CSPA's John  Beuttler advocates for defeat of AB 1253 on two Saturday morning radio sports shows

April 11, 2009 -- CSPA's John Beuttler appeared on Ultimate Bass & California Sportsmen this morning on KHTK 1140 AM out of Sacramento regarding AB 1253 (Fuller), the bill that would endeavor to eradicate the striped bass fishery. The objective was to inform and hopefully motivate listeners to log onto the CSPA website and engage in the effort to stop this bill.

The content of John's presentation roughly followed  the a CSPA advisory. 

CSPA Alert 4-11-09
 
Legislation to Eradicate Striped Bass Fisheries
Introduced in the State Legislature!
 
 
A bill will soon be heard by State Assembly that would abort the management of the public’s striped bass fishery, open it to unlimited harvest  sending it to oblivion and diminish our “right to fish.”
 
Assembly Woman Jean Fuller from Bakersfield has introduced legislation to eradicate the striper fishery on behalf of some corporate agricultural growers and irrigation districts in the Southern San Joaquin Valley who believe it is necessary to destroy the fishery to enhance their economic interests. They contend that striped bass eat fish that are protected under the Endangered Species Act and this prevents these corporate farms from getting all the water they want from the Delta.
 
The bill would require the Fish & Game Commission to remove all harvest restrictions that protect striped bass and allow the unlimited harvest of the fishery. It would prohibit the importing and planting of striped bass in all state waters and fine any person who violates this prohibition up to $10,000.
 
The proponents allege that stripers eat so many Delta smelt and salmon that it impacts the populations of these fish. However, based on the findings of a number of scientific studies, we know this is not the case. The state’s foremost fishery scientist and biologists (including Drs. Peter Moyle, Matt Nobriga and David Ostrach,) say that the predation caused by striped bass is not a factor in the decline of salmon and steelhead populations.
 
Not surprisingly, the science shows that one of the most critical factors in the decline of our salmon and Delta smelt and other Central Valley fisheries is the massive amount of WATER that’s EXPORTED out of the Delta, 80% of which goes to agriculture! But, instead of owning up to playing a critical role in causing these fishery declines, agribusiness is using this nonnative fishery as a scapegoat.
 
Should they succeed in removing the sportfishing status of stripers, their assault on our Delta fisheries will not end there. Their next targets will be other nonnative fish that were introduced into Delta like largemouth and smallmouth bass. It seems ironic that the Agricultural Industry that brings you this latest round in the state’s water wars is actually composed of nonnative people who grow a variety of nonnative crops who are very fond of perpetuating double standards at the expense of the public and our publicly owned natural resources!
 
The State Assembly’s Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife will hear this bill on April 28th. If anglers don’t step up and tell the Legislature they want this bill killed, it will pass. To stop this bill we need hundreds of letters from the angling public and sportfishing businesses.
 
Folks can log onto our website at www.calsport.org and get all the information they need to send letters by the 24th of this month. Once you’ve sent your letter, please make it your mission to get two other people to do the same. CSPA will lead the charge when the bill comes up for hearing, but we need your support to make the outcome certain.