Lawmakers briefed on salmon disaster

John Driscoll

The Times-Standard

April 18, 2008

Fishery experts asked state legislators on Thursday to help fix conditions that led to this year's catastrophic salmon collapse, saying political will at all levels is vital for recovery.

The state Joint Legislative Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture heard from several panels on the status of the salmon fishery and important efforts that are needed to help it rebuild. Chaired by Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, the committee held the hearing just one week after federal fisheries managers decided to shut down salmon fishing in California and most of Oregon .

”This is not just an ecological disaster,” Wiggins said, “it is an economic one.”

Huge losses to fishermen, processors, tourism and other fishing supported businesses are beginning to be quantified, and the U.S. Commerce Secretary is considering a disaster declaration that could pave the way for Congressional appropriations for assistance.

At the heart of the shutdown are typically strong Sacramento River salmon stocks, which have plummeted this year.

University of California at Davis fisheries scientist Peter Moyle said that the last decade had seen significant improvements in the salmon stocks.

”We've managed to screw that up thoroughly,” Moyle said.

He said it's important to consider the effects of water diversions from the Sacramento River delta and the possible impacts of hatcheries on the production of wild fish. But he said that the oft-repeated supposition that poor ocean conditions were behind the collapse is like blaming Hurricane Katrina for the flooding of New Orleans .

Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations Executive Director Zeke Grader said that priorities are to ensure adequate flows for fish, curtail pumping when salmon are in the delta, and end to agricultural pollution there.

”Let's not get lost in the long list of other things nibbling around the edges,” Grader said.

In recent years, it's been weak Klamath River salmon populations that have suppressed fishing. Since Klamath fish mix with Sacramento fish at sea, fisheries managers have reduced the overall catch to prevent harm to the Klamath fish. This year, however, there are plenty of large Klamath salmon expected to be in the ocean. But despite modeling that shows only a tiny number of Sacramento fish might be caught if a fishery was allowed off Humboldt and Del Norte counties, fisheries managers opted to close the fishery altogether.

Next year may be as bad or worse. Sacramento stocks are predicted to again be precariously low, and returns to the Klamath are expected to be down.

Tom Weseloh with California Trout told the committee that the crisis may shift to the Klamath next year or the year after. He asked the committee to help make the salmon problems a priority with other legislators, and to gather political will critical to finding a solution.

”It's not rocket science,” Weseloh said, “we know what the problems are.”

John Driscoll can be reached at 441-0504 or jdriscoll@times-standard.com.

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