CSPA Action Alert: Legislation to Eradicate Striped Bass Introduced

CSPA Action Alert: Legislation to Eradicate Striped Bass Introduced
by Dan Bacher
Friday Mar 20th, 2009 10:50 AM

Assemblywoman Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), at the behest of San Joaquin Valley agribusiness, has introduced legislation to eradicate striped bass in order to divert attention from the catastrophic impacts of water exports from the California Delta on delta smelt, longfin smelt, Central Valley chinook salmon, green sturgeon, southern resident killer whales and other imperiled species. Here is the action alert from John Beuttler, conservation director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance:

CSPA Action Alert 3-18-09

Legislation to Eradicate Striped Bass Fisheries Introduced! We need your letters and support!

AB 1253 (Fuller) Would abort the management of the public's striped bass fishery, open it to unlimited harvest, and send it to oblivion.

Apparently not satisfied that the litigation filed last year by agricultural interests will succeed, Assembly Woman Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) has introduced legislation to eradicate the fishery. She’s the front person for certain corporate agricultural growers and irrigation districts in the Central Valley that believe it is fine to destroy a public fishery to enhance their economic interests. They justify this based upon the contention that striped bass predation of ESA listed species impacts their ability to receive water from the Delta.

Unfortunately, their stealth attacks have gone unnoticed by most of the public, the state’s recreational fishing industry and anglers. But, don’t interpret this lack of awareness as meaning they are not deadly serious! They don’t want you to know it, but they are attacking sport fishing in the state because it has gotten in the way of their power play to eliminate anything they think stops them from getting water out of the Delta.

AB 1253 would prohibit the possession, importing, shipping, transporting, or planting of striped bass in any water within the state. It would fine any person who violates that prohibition up to $10,000. The bill would require the Department of Fish and Game to adopt regulations to carry out these provisions and it deletes all harvest restrictions that currently protect striped bass from commercialization. The bill would also delete the striped bass fishery from the fisheries for which Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp revenues are to be used.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/20/18579663.php

it needs to go, by whatever means necessary.