This is incomprehensible: The very same group that has had a profound effect on the decline of California’s salmon population is now suing to get the recently opened recreational season fishing closed!!
I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear that a group of Central Valley irrigation districts that supply water to farms and cities is behind this one. The San Joaquin River Group Authority filed the suit on Thursday in federal district court in Fresno (hmm…Fresno…a perfect place to get your case heard by sympathetic ears!). It argues that the National Marine Fisheries Service and its related agencies violated their duty to protect the threatened Sacramento River fall run of Chinook salmon by allowing a full commercial season.
My blood’s boiling on this one…it’s like the guy who ran over your dog is now suing you…only worse! What an amazing slap in the face!
Read the whole story here in the LA Times
The Pacific Fisheries Management Council, at it’s Sacramento meeting this week, has announced three options for the California recreational salmon season in 2010. They range from a full-blown season to none at all. Keep in mind, these are the options and the National Marine Fisheries Service gets the last say on the matter in April.
But for now, here’s what’s being considered… [click to continue…]
Will things never change??
To keep up on the fast moving, often underhanded and corrupt water politics of California and how they usually don’t turn out so well in the favor of fish and those who make their livings off them, check out Lloyd Carter’s
Chronicles of the Hydraulic Brotherhood. There’s you’ll learn about all kinds of interesting stuff like Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s efforts to gut the Endangered Species Act on behalf of the Westlands Water District; that the United Farm Workers Union has come out against the $11 billion water bond and why the salmon weren’t saved half a century ago…thanks to all the usual political B.S.
It’s all a very good read…though pretty sobering in many cases…
Sac River Kings: Are these days gone forever??
The counts are in and fall Chinook salmon runs in Northern California’s Central Valley were again low in 2009, which could lead to Federal Endangered Species Act protection in the not-too-distant future. The upside of it all was a few rivers — like the American — had better returns than in the previous year and jack counts statewide were up.
Read the story HERE
Okay, so the bad news is we’ve got another summer and fall of sweeping salmon closures in California in 2009. But let’s look at the bright side…
Salmon aren’t totally off limits this year in the Golden State. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
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by JD on September 18, 2008
They tell me we’re nearly two-thirds of the way through September already yet my internal calendar is reading “June.”
I guess that’s what happens when there’s no salmon fishing in the Sacramento Valley for the first time in my life. It’s a really starnge sensation to not be out chasing kings every day…depressing, really. So, just for old times sake, I thought I’d throw up a photo of ol pal, Rob Bonner, with a chrome king he caught with me in the Sac a few seasons back. Although I’m not sure if that’s making me feel better or worse…
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by JD on September 10, 2008
After all the gloom and doom, we finally have some good news for West Coast salmon stocks!
I’ve been saying that the major factor in our sharp decline recently has been a lack of feed in the ocean. Apparently, I was on the right track. Read the story HERE
