Here Comes the Judge

On Feb. 19 the Native Fish Society and The McKenzie Flyfishers filed a request in Oregon’s U.S. District Court asking for a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction that forbids the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from setting hatchery smolts free in the Sandy or its tributaries this spring.

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The state of Oregon NOAA Fisheries, joined by three sport fishing organizations, say that the operation of northwest Oregon’s Sandy Hatchery under newly approved federal guidelines is legal and does not jeopardize wild salmon and steelhead protected under the Endangered Act.

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It all goes in front of the judge on Wednesday.

Who are the three sportfishing groups going to bat for hatchery fish along with the state and the feds?

The Association of Northwest Steelheaders

The Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association

The Northwest Guide's and Anglers Association.

Court of Appeals Issues Landmark Ruling Concerning Effects of Three Pesticides on Salmon Species

On February 21, 2013, a three judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous landmark decision in Dow Agrosciences v. National Marine Fisheries Service setting aside a Biological Opinion (BiOp) prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that found that use of the pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion could jeopardize the viability of certain species of salmon and their habitat.

This new decision will have far-reaching consequences because of the large number of pesticides that may be subject to referral to either the NMFS or the Fish and Wildlife Service (the Services) in connection with previous actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during pesticide reregistration or future actions by EPA during registration review.

LINK (via: Environmental Expert)

Lake Tahoe is no goldfish bowl

“We believe that these goldfish were originally introduced to Lake Tahoe by well-intentioned pet owners.”

(via:USDA)

Wild Steelhead Victory!

Some good news from the Native Fish Society

Thanks to continued pressure from our Save Sandy Salmon Campaign, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) suspended its collection of wild winter steelhead this year for its hatchery programs in the Sandy, Clackamas, Santiam, McKenzie and Middle Fork Willamette Rivers.

Hundreds of wild steelhead will be free to spawn in their natal streams this spring instead of being captured and spawned artificially to boost hatchery numbers!

The comments in the Oregon Live article are a good read.

Air-Spawning Steelhead - A Photographic Journey

Photo: Angela Feldmann

For the past three years staff from Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries (NPT), Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), and the University of Idaho (UI) have come to the Dworshak hatchery to collect female North Fork Cleawater steelhead for their kelt reconditioning program.

LINK (via: The Fish Ladder)

Tunanomics: the story of the million dollar fish

Japan went wild when a single tuna sold for $1.7m. But far from being a cause for celebration, the record price reveals a species that's sinking fast.

LINK (via: The Independent)