Golden Gate Salmon Association

DFG Begins New Study to Increase Survival of Out-Migrating Juvenile Salmon

jenelle — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:00:39 +0000

As reported in Lake County News Reports on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the California Department of Fish and Game has begun it’s trial barging of salmon smolts down the Sacramento River for release into the San Francisco Bay. This marks the beginning of a multi-year committment to study survival and spawn return rates resulting from the barging effort.

Submit Your Photos & Stories!

jenelle — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:43:28 +0000

Do you have fish/fishing photos to share? How about stories? We’d love to include your original photos and fish stories in upcoming website and Fish Tales updates. Please send your entries to Cathy at Catherine@ggsa.co or at 1370 Auto Center … Continue reading →

KSRO Interview With Victor Gonella

jenelle — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:38:15 +0000

Victor Gonella talks with KSRO’s Curtiss Kim about this year’s salmon season, and what it means for fishermen, anglers, and consumers:

http://www.ksro.com/Programs/KSROAMNews/Interviews/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10383627

Fishing Fleet Sues Feds Because Water Exports Hurt Salmon

jenelle — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:39:18 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03 May 2012

Contact Information:

Zeke Grader (415) 561-5080

Larry Collins: (415) 585 5711

Stephan Volker (510) 496-0600

Fishing Fleet Sues Feds—Says Water Exports Hurt Salmon

San Francisco, May 3 – Commercial fishermen say they have had ‘enough’ and they are taking

the federal government to court. The issue is the decades old practice of rolling over excessive

so-called ‘interim water’ contracts—mostly with large Central Valley irrigators—without

following the law.

The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and the Crab Boat Owners

Association (CBOA) filed suit Monday in the Northern Federal District Court of California,

challenging the United States Bureau of Reclamation [Reclamation] practice of promising

excessive amounts of water to contractors regardless of the water year or impacts on valuable

fish stocks or the environment.

Reclamation is breaking the law, the fishing organizations say, by taking far too much water

from the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta – San Francisco Bay Estuary and by failing to

consider impacts on wild fish nurseries in the estuary and upstream river valleys. These water

contract renewals should be stopped until proper environmental review is completed.

“For decades Reclamation has gone around Congress and the law,” declared Zeke Grader,

PCFFA Executive Director. “Reclamation has blessed the destruction of the Bay Delta estuary,

while sanctioning excessive water exports under ‘interim water service contracts.’”

Background

In 1992, Congress directed Reclamation not to issue long term water contracts without pricing

reforms and full environmental review of the impacts of importing this irrigation water along

with the impacts to the communities, and river habitat where the water is taken. Instead

Reclamation has adopted contract language that it “will renew” these interim contracts,

conducting environmental review which overlooks the impacts of taking this water from river

regions and then delivering it to the toxic lands on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

“Continually extending existing water exports treats these badlands irrigators like sacred cows,”

explained Larry Collins, President of the S.F. Crab Boat Owners Association. “Exorbitant

amounts of water are being exported to benefit large corporate irrigators at the expense of the

entire west coast fishing industry,” he said. “Cotton & almond growers get their cheap water.

Meanwhile fishing, especially salmon, suffers. Jobs are lost. There are fewer salmon for us,

and for our visitors. And the quality of life along the Delta and rivers degrades.”

The fishing fleet challenges Reclamation’s practice of issuing ‘Findings of No Significant

Impacts’ on supposed ‘temporary” or interim water renewal contracts that have been extended

for more than 20 years. This practice effectively allows extreme water export levels while

ignoring the impacts of those diversions on the Delta Estuary and source water.

The suit explains how exorbitant water diversions have brought 17 species of fish native to the

Delta to extinction and how only 12 indigenous species now survive. Habitat for Sacramento

River winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon, and

the Delta smelt has worsened progressively over the last several years from excessive Delta

water exports by Reclamation’s Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Those

exports decrease freshwater outflows to San Francisco Bay and increase salinity and the

concentration of herbicides, pesticides and toxic agricultural runoff, in the estuary.

