Fishing Panel Tackles The Plight Of Our Fisheries At Sacramento ISE   By: Dan Bacher February 10, 2008 More Articles by Dan

A select panel of sport fishing leaders at the International Sportsmen's Exposition Show at Cal Expo on January 19 outlined how fishermen can reverse the dramatic declines in salmon, striped bass and other runs of fish in Northern California.

Jim Martin, former Chief of Fisheries for the State of Oregon and one of six panel members, urged anglers to get involved now or lose their fisheries. "You don't get the fisheries you deserve, but the fisheries that you fight for," said Martin.

"I worked 38 years as a biologist and fish manager to fill the lakes, rivers and ocean with fish," said Martin. "I am outraged at what I see happening in California. Every fisherman should be mad as hell and every fisherman should join the battle to fight back. The life blood of our fisheries is being sucked dry."

Martin said anglers have two choices. "We can stand by and let the policies of yesteryear continue to destroy our heritage and the heritage of our children and grandchildren, or get mad as hell and organize ourselves behind programs like Water4fish and let the governor and every other politician know we demand changes," he stated.

"If the State of California was allocating the fish resource away to the commercial fishermen, the sportsmen would be up in arms demanding change and raising hell. But what California is doing is worse...they are draining the lifeblood of the Klamath and the Bay Delta and destroying the fisheries," he said.

Martin said the "sleeping giant" of 2.4 million anglers and a two billion dollar a year industry are awakening and demanding new priorities for our public trust water.

"The fishermen and environmentalists are together on this issue," he said. "The political clout of this alliance will make every policy maker listen and pay attention."

The other panelists were Dick Pool, President of Pro-Troll Fishing Products, John Beuttler, Conservation Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Assemblymember Lois Wolk who chairs the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, Dan Wolford, Science Director of the Coastside Fishing Club and Pacific Fishery Management Council member, and myself.

Mike Aughney operator of the USAFishing.com fishing reports website, moderated the panel. Sep Hendrickson, host of the California Sportsman radio show, organized the event in response to some of the worst bay, delta and ocean fishing conditions in decades.

"Fishermen are upset and angry," said Hendrickson. "The 2007 salmon season was the worst on record, striped bass fishing in the bay was terrible and the rockfish season closed early. We now know what the problems are and this panel has told us how we can change the outlook."

During my presentation, I laid the problem squarely on the California Department of Water Resources and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation.

"These people have one objective -- to pump more water with no consideration of the environment or other consequences," I said. "They have broken laws, ignored the Endangered Species Act and have illegally changed biological opinions that got in their way. In the process they have nearly destroyed the delta and have decimated the once healthy fish runs of the Central Valley."

I cited the recent midwinter trawl survey which shows that the Delta smelt and other delta fish populations continue to plummet towards extinction. I added that 85% of the water goes to subsidized agriculture and the state's water policies need to be drastically revised to ensure that there will be plenty of water for both population growth and healthy fisheries.

John Beuttler worked closely with the Governor's Delta Blue Ribbon Task Force as a member of its stakeholders advisory panel. He was very disappointed in the Governor's reporting of the Task Force's 12 recommendations.

"The Task Force was very careful to indicate that the twelve recommendations cannot be split apart or the delta restoration objective will not be met," stated Beuttler.

However, Beuttler said the governor took the report out of context and used it as a forum to promote his controversial $9 billion water plan including his 'water conveyance system' -- the peripheral canal.

Beuttler outlined three changes fishermen want in order for fish to survive in the delta.
1. Reduce export pumping and restore the flows necessary to allow the Delta's food web to recover and supply the food our fisheries need as they migrate through the estuary.
2. Install State of the art fish screens at all important diversions including the state and federal pumps to stop the destruction of many millions of fish annually.
3. Adopt a State of the art fish salvage and recovery program at the state and federal pumps to help mitigate for the billions of fish lost at the pumps.

"These fish declines are a symptom of an ailing Delta," said Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, chair of the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee. "If we are to restore this complex, critical resource and provide for its long-term sustainability, we must enact a comprehensive plan that includes fishery and ecosystem restoration, sustainable farming practices and water supply, recreation, and public access."

"I plan to introduce legislation establishing a clear steward for the Delta, which can ensure that the needs of the Delta and state are heard amongst the voices of conflicting interest groups with a stake in this resource. I have also introduced legislation this session requiring the state to prepare plans to protect fish populations and provide emergency fish rescue, to prevent another massive fish kill the likes of that we saw on Prospect Island late last year," Wolf said.

Wolk asked anglers to help the legislature map a plan that resolves the crisis facing the delta and fish populations, as well as providing for other water needs.

Dan Wolford focused on the Marine Life Protection Act and the impact that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will have on saltwater fishing. MPAs are being defined for the North Central Coast right now, and alternative plans will be considered for adoption by the Fish and Game Commission this spring.

"Recreational fishermen have long been recognized as the stewards of our fishery resources and their ecosystems. So it has been easy for us to support the development of the MPAs, but the trick has been to find the right balance between closures and public access," Wolford said.

He described some of the alternative plans being developed by the Regional Stakeholder Groups (RSG), pointing out that Coastside and its partners (the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans) have worked hard both within and external to the system get their plan incorporated as one of the RSG's alternatives. "We have been able to meet the projects' conservation objectives while minimizing socio-economic impacts on the fishery by careful placement of the MPAs and their boundaries and by definition of their allowable activities," explained Wolford.

Dick Pool, President of Pro-Troll Fishing Products, has worked on California fishery restoration and enhancement programs for over 20 years. He now coordinates the Water4Fish political action program.

Pool urged anglers to get involved with Water4Fish. "Our corporate adversaries currently control the water policies of California. Nothing is spared when it comes to their money and political contributions."

"However, we have one thing they can't match -- fishing is huge in California. There are 2.4 million sport fishermen in the state. If we organize ourselves, they cannot match our political power at the ballot box," he concluded.

So far 21,000 concerned anglers have signed on and sent letters, but Pool said we need at least 50,000 to 100,000 letters. He urged every fisherman and those who care about protecting our wildlife heritage to join us. Log onto http://www.water4fish.org and be counted!

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