CSPA Advisory regarding AB1253, the striper bill

[CSPA Webmaster]

CSPA Advisory regarding AB 1253, the bill to deregulate the Striped Bass as a California Game Fish
March 6, 2009 -- CSPA is aware of the proposed legislation and will take the steps necessary, with your help, to have this bill defeated. However, to be effective, these efforts should be well planned, and coordinated. CSPA has been dealing successfully with issues like this for over 20 years and has numerous avenues to pursue, some public and some private.

AB 1253 is only the latest ploy by water agencies to divert attention from the major cause of fisheries collapse; the massive, unsustainable export of water from the Delta. Assemblywomen Fuller’s red herring is poorly written, internally inconsistent and ignores both history and science. For example:

1. Striped bass have coexisted with Delta smelt (and salmon) for more than 130 years.
2. The decline of striped bass closely parallels the declines of salmon and pelagic species like Delta smelt.
3. Federal law (CVPIA) calls for the protection, indeed, the doubling of striped bass populations.
4. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Delta smelt Biological Opinion acknowledged that there is no evidence that striped bass pose a significant threat to Delta smelt.
5. Recent surveys of predators in the Delta have not found Delta smelt in the stomachs of striped bass. Indeed, the evidence indicates that striped bass may actually help Delta smelt by preying on significant predators of smelt.
6. Respected fishery scientists like Peter Moyle and Matt Nobriga agree that there is no hard evidence that striped bass have caused Delta smelt populations to decline.

CSPA is already working with legislators to ensure that this latest misdirection gimmick never sees the light of day.

That does not mean that we won’t need your help. A number of volunteers have already come forward. Once we determine the necessary response, we may ask for additional people to provide specific help in certain areas or may ask for general assistance in the form of letter campaigns, attending hearings, etc. However, let’s not be premature and overreact. Keep current on what CSPA is doing by checking in to our website and sign up for our weekly newsletters and action alerts by using the enrollment box on the website front page.

As most of you realize, this bill is only one facet of a greater plan conceived by the water agencies that want the delta’s resources for their own profit and greed, regardless of the damage done to the environment. CSPA hopes that this bill is the wakeup call that brings the issue home. Even when this bill is defeated, our efforts to restore the delta must continue. We will need every one of you to join in this effort.

Bill Jennings, Executive Director, CSPA
www.calsport.org

[ppickerell]

In!

[Fish Trap]

CSPA Webmaster,
Thanks for the information. Coastside Fishing Club may be one of your supporters on this. We have a long thread speaking of the exact topic and plan to spend money to support this fight. You should get in touch with them if you have'nt already. I would also like your permission to copy and paste your quote above on thier board. Very interesting stuff you pointed out and should be shared to let others knoe the fight may be on.

My theory is that they will never wipe out all the stripers if the limit is lifted. The delta, rivers, ocean, etc that these fish travel is just to big. But, it will definately hurt the population and is not the right direction for our fisheries to take. It is bad enough with all the MPA's and mismanagement of our fishery to allow something as devestating as this to take place. Glad to see you guys are on board.

[CSPA Webmaster]

Fish Trap, I've already posted the Advisory on Coastside.

As far as wiping out stripers. You'd be surprised. A female does not spawn until she is 23-24 inches. Even then, the number of eggs is not large. The very large females are responsible for a disproportionate number of eggs. If all of these females are harvested, along with the very poor hatch rate of eggs, stripers could be in much greater danger than is currently believed. Add the increasing pollution and that may be the final blow that tips the fulcrum beyond the balance of sustainability.

[RichThiel]

First thank you for posting the information.

Question> I heard and read that Feinstein was purposing to eliminate the striper and Largemouth bass in the Delta. If so, you'd have around 5-7 thousand Largemouth fisherman voting her right out of office, with Pelosi right beyond her.

Rich Thiel

[CSPA Webmaster]

Rich, it's not that she will, she already HAS!

See http://www.calsport.org/12-19-08a.htm

Unfortunately 5,000-7,000 votes are not that much in a state wide election of over 13 million voters.

What is even scarier is that she has a serious shot at becoming our next Governor in 2010.

[RichThiel]

5-7 thousand was just an estimate of Tournament fisherman in the state. She just doesn't have a clue in what she say's. Nor does she have any idea of revenue that the fisherie brings into the state.

Rich