Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3820 Sept 13-27 | Page 28

26
Sept 13-27, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 20
Salmon Groups Blast
Suppression of Federal Scientists,
Call for Action by California
SAN FRANCISCO – The federal
government continues to suppress scien-
tists who disagree with the anti-science
dogma promoted by Big Ag, Big Oil and
other corporate interests.
In the latest foray in the war on science,
federal salmon biologists’ warnings about
dangers to Chinook salmon and steelhead
poised by planned increased water diver-
sions by the Central Valley Water Project
have been suppressed by the Trump
administration.
The salmon warnings come as the federal
government finalizes plans to export more
northern California water to corporate agri-
business interests to irrigate the arid and
drainage-impaired land on the west side of
the San Joaquin Valley.
See the opinion here https://
drive.google.com/file/d/16X4gBC-
c6WI6MSSlM14dTwUQt2QoUYucu/
view
The LA Times reported on August 21
that the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) staff in California finalized a
biological opinion in early July that found
the operation of the massive system of
dams, canals, pumps and reservoirs jeop-
ardizes protected winter and spring run
salmon in the Central Valley, as well as
southern resident killer whales.
“The July 1 assessment, obtained by The
Times, outlines how proposed changes in
government water operations would harm
several species protected by the Endan-
gered Species Act, including perilously
low populations of winter-run salmon, as
well as steelhead trout and killer whales,
which feed on salmon,” reported Bettina
Boxall.
“But the 1,123-page document was
never released,” she wrote.
“Two days after federal scientists
submitted their review, called a biolog-
ical opinion, a regional fisheries official
pulled the document and replaced the
team that wrote it with a new group
tasked with revising it, as The Times
reported in July,” Boxall reported.
According to a statement from the
Golden Gate Salmon Association
(GGSA), “This jeopardy finding was
rejected by the political appointees over-
seeing the process. NMFS salmon biol-
ogists further recommended reasonable
and prudent alternatives for operating the
water project to minimize the damage to
wildlife, including salmon runs. but these
measures will now likely be ignored.”
The Department of Interior is
currently run by former Westlands Water
District and oil industry lobbyist David
Bernhardt, whose former client would
stand to profit greatly from the proposed
reoperation of the project.
The draft biological opinion determined
that the Trump Administration’s proposed
operations of the CVP and SWP would
result in declines to fall run Chinook
salmon, which are not ESA listed and are
the most important
salmon species
for commercial
and recreational
fishermen in Cali-
*Trolling
fornia, according
Motors
to the Pacific
Coast Federation
*Fishfinders
of Fishermen’s
*GPS
Associations
*VHF
(PCFFA). However,
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*Batteries
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and
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whales when they migrate south.
stands on the bill. The bill calls for state
“While the National Marine Fisheries
adoption of federal Obama era salmon and
Service is currently evaluatingwhether to
other wildlife protections until the state has
curtail salmon fisheries to provide additional time to review and potentially revise them.
salmon for whales, and the state of Wash-
“The bill is aimed at protecting state fish
ington has taken action to produce more
and wildlife from excessive water diver-
salmon for whales, including a pledgeof
sions the Trump administration, under
$1.1 billion as part of a blue ribbon orca task Secretary David Bernhardt, is trying to
force, the Trump Administration appears
force through,” said McManus.
poised to take actions that will result in even
“It’s clear that Interior Secretary David
more death and hardship for the endangered
Bernhardt is politically interfering to
orcas,” PCFFA said.
direct more water to his former clients, the
The Gavin Newsom administration and
Westlands Water District, at the expense of
the California Legislature have not yet
salmon, killer whales and other species,”
undertaken any parallel actions to produce
said McManus. “Bernhardt seems deter-
additional salmon for Southern Resident
mined to follow the footsteps of Ryan
Killer Whales to eat that would help save the Zinke and Scott Pruitt to reward political
species while creating a buffer that would
cronies while thumbing his nose at the law.
allow commercial fishing and inland river
This time he’s messing with salmon fishing
guide jobs to survive, PCFFA said.
families in California and we won’t be
PCFFA said the only bill in the state
silenced.”
legislature that would accelerate additional
Reacting to the news that Southern
salmon production, Senate Bill 69 (also
Resident Killer Whales are included in the
known as the Ocean Resilience Act of
list of species that would be jeopardized
2019), authored by Senator Scott Wiener
by the Department of the Interior plan,
(D-San Francisco), is currently pending in
Oppenheim concluded:
Sacramento.
“We must produce more salmon, not
“California could also take defensive
less, for Southern Resident Killer Whales’
action to protect its rivers, species, and
dietary needs. The Department of the
fisheries form the Trump Administration.
Interior is content to put fewer fish in the
Senate Bill 1, authored by Senate President
ocean, starving orcas and fishermen alike,
Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), would
but we are not content with their plans. The
create backstops against any Administration
state of California must take action to resist
rollbacks of protections for ESA-listed fish
these environmental rollbacks and increase
in the Central Valley Project,” PCFFA noted. the salmon productivity of the Central
“This bill is the smart approach for the state
Valley.”
to take in light of today’s revelations.”
Regina Chichizola of Save California’s
Commercial salmon fishermen, repre-
Salmon, referring to the front page of the
sented by PCFFA, were disappointed with
leaked Endangered Species Report for
the Trump Administration’s actions, saying
the Trump water plan, said, “There is no
the administration “is once again showing its analysis of the impacts to the Trinity and
true colors.”
Klamath fisheries beyond measures to
“The Department of the Interior is once
make sure the diversion into Clear Creek
again showing its true colors by subverting
and Whiskeytown get more water. Because
the scientific process to serve its clients
fall chinook are not listed, they take the
in corporate agriculture, no matter which
biggest hit (as do the Tribes and fishing
endangered fish or whales get in the way,”
industry). This is reflected in the orca
said Noah Oppenheim, executive director of
impacts.”
PCFFA. “Will the state of California let the
In addition to Trump administration
Trump Administration strike a brutal blow in moves in California, the White House also
the water wars, one that it can see coming,
recently overrode the EPA and ordered
or will it take a defensive stand?”
it to drop opposition to the Pebble Mine
The Golden Gate Salmon Association
in Alaska, located on top of the richest
(GGSA) also reacted with dismay to the
spawning grounds in the world for sockeye
latest news of the Trump administration’s
salmon, added McManus.
suppression of science to benefit corporate
agribusiness.
“If the federal
government gets away
with this water grab,
California’s salmon
runs will be badly
damaged, and likely
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