Salmon run: Trucks make final delivery to SF Bay

[Scott V]

State officials on Tuesday trucked their final load of juvenile salmon from hatcheries to San Francisco Bay, marking the end of an unprecedented effort to help a dwindling species.

In total, the Department of Fish and Game hauled 20.2 million fall-run chinook salmon smolts from three hatcheries on the American, Feather and Mokelumne rivers. The fish were deposited into net pens on shore, then towed by barge out into San Pablo Bay for release.

The state has trucked salmon for years, but never on this scale, said spokesman Harry Morse, nor has anyone else.

"I called both Washington and Oregon and asked them if anybody had transported a number this massive, and both those agencies said no," Morse said.

Fish and Game decided to truck nearly all its hatchery chinook this year to ensure more fish survive to spawn again.

Trucking saves the fish from exposure to predators and poor water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But a debate continues on whether this disrupts the fishes' ability to find their way back to their home rivers.

The Central Valley fall chinook this year is predicted to reach its lowest level in more than three decades, and salmon fishing has been closed as a result.

[Ed Wahl]

I heard from a friend that the party boats have been getting 30+ striper limits in the area where all the salmon smolts are being released. He also heard that it was about over because the stocking's done.

Hopefully with the acclimation nets being used more of the salmon can escape out to sea. Ed

[Covelo]

What about the Sac salmon smolts from Coleman Hatchery? Anyone know if they are being trucked downstream also?

It would be nice if at least half of the smolts made it out to the ocean, especially with the better conditions shaping up out there. Now we just have to wait 2 years. :(

[OceanSunfish]

I heard from a friend that the party boats have been getting 30+ striper limits in the area where all the salmon smolts are being released. He also heard that it was about over because the stocking's done.

Hopefully with the acclimation nets being used more of the salmon can escape out to sea. Ed

The particular party boat operator and associates are notoriously known for fishing the smolt release year after year after year. I remember years when their 'hotline' would boast about the quick and easy limits going as far as using the word "slaughter" in their reports. Those that know this operator's MO know that he's been a 'taker' for decades.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the 'notorious' operator didn't park his boat off Miner Slough back in December as we were releasing fish back into the slough via the pipe. :lol:

Bottom line, the entire situation from trucking 20.2 mil smolt bypassing their native river to black sheep party boat operators fishing the smolt releases is a sad sad picture of this state's sport fisheries.

It really is sad and pathetic. :roll:

[mike N]

They used to release smolts at the boat basin at Cal Maritime on the Carquinez straights. There used to be quite a line up fisfing for stripers. And there were many decent fish taken.

I wonder who tipped off the fish? :?

MN

[OceanSunfish]

I forgot to mention that with the closure to the salmon season it's a full on onslaught for stripers in the bay right now at the rockpiles and reefs.

It's really something how people in good consciousness can go off and kill whatever is left of our puny fishery. I guess it's true that since 1849, it's been nothing but an attitude of rape and plunder of Caifornia's natural resources for greed and profit.

As for whether or not Coleman particpated in the trucking program this year, I would have to assume they did because 20.2 million is awful lot of smolt to be producted by the Moke, American and Feather alone. I know it was stated that 10% of the raised smolt from Coleman would be trucked, but it must have been adjusted upward.

Nevertheless, I strongly believe that if the salmon fishery doesn't come back healthy and strong in 5 years, it's ovah! I think many fishing tackle manufacturers are quietly thinking the same too, IMO.

[burl51]

Well I didn't see it but if anyone did could they elaborate?
Last Sunday the 22nd there was a segment on 60 minutes about how the government is or isn't pumping money into the west coast salmon fishery.
Just wondering what it was about.

thanks in advance Burl

[flycaster5]

Well I didn't see it but if anyone did could they elaborate?
Last Sunday the 22nd there was a segment on 60 minutes about how the government is or isn't pumping money into the west coast salmon fishery.
Just wondering what it was about.

thanks in advance Burl

It was about the Snake River dams and the effort/money the federal government has spent trying to get around having to take the dams down.

IMHO, they could have done a much better job with the segment, but I suppose any publicity is good publicity.

You can probably catch it online.