“Based on outdated water needs assessments and assuming that the current excessive water

exports at present quantities and prices will have “no effect on the environment”, Reclamation’s

environmental assessment process is nothing more than a charade,” stated Stephan Volker, the

attorney representing the groups.

PCFFA is an umbrella organization of associations representing working men and women in the

West Coast commercial fishing fleet. Crab Boat Owners Association represents commercial

fishing vessel owners and crew in the greater San Francisco Bay Area engaged in crab, salmon,

rockfish, herring and a variety of other fisheries.

The Santa Rosa Annual Dinner happens on Friday, June 8, 2012

jenelle — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:59:50 +0000

Buy your tickets now for the Santa Rosa Annual Dinner! Click here to purchase!

A big thanks to all who joined us for GGSA’s inaugural dinner in Sacramento – it was fabulous, and you won’t want to miss out on the next one! Look forward to our next dinner in Santa Rosa on June 8. Get your tickets now, because last year was sold out in advance!

The menu will be delicious, and our well-stocked bar features cocktails, an array of beers, and those great Sonoma, Napa, and California wines that we love.

Bid on our great collection of auction items, including one-of-a-kind treasures. And of course, we’ll hold our trademark raffle – you don’t want to miss this! GGSA’s dinner in Santa Rosa is your opportunity to have a great time and support the salmon we all value so much we call it King. See you there!

Lodi Sponsor Dinner – Saturday, June 16, 2012

jenelle — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:49:48 +0000

Join us for GGSA’s First Annual Sponsor Dinner at the Thomas Estate in Lodi on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Randy and Julie Thomas’ home is located at 930 Peltier Road in Lodi.

It will be a wonderful night featuring hors d’oevres, cocktails, dinner and dancing! Of course, in true GGSA tradition, we’ll hold a silent and open auction. A special treat will be wines by Van Ruiten Family Winery, and dinner catered by Bud’s Seafood Grill.

Join GGSA and the Thomas family to support the water, habitat, and salmon –and everyone who fishes commercially and recreationally for California’s wild salmon.

Tickets are limited, so get them now! You can call us for tickets: Jenelle at 855-251-GGSA (4472), or link in for tickets below. Tickets are $125 per person, $250 per couple, and will NOT be sold at the door.

http://goldengatesalmonassociation.com/events/june-16-2012-lodi-sponsor-dinner/

Agency Records Reveal Oroville Dam Plan Likely Harmful to Protected Fish

jenelle — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:52:35 +0000

For Immediate Release

April 26, 2012

Contact:
Victor Gonella, GGSA, 855-251-GGSA
Bill Jennings, CSPA, 209-464-5067
Jim McCarthy, McCarthy Consulting (GGSA contractor on Petition), 541-941-9450

Agency Records Reveal Oroville Dam Plan Likely Harmful to Protected Fish
Fishing groups petition State Board to address green sturgeon and salmon threats

Petaluma, CA – The Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) and California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) have petitioned the state Water Quality Control Board to re-write terms of a clean water certification for a massive state-run dam complex on the Feather River near Oroville, California.

The groups were moved to action following a GGSA Freedom of Information Act request that demonstrated green sturgeon spawn much further upstream on the Feather River than previously acknowledged. Through the request, fishing advocates learned that during high flow in the Feather River in late 2010 and early 2011, the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) documented the presence of green sturgeon at the river’s uppermost barrier to anadromous fish. The first-ever scientific evidence of green sturgeon spawning in the Feather River was also collected at this time. DWR efforts to reduce flows likely drove sturgeon out of the uppermost accessible river reaches and may have interfered with spawning there, in possible violation of the federal Endangered Species Act.

The appeal to the state board comes as the National Marine Fisheries Service is writing a biological opinion on how dam operations will affect the Feather River’s federally protected salmon and sturgeon runs. The dam complex is currently undergoing a relicensing process to set new state and federal rules governing operation of the facilities for the next 30 to 50 years.

