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CSPA supported Ostrach Striped Bass Maternal Transfer Study still seeking funding

by John Beuttler, CSPA Conservation Director

June 22, 2009 -- John Beuttler of CSPA, and Dr. David Ostrach, U.C. Davis, were interviewed this morning by KXJZ - Capitol Public Radio on “Insight” (Sacramento 90.9)  Dr. Ostrach was the featured guest and was interviewed regarding the problems he discovered regarding striped bass spawning as part of his delta fisheries research

The intent of Ostrach's program, The Maternal Transfer Study, was to identify reasons for the decline of the Bay-Delta estuary and its fisheries, especially the striped bass. The research had been funded by the Pelagic Organism Decline Team (POD) until this year when major funding cuts were necessitated by the State’s budget crisis.
 
Since the early sixties the striped bass fishery has declined 90 percent. The main reasons for the decline are suspected to be the impacts to their habitat, direct mortality caused by the state and federal water projects and toxic pollution to the Delta’s waters caused primarily by agricultural return flows to the system.
 
Dr. Ostrach used larval striped bass to study the impacts of toxic pollution on the development of these young fish. His study focused on the transfer of toxic substances from female striped bass to larval striped bass. It found that such toxic transfer dramatically reduced the ability of these fish to survive when compared to control fish that did not receive toxic contaminants from female fish. Those that did survive sub-lethal contaminant exposure suffered from abnormal disease and parasitism.
 
In an attempt to continue funding, the program was presented to the Striped Bass Stamp Advisory Committee. The committee unanimously agreed to fund the program with support funding recommended by the Bay-Delta Sportfishing Enhancement Stamp Advisory Committee. Unfortunately, the Department of Fish and Game has not released the funding in time for the project to continue at U.C. Davis.
 
CSPA supports the study for two fundamental reasons. First, the study has found a causal link between pollution in the Delta’s waters and the biological impacts this has on the survival of very young striped bass. At least part of the decline of the striped bass fishery is due to the impacts of toxic pollution that our state government has failed to stop or properly regulate.
 
Second, since over 500 miles of the Delta’s water ways do not comply with the standards set by the federal Clear Water Act, this scientific study may directly identify one of the significant reasons for the widely recognized collapse of the estuary's food web.
 
Doctor Ostrach's work will be continued at UC Berkeley if funding can be obtained from the Department of Fish and Game. It is a work in progress that we hope will come to fruition.