Friday
May132011
Pricks of the Week - The San Joaquin River Group
Friday, May 13, 2011 at 12:00AM 
A group of irrigators in California's Central Valley filed suit against federal fish managers for their plan to open the waters off the California coast for the first full commercial salmon season in years. The farmers argue that the federal government violated the endangered species act in allowing the fishery, and are concerned if salmon continue to decline in the central valley that irrigation withdrawls will be sacrificed to protect fish.
LINK (Via: Osprey Steelhead News)
tagged pricks of the week in News
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Reader Comments (4)
Why are these guys pricks? They have had massive amounts of irrigation water cut off in order to protect the Delta smelt. Why should they not force the federal government to also protect the salmon population that, while showing increased numbers this year (for the first time in years), is far from "recovered"?
The SJ Delta is a very sensitive part of the California environment and striking a balance between the massive irrigation needs of California farmers (on whom most of you schmucks depend for your food) and the needs of the salmon, the smelt and the thousands of other wildlife that depend on the delta ecosystem is a commitment that needs vigilance on the part of groups like these "pricks".
Or, I guess according to the author of this knee-jerk posting, we would be better off letting the feds do it for us - at least when it meets the needs of anglers. We all know how good the feds are at management.
California is a lost cause...over 80% of all the salmon and steelhead originate from a hatchery...
And every major water shed outside of the Smith has dams....But lets not forget that if the Ag industry really wanted to look out for the fish they would change their practices...
+1 for the prof
Well said professor. We need to strike a balance btween protecing our resources, feeding ourselves, and our recreational interests. Farmers and natural resources can live together and benefit each other while providing the recreational opportunities we want.