from the Stockton Record

A letter by Allen Short, general Manager, Modesto Irrigation District regarding striped bass predation and a CSPA response

Mr. Short's letter appeared as a Letter to the Editor in the Stockton Record on April 2nd

Delta native fish need protection

Regarding the March 11 editorial "Something's fishy; Bakersfield lawmaker's concern for Delta smelt misguided," AB1253 isn't about more Delta water flowing south - it simply removes protections for striped bass.

Wrong, what it removes, once the striper is gone, is over half a million striper fishermen who are advocates for a healthy delta. These advocates stand in the way of MID's ravenous "predation" of the delta's water.

Today nonnative species dominate the Delta. Smelt and native salmon flirt with extinction, and Valley farmers pay the price. Striped bass, native to eastern North America, are the Delta's largest, most aggressive predator. Arguing that stripers are part of the Delta ecosystem is like saying an open pit mine is part of the natural landscape because it's been there a long time.

Wrong, today no species dominates the delta, native or introduced. All of the pelagic fishes, salmon, steelhead, stripers, smelt, sturgeon, American Shad and other delta fishes are ALL at their lowest populations in history, some as low as 3% of historic levels. The beginning of the decline matches with the introduction of pumping and the decline accelerates as rapidly as the rate of pumping increases. In 2008, pumping was at an all time high, even though it was declared a "drought" year and fish counts of all species were at an all time low.

With an adult population California Fish and Game estimates at more than 1 million, stripers aren't disappearing from the Delta. Scientific studies over three decades have found that striped bass eat all native fish species, including smelt and salmon.

Wrong, current estimates are a population of 450-550,000 adults, down from historic levels of over 12 million and the juvenile population is the lowest in history. The current population is one third that negotiated in previous agreements with DFG and the Feds, 1.3 million adult fish.

Finally, consider economics: Bass fishing is a $24 million a year business; salmon fishing, 10 times larger. Canceling the salmon fishery in 2008 resulted in a $255 million loss to California. All threats to the Delta should be addressed. But it makes no sense to promote nonnative predators.

Wrong, the losses from the salmon fishery, when considered on a one year basis, that of 2008, might be as low as $255 million. Most believe that estimate is low. However, when compared to the historic levels of salmon fishing and harvest prior to pumping the losses would exceed over two BILLION dollars annually if the salmon fishery was still healthy. As to Mr. Short's estimates of the losses regarding striper fishing, the loss in DFG license fees alone would exceed 12 million dollars, and adding cost of boats, fuel, bait, equipment, lunches, a low estimate of the losses would be somewhere in excess of 100 million dollars.

AB1253 is a common sense step toward healing the Delta's native fisheries at no cost to taxpayers.

Wrong, AB 1253 will do nothing to heal the delta's fisheries. It will destroy recreational opportunities for half a million people, will deprive the state of 12 million dollars in DFG license fees and 7 million dollars in sales tax. AB 1253 is nothing more than a "GET EVEN" bill aimed at anglers for their opposition to further draining of the delta for the benefit of a very few wealthy farmers living on subsidies, sometimes selling water they don't even use. And of course,, the water is subsidized by the same people they are trying to deprive of angling recreation. Sorry Mr. Short, your phony arguments don't play here any better than they did in the Stockton Record. Ed.

Allen Short
General Manager, Modesto Irrigation District