The state Water Resources Control Board is charged with protecting the public trust resources all Californians share, including its wildlife. The state board approved the certification under the faulty assumption the waters below the dam were not used by green sturgeon. Accordingly, the Board’s certification does not provide sufficient springtime flows for green sturgeon to access much of the newly discovered river habitat, except in the wettest of years. Improved green sturgeon flows under a revised certification would also greatly improve survival of baby Feather River salmon during their annual springtime migration to the sea.

“Our records request turned up evidence that green sturgeon were not adequately considered in the certification.” said Victor Gonella, GGSA’s President. “We’re asking the Board to amend the certification to provide more water to attract and successfully spawn green sturgeon. We’re confident this action will have positive impacts on salmon runs as well, and help maintain the jobs, food production, world-class recreation, and economic activity healthy salmon runs can provide.”

“Greater springtime flows released from Lake Oroville will help green sturgeon and salmon. Salmon will have more of a burst of water to carry them safely downstream and out to sea if the state board issues a protective order,” said Bill Jennings, CSPA Executive Director.

The dam complex, operated by DWR and commonly known as the Oroville Facilities, make up part of the State Water Project. The dams take a heavy toll on fish, cutting off access to 66.9 miles of habitat for salmon upstream. They also negatively impact downstream salmon habitat, water temperature, water quality, and natural flows needed by fish. The river below the facility is vitally important for commercially-valuable fall-run Chinook salmon and also designated as critical habitat for Central Valley spring-run Chinook and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service lists the Feather River as critical for green sturgeon survival.

“This relicensing process represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve conditions for salmon and other fish in the Feather River,” said Gonella of GGSA. “Our salmon-dependent communities and business have suffered heavily in recent years, largely as a result of poor water management in the Central Valley. We’re working to ensure that any new rules protect salmon, so we won’t ever again have the kind of disastrous, jobs-destroying collapse of the salmon runs that we saw in 2008, 2009, and 2010.”

The certification in question, granted in December 2010 by the state Board as part of the relicensing process, contains conditions relating to water quality and fish. Although the certification has already been issued, the Board can modify it based on new information. GGSA and CSPA believe the new information they have presented will spur the Board to revise and improve its requirements relating to fish.

To view the groups’ petition and its attachments, please visit the following link:

http://goldengatesalmonassociation.com/2012/04/26/oroville-hydroelectric-project-petition/

Oroville Hydroelectric Project Petition

jenelle — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:49:36 +0000

Oroville Petition

Oroville Petition Attachments

New GGSA Press Release – April 20, 2012

jenelle — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:36:14 +0000

Contact:

Jenelle Perinoni, Golden Gate Salmon Association, jenelle@ggsa.co (855) 251-GGSA

Statement from Golden Gate Salmon Association President Victor Gonella on California Fish & Game Commission adoption of ocean and inland salmon seasons:

“We’re looking forward to better salmon fishing this year thanks in part to a more balanced use of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waters in recent years which has left enough water to grow a healthy salmon run.

Consumers can look forward to the best salmon in the world at their local markets. Both sport and commercial salmon fishermen will be out fishing and contributing to the economic vitality of the state, especially the coastal regions and the Sacramento Valley. If you want to go fishing, contact one our many fine charter boats and they’ll do their best to get you on the fish.

We expect a lot of salmon to swim into San Francisco Bay on their way to spawn in Central Valley rivers this summer and fall. Water managers will need to retain enough cold water to help this valuable fish reproduce.”

The Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) is a coalition of salmon advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fishermen, businesses, restaurants, tribes, environmentalists, elected officials, families and communities that rely on salmon. GGSA has a board composed of representatives of this diverse community, which reaches from Oregon to the California Central Coast, through the Bay-Delta and up a dozen rivers in the Central Valley.

Fish & Game Commission press release at:

http://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/commission-adopts-salmon-season-regulation-packages/

GGSA Comments to The State Water Resources Control Board

jenelle — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:07:33 +0000

GGSA offers comments and suggestions to The State Water Resources Control Board. On February 21, 2012 GGSA responded to the Board’s request for public comment on the Water Board schedule for Delta Plan actions relating to the BDCP.