[OceanSunfish]

What about the Sac salmon smolts from Coleman Hatchery? Anyone know if they are being trucked downstream also?
(

To update:

Yes, Coleman trucked about 10% of their smolt to the bay, equating to about 2.2 mil. Based on past figures, the Feather, American, and Moke would generate 18+ mil on their own, so the 20+ mil figure being mentioned to have been released in the bay this spring is reasonable.

Upwards of 40 mil smolt released is huge. IF nothing returns in 3 to 4 years, then it could very well be over unless there's some serious change with regards to water allocation, usage, and quality. (And, no, the stripers didn't eat all 40 mil smolt. :roll: )

[Covelo]

And, no, the stripers didn't eat all 40 mil smolt. Rolling Eyes

No but they ate 9% (if previous data are accurate) of those not released into pens which includes all wild fish, so still unacceptable to me. :)

40 mil sounds like a lot. How many were released in previous years?

[OceanSunfish]

And, no, the stripers didn't eat all 40 mil smolt. Rolling Eyes

No but they ate 9% (if previous data are accurate) of those not released into pens which includes all wild fish, so still unacceptable to me. :)

40 mil sounds like a lot. How many were released in previous years?

According to the data I've recorded from past years the smolt count for each hatchery has been:

American: 4 to 5 mil
Moke: 5.4 to 8 mil
Feather: 8 to 10 mil

Take the lowest numbers and you're at 17 mil plus the 20 or so million the Coleman hatchery did this year, and viola, approximately 37 to 40 million.

I think historically, the amount has been more like the low 30 million. Nevertheless, they can raise and release 100 million and if the habitat isn't fixed, it wouldn't matter.

[Darian]

Hmmmm,.... Seems to me that there may be a flaw in the following conclusion:


I think historically, the amount has been more like the low 30 million. Nevertheless, they can raise and release 100 million and if the habitat isn't fixed, it wouldn't matter.

Seems to me like it does matter whether the habitat is "fixed", regardless of the number raised. The hatchery system has created the impression that they can produce all of the fish (anadromous species) necessary at any time. Yet the overall return of all anadromous fish types is down from prior years; whether hatchery raised or naturally spawned.

A recent "Nature" program on PBS talked about the possibility of a period of accelerated capture/storage of carbon in the oceans of the world. Apparently, the result is the formation of sulphuric acid in the oceans. In the past, this event has been associated with periods of increased volcanic activity. This is a cyclical event in the historical record of this planet and is called an Oceanic Anoxic Event. The condition, when fully in affect, renders the oceans un-inhabitable for all but those who cannot live in a highly acidic environment. Now, if I understand the implications of early oceanic annoxia, this condition is not supportive of anadromous fish.

Anadromous species from the Delta must feed in and travel thru those areas or perish at sea. So, it's a situation involving diminishing returns. I'm certainly not saying that we're in one of those events, but the cycle has, supposedly been accelerated by industrialization and we could be in the early stages of one. According to a friend/manager in the Salmon restoration effort and recently retired from DFG, the ocean off California and Oregon has some large "dead" areas in them. The authors prior posts appears to only include the freshwater environment.

IMHO, if the overall habitat is not "fixed", this becomes a declining return/numbers game. If the ocean does not support anadromous fish, fewer will return each year until there won't be enough fish to provide eggs/milt for annual propagation. 8) 8)

[mike N]

I recall hearing somewhere that the decline may not be soley a result of mismanagementof the delta, but also due to deteriorating conditions in the ocean.

Perhasps these anoxic event in ancient history are one reason why anadromous species became anadromous in the first place. :?

MN

[OceanSunfish]

What I was implying was that the productivity of the hatcheries is moot if the "house" the smolt are released into is broken. Another way to put it is it does no good to dump all 30 million smolt into an untreated sewage pond or sent out to a dead sea.

We can only correct what we can control; water quality, restoring natural flows, and perhaps production/harvest. All difficult tasks given that CA is approximately 38 million and growing to 50 mil plus.

Ironically, striped bass would also benefit from the improvement to habitat. And, if the ocean is not able to support salmon, then all we have left is the striped bass as a signficant multi-fishable gamefish as I'm sure they will adapt.