House Resources Subcommittee hearing produces some
hope for fisheries but disappointing results regarding fisheries collapse
By Dan Bacher
May
20, 2008. Washington D.C.
On May 15 the House Resources Subcommittee on
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans held an Oversight
Hearing on the actions of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS). This committee has
jurisdiction over these agencies.
The
purpose of the hearing was to examine what is wrong
with the biological opinions that NMFS has been
issuing on salmon. In three major jurisdictions, the
Courts have rejected NMFS biological opinions because
they allow conditions which violate the Endangered
Species Act. These jurisdictions include the
Columbia/Snake Rivers, the Klamath
River and the Sacramento
San Joaquin Delta. The House Committee is upset with
the lack of protections being given salmon through
these faulty biological opinions.
There
were two panels. Rodney McInnis, the NMFS Southwest
Regional Director was the agency witness on the first
panel. There were three other expert witnesses on that
panel discussing why the fisheries were collapsing.
Roger
Thomas and Dick Pool were part of the second panel
along with a commercial fisherman from Seattle
and a salmon fish processor from southern Oregon.
Thomas spoke on behalf of his business and the Golden
Gate Fishermen’s Association. Pool spoke on behalf
of his business and the American Sportfishing
Association.
The
role of the second panel was to discuss the impact of
the collapses on fishermen and fishing related
businesses. Pool and Thomas hammered heavily on the
reasons for the Central
Valley collapse, the huge economic problems it
is creating, and proposals to turn the situation
around.
Hearing
Summary
The
hearing had some very positive aspects and some very
disappointing results. The disappointing part came in
Mr. McInnis’s remarks. We had hoped he would pin
down causes of the Central
Valley collapse and then shed light on what
NMFS would do to bring about recovery.
In
spite of the court’s recent decision and most
independent biologists' opinions that the pumps were a
primary cause of the collapse, Mr. McGinnis took the
easy way out and said, “Therefore the cause of the
decline is consistent with the poor ocean conditions
hypothesis." A further disappointment was that
Mr. McGinnis did not provide a timetable for a new
delta biological opinion.
On
the positive side, he indicated NMFS would propose
their Central
Valley salmon recovery plan by September.
The
strong positives in the hearing came from the members
of the House who attended. It was a very busy voting
day in the House, but many California members made it
a point to attend the hearing to ask questions and
offer support for fishermen and a quick turn around of
the crisis.
Others
who could not personally attend sent their staff
people. A number of suggestions were made on how
congress can be of more help. Some of the California
members with words of concern and encouragement were:
Lois
Capps
– Morro Bay
Jim
Costa
– Fresno
Anna
Eshoo
– Palo
Alto
Sam
Farr
- Monterey
George
Miller
– Martinez
Grace
Napolitano
– Santa Fe Springs
Mike
Thompson
– Napa
Following
are some of the highlights of the testimony by Dick
Pool and Roger Thomas.
Roger
painted the grim picture of the financial plight of
the Charter fleets and the marinas. In a survey of 49
leading charter boats from Monterey
to Fort Bragg, the income loss from no salmon fishing
will total $5.4 million. It is unclear how many
operators can weather this loss.
In
a letter from Dan Temko, the Harbor Master at Pillar
Point in Half Moon Bay, Roger pointed out that
the harbor will lose $416,000 in 2008 without salmon.
Roger also entered a study by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service into the record showing fish losses
in the Sacramento
River and delta system.
Two
hundred salmon smolts were released in Battle Creek
near Redding. They were radio tagged so that any
losses could be recorded in receiver stations along
the way. Only four smolts reached the Golden Gate.
Following
the hearing, Roger said, “Blaming the primary cause
of this catastrophe on ocean conditions stinks of
rotten politics from top to bottom. We need straight
talk and help from the fishery agencies, not weak
excuses.”
He
added, “We need immediate help from the agencies to
ensure adequate through delta passage for 2008 and
2009 migrants.”
Dr.
Peter Moyle of UC
Davis is one of the foremost biological experts
on the delta fisheries. In a recent talk he said,
“Thus blaming “ocean conditions” for salmon
declines is a lot like blaming the iceberg for sinking
the Titanic,
while ignoring the many human errors that put the ship
on course for the fatal collision.”
Dick
Pool highlighted the huge economic value of sport
fishing and boating to the State of California. His
figures showed 2.4 million fishermen in the state with
annual equipment purchases of $2.7 billion.
The
full economic impact is $4.8 billion. There are
894,000 registered boats in the state and 70% of them
are used for fishing. In 2006, California Boat and
Marine sales were $1.2 billion and when marinas,
service, launch fees and all the other related costs
are added, the boating economic impact is $16.5
billion. Pool pointed out that many businesses have
already failed and the infrastructure is crumbling.
Pool
talked about the work the sport and commercial
industry is doing with the agencies to attempt to get
a fishing season back by 2010. He also briefed the
members on the Water4Fish grassroots advocacy program
which has now sent over 56,000 letters and petitions
to the governor and state and federal legislators.
Pool
said, “Fishermen are mad as hell and they have every
right to be. Through no fault of their own, one of the
most important natural resources of the country has
been taken away. Water4Fish has given us a way to
collectively demand action.”
Gordon
Robertson, Vice President of the American Sportfishing
Association, summed up the hearing this way. “We
made some progress in this hearing but it is obvious:
Salmon fishermen and the fishing industries are in one
of the biggest political battles we have ever taken
on. We must stay resolute, focused and most of all
organized together. We will need everyone’s
continued support to win this one.”
Channel
7 of San
Francisco did a report on the hearing and
interviewed George
Miller and Dick Pool. It can be viewed online.
Click on View From the Bay at the bottom left
At the top of the page, search for “Salmon
Crisis Causes Political
Uproar”
Click on Play
