayak Anglers
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Assoc. / Pasadena Casting Club / Peninsula Fly Fishers
Recreational Fishing Alliance / Salmon Restoration Association / Santa Cruz Fly Fisherman
Shasta Fly Fishers / SWC- Federation of Fly Fishers / Striperfest / Tracy Fly Fishers /
Tri-Valley Fly Fishers / USA Fishing / Wilderness Fly Fishers
MEDIA RELEASE
September 18, 2015
S.1894, to eliminate Striped Bass, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass and other
non-native fisheries from the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and Tributaries
Contact:
John Beuttler, Allied Fishing Groups, 510-526-4049, [email protected]
Dr. David Ostrach, Allied Fishing Groups, 530-219-1451, [email protected]
Mike McKenzie, Allied Fishing Groups, (209) 772-9398, [email protected]
Senators Feinstein and Boxer recently introduced federal legislation to provide short-term water supplies to
drought-stricken California and projects to help recover salmon. This legislation mandates the eradication of all
non-native fish from the Bay Delta Estuary, and its tributaries. Specifically, the bill would authorize the
Secretaries of Interior and Commerce, in concert with State and Federal fishery agencies, to conduct projects to
reduce invasive aquatic vegetation, and non-native fish which allegedly contribute to the decline of native
salmon and steelhead protected by State and Federal Endangered Species Acts.
While some worthy species such as Asiatic clams and Brazilian water weed are targeted for destruction, so are
valuable sport fisheries including striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white and
channel catfish. Unfortunately, also included for eradication are species that constitute a substantial and integral
part of estuary’s food web, such as silversides, thread fin shad and gobies. The bill would also mandate a Pilot
Program to “protect” salmon and steelhead by the removal of striped bass from the Stanislaus River.
Under the semblance of alleviating problems caused by the drought, the senators have unfortunately missed the
massive environmental impacts that occur due to exporting vast amounts of the estuary’s water by the State and
Federal Water Projects. These projects have been found to be the primary cause for the declines of salmon, delta
smelt, steelhead, striped bass and sturgeon and for the extensive degradation of the productivity of estuary’s
ecosystem.
The bill’s authors failed to use the best available science on the estuary’s fisheries and ignores the extensive
peer-reviewed science on non-native fisheries that found fish predation to be the least important stressor on the
estuary’s fisheries and one that does not have an impact on the estuary’s ecology or the population levels of the
fish species listed under the State and Federal Endangered Species Act. The State’s foremost experts on Delta’s
fisheries, including respected fisheries scientist Dr. David Ostrach, agree that the peer reviewed science
demonstrates striped bass predation does not impact delta smelt and salmon populations listed under the ESA
and, there is little evidence of impacts from other species that has passed the standard of being peer reviewed
science by qualified fishery scientists. Prior to the building of the State and Federal water projects facilities, all
the estuary’s fishery resources thrived together as did the productivity of the estuary’s food web.
John Beuttler, Conservation Director of the Allied Fishing Groups states, “Prior to the building of the State and
Federal water projects facilities, all the estuary’s fishery resources thrived together as did the estuary’s food
web. It is critical for our government to stay focused on the problems that significantly impact the estuary’s
fisheries and aquatic ecosystem. State and Federal government must be compelled to find the funding and the
wisdom necessary to address the impacts caused by the massive export of water from the Delta by the water
projects. Unfortunately, this legislation fails to provide meaningful assistance in solving the significant
problems that caused the collapse of the estuary’s food web and the serious population declines to our salmon,
steelhead and striped bass fisheries. Instead, it proposes to eradicate publicly owned fisheries in the Delta that
still generates a huge amount of sportfishing recreation and hundreds of millions of dollars to local, state and
national economies annually.”
This legislation would decimate the striped bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass and other recreational
fisheries throughout the Bay and Delta region, while failing to deal with the fundamental problems that have
been so destructive to the estuary and our native fishes.
Dan Blanton, a nationally-recognized author and sportfishing expert sums up the legislation: “While wellmeaning to help drought stricken California and its native species, this legislation is misguided by attempts of
certain corporate growers to remove anglers from the water equation. Remove the fish, the anglers lose interest,
the fishing-related businesses go bankrupt, and our vocal opposition to irresponsible Delta water exports ends.
Fortunately, that is not how it will work. The growers and some of our legislators have grossly underestimated
our dedication to preserving the unique Bay-Delta environment that includes intentionally introduced sport
fisheries that provide important economic and recreational benefits.”
The Allied Fishing Groups is requesting all recreational anglers engage to inform your Senators in congress of
your opposition to this legislation unless it is amended as recommended by the Allied Fishing Groups. Please
call, email or write Senators Feinstein and Boxer at:
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0505
Fax: (202) 224-0454
Phone: (202) 224-3553
The Honorable Diane Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
Fax: (202) 228-3954
Phone: (202) 224-3841
The Allied Fishing Groups are a voice for California's two million recreational anglers. We represent some 36
sport fishing organizations across the state working to save, protect and restore Northern California’s fisheries
and their habitat. We are guided by science and our many years of direct experience in fishery management.
Our Steering Committee is comprised of fishery professionals, scientists and dedicated anglers. We work with
sport fishing business, government and sport fishing organizations to implement practical and lasting solutions
to the serious problems facing our fisheries and their habitat.