PDA

View Full Version : Salmon-Steelhead Stakeholders meet with NMFS



Mike McKenzie
02-13-2009, 12:28 PM
On Tuesday February 3rd, 2009 a coalition of recreational, commercial, environmental and fishery conservation group leaders met with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Sacramento to discuss government actions to restore the California salmon and steelhead fisheries. There were approximately 30 stakeholders present representing a broad range of businesses and organizations. Representatives from The American Sportfishing Association and Maurice Sporting Goods could not attend the meeting but sent strong letters to NMFS supporting recovery actions. This was the second meeting of the participants. The Government participants were:

Rod McInnis – Regional Director of NMFS
Maria Rea – Sacramento Area Office Supervisor NMFS
Russ Strach – Asst. Director Protected Species NMFS
Churchill Grimes – Director of Fisheries Ecology NMFS
Bruce McFarlane – Research Scientist NMFS
Bruce Oppenheim – Biologist, Upper Sacramento NMFS
Jeff Stuart – Biologist, The Delta NMFS
Chris Yates – Long Beach Protected Resources NMFS
John McCamman – Chief Deputy Director, Calif. Fish and Game
Neil Manji – Chief of Fisheries, Calif. Fish and Game
Dan Castleberry – Regional Fisheries Program Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The National Marine Fisheries Service has the broad authority and responsibility
to protect and restore marine fisheries under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 2004
the agency issued a biological opinion (Opinion) covering the effects of water project
operations (CVP and SWP) on listed Central Valley salmon and steelhead species. As a
result of litigation brought by NRDC and Earth Justice on behalf of many of these same
fishing groups, this Opinion was later found to violate the ESA by the court and the agency
was directed to issue a new Opinion by March of 2009. The agency has spent the last two
years studying fish losses and corrective measures. In December, 2008 they issued a
draft biological opinion. Since that time they have been communicating the results and the
new operational requirements with the state and federal water agencies and others whose
operations impact on listed species. The purpose of the stakeholders meeting was to
communicate progress and get feedback on options.

NMFS started the meeting with a review of its preliminary findings for the 2009 OCAP
Opinion on the Central Valley’s State and Federal water projects. In the context of OCAP,
NMFs discussed the primary stressors and threats to salmon in the Central Valley
watersheds and their conclusions about the greatest sources of fish mortality caused by
the projects. The biological studies were very impressive and the reports were well
documented. In summary, the major causes of the declines were listed as follows.

1. In the Upper Sacramento, high water temperatures have been a major contributor to
spawning and egg mortality. The cause relates to too little carry-over water in Lake Shasta
to be used in late summer and early fall to support returning fish. Water is over-committed
downstream and the impact is complicated by the reductions of diversions from the Trinity
River, as directed by the Federal Court. The Trinity must now get at least 40% of its
historical flows, which has reduced cold water diversions into the Sacramento. One study
puts the egg loss of Fall Run fish at 10% because of these conditions. High water
temperatures also cause major losses of steelhead in the American River.

2. The loss of juveniles between the Upper Sacramento River and the Delta is staggering.
Only 20 % of the fish make it to the Delta from Red Bluff. The Red Bluff Dam was cited as
one major contributor to these losses. Delayed migration, stress going through the dam
and high predator mortality below the dam were cited as primary factors.

3. The Delta also exhibits staggering losses. Indirect losses in the Central Delta were
found to be far more significant than losses from direct impingement at the state and
federal pumps. With the cross channel gates open at the head of the Delta it was
determined that 65% of the juveniles perish as they are drawn into the Delta interior.
When the gates are closed, more than 50% survive.

4. At the pumps themselves, only 16.5% of the juveniles survive at the state facility and
only 35% survive at the federal pumps. Once fish are pulled into Clifton Court Forebay
nearly all of them are lost. The net total loss in the Delta is approximately 60% of the fish
entering the system. This number does not include those lost prior to getting to the Delta.

5. Endangered steelhead survival out of the San Joaquin is near zero. Flows and
predation are major problems. Much of the complication for the San Joaquin out migrants
is the negative flows in Old and Middle River. Fish are unable to move to the North Delta
because of these southward moving flows.
Overall, when the Sacramento River survival of 20% is combined with the Delta survival of
40%, only 8% of the smolts make it to the West Delta. It is obvious why the runs have
crashed.

The conclusions of these studies are grim. The conclusions are significant alone but when
combined with the losses of historic habitat for the salmon, toxicity problems, droughts,
climate change, variable ocean conditions and all other stressors, the Central Valley calls
out for a complete overhaul. There is no question that several runs are headed to
extinction. The endangered Winter Run recovered to 15,000 returning spawners in 1995
but in 2008 dropped back to only about 3,000 fish. At the current levels, the run is not
replenishing itself.

If there is good news in these studies, they now pinpoint the real damage done by the
operations of the water projects to fisheries and how they have contributed to the fishery
declines. Sound science has uncovered the truth and it is now incumbent on the state and
federal governments to repair the damage.

As a result of these studies, the NMFS Opinion currently concludes jeopardy for all three
salmon species, green sturgeon and the southern resident killer whale species. The
Opinion also concludes the water projects would likely result in the adverse modification or
destruction of critical habitat for the three salmon species. Jeopardy and adverse
modifications indicate that the OCAP process cannot move forward as planned. Under the
Endangered Species Act such a finding requires that conditions must change. NMFS is
now working on what are called “reasonable and prudent alternatives”. They were not able
to reveal the final actions, as they are still in the process of developing them with the
Bureau of Reclamation and the Dept of Water Resources. They left the impression that
they are seriously dealing with the problems and changes will come about. NMFS has
requested a 90 day delay from the court in order to better complete this work. If this is
approved, the final decisions will be made public on June 2nd.

The meeting then moved to other subjects. Chris Yates gave a report on the NMFS steps
that are underway to deal with changes in the ocean fishery to protect the Winter Run.
The current plan expires in early 2010 and a new plan must be in force before that date. A
number of stakeholders expressed deep concern about this issue because the Winter Run
declines have very little to do with the ocean.

The meeting then moved to a discussion of hatcheries. The stakeholders expressed a
number of concerns about the hatcheries and hatchery programs. With the complete
collapse of the natural runs and the terrible current river conditions, fishermen are more
dependent on hatcheries than ever. Yet there is continuing pressure from the some of the
agencies and others to minimize hatchery production and programs like trucking in order to
rebuild the natural runs. The position of the fishermen is clear. Without aggressive
hatchery production there will likely never be a fishing season again in California. The
discussion turned to ways that hatcheries can support the short range while at the same
time the natural runs can be enhanced for the longer range. The trick is how to do both at once.
Several agency staff members agreed that California has to have hatcheries if we
are going to have fishing in the short run. All parties agreed we have to also enhance
production from the few remaining wild stocks. Unfortunately, the natural rebuilding
process is going to be very slow and it is going to cost a lot of money.

Two suggestions were made.

1. Ask the agencies to assemble a top scientific task force to study the best ways we can
have hatchery production and also improve the wild stock runs and genetics. The
stakeholders will write a letter on this with suggestions.

2. Assemble an ad hoc committee of the agency hatchery experts and some commercial
and recreational fishermen to review short range options.

The overall response to the meeting by the stakeholders was positive. They were deeply
disturbed with the losses but they expressed hope and optimism that we are now on the
threshold of major changes for the better. They congratulated NMFS on the studies and
thanked them for their openness in the meeting.

The NMFS Regional Director, Rod McInnis, suggested a next meeting
when NMFS finishes its recovery plan for Central Valley steelhead, and Spring and Winter-run Chinook.