Why Are Fish So Important?
It is estimated that within 3 years California can have a flourishing wild salmon population; bringing jobs back to the commercial fishing sector, restaurants, fish processing businesses, etc. And we can also bring back our Central Valley Steelhead and striped bass fisheries and green sturgeon, all of which would similarly stimulate the economy. Per Southwick Associates, one of the country's leading economic research firms for outdoor activities, the economic stimulation that a full recovery of just Chinook Salmon in the Central Valley would be approximately $5.7 billion, creating some 94,000 jobs. California wild King (Chinook) Salmon is said to be the best, most nutricious Salmon in the World. So the question is: Would we rather have wild salmon or more almonds from West Fresno and Kern Counties? (the price of almonds has fallen from over $4/lb 4-5 years ago to between $1-2 per pound today, due to a glut on the world market, driven by increases in west side San Joaquin Valley supplies.)
We can restore the CA Department of Fish & Game to the proud agency that it once was, who’s mission has been compromised by political appointees at the pleasure of the Governor, among others. It’s budget has been high-jacked; its staff of wardens and others cut. People are more than happy to fund fishing licenses and permits – particularly when our fisheries are healthy. So we can restore the DFG to its former self, and at no cost to taxpayers.
Direct damages to the fishing industry in Washington, Oregon and California exceed a billion annually because of the ocean and river salmon closures, spurred by record water exports out of the Delta. Currently there are 23,000 commercial and recreational people unemployed because California’s salmon fishery is shut down, according to Dick Pool, administrator of Water for Fish. This has taken $1.9 billion out of the State’s economy. ==> What about these Jobs Congressman Nunes?
Many of these jobs are directly dependent upon the health of the California Delta. The Delta Protection Commission in 1995 estimated that over 6,000 jobs were directly tied to recreational fishing within the Delta itself.
Key Facts:
- Californians must understand that a healthy state fishery is critical to a healthy people. Fact: wild salmon is arguably the most nutritious food source on the PLANET. The Delta watershed - as near back as 2003, produced a runs over 750,000 fish. They are now well below 66,000. Farmed Salmon is known to be fraught with health hazards, and has far less nutritional benefit than does wild Salmon. We can have a thriving salmon population in California, if we just follow the recommendations of the CVPIA Fisheries Program, law that has been established (and ignored) for almost two decades.
- Fact: Killer Whales are displaced from their traditional home waters near the San Juan Islands between Washington State and Vancouver. Why? They are in desperate search for their food supply – Salmon. You see, Salmon runs from California’s Central Valley, and the Klamath River (among a few others) migrate along the pacific up to and beyond the San Juan’s.
- Fact: both the Klamath River and Central Valley Salmon were affected by overturned, politically influenced decisions in 2001-2002 from this same – ANTI-Endangered Species Act crowd. In 2002, judges and federal agency officials were intimidated and ultimately reversed laws and opinions that sought to keep a minimum level of water to protect Klamath River Salmon. With a month or so the massive fish kill occurred – due primarily to lack of cool water. And this same intimidation occurred in California’s Delta region. Scientific opinion was scoffed at, court rulings ignored, and between 2003-2007, water exports out of the Delta peaked at over 6 million acre-feet per year. And now – Salmon, Steelhead Striped Bass, Delta Smelt, Threadfin Shad – essentially all key fish are at historic lows.!!! Finally we get two Biological Opinions (December 2008 and June 2009) - post BUSH - that are peer reviewed and issued without fear of intimidation by lobbyists and political officials. But, sure enough - the Anti-ESA crowd is trying to reverse them. See June 4th BiOp summary here or NMFS full report here.
- Attention Bass (&all) Fishermen: Do not buy into propaganda that the Peripheral Canal and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan it is a part of seek to protect the Delta! The Delta needs MORE fresh water flowing through it – not less. Estuaries need a subsistence level of fresh water (“charge”) flowing through them in to dilute municipal discharge and other pollutants and stay healthy. The entities that designed the Bay Delta Conservation Plan have failed completely, and have already wasted Billions. Contra Costa Times reporter Mike Taugher notes that the BDCP “would not satisfy a single one of the seven goals recommended by the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force – Strategic Plan! ==> what we will have is a sewage infested, algae bloom-ridden frog water on the far east side, and a full on salt water bay everywhere else!
- So, the Hydraulic Billionaires Cabal, which backs the status quo of increased water exports and a Peripheral Canal, do not want us to make the connection that the entire Pacific Ocean food supply appears to be affected by inland water policy! Are Californians suppose to sacrifice Salmon, Steelhead and Striped Bass and one of the best Black Bass fisheries in the US just so arid, non-sustainable, drainage-impacted lands of the western San Joaquin valley can be farmed for a short period of time? ==> How about retire much of this land and implement state-wide water projects that will deliver more water than has ever been exported from the delta? As NRDC’s Doug Obegi says, “We Don’t Need to Sacrifice ..Fish to Provide Water to Californians”.
- And PEOPLE:
FOOD!