Page 11 - August2020-NBY News

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
“This year was especially challenging with commercial fisheries and their return
Is it Really Safe to Go Into the coastline overall, the likelihood of the restrictions involved due to COVID-19,” rates. The last stage is releasing them in a
Water? coming face-to-face with a shark is said Colin Purdy. “But rearing, tagging and variety of locations and in a manner that
Question: My family would like to extremely slim. Two much more releasing these young salmon was vital and balances maximum survival for
rent a house at Stinson Beach in common dangers are rip currents essential to the future of our Chinook salmon commercial and recreational fisheries and
August. I feel silly asking this, but are (which occur statewide) and stingrays stocks in the Central Valley. The whole protection of genetic fitness to ensure
sharks a legitimate concern for beach (in warmer Southern California process started last fall when eggs were long-term survival of the species. Releases
visitors in California? Are attacks waters). taken at the hatcheries.” take place at various locations along their
more common when there are more So, before you dip your toes into In 2019, an estimated 271,697 Chinook home rivers, downstream in the
people in the water, or have I been the ocean, take a look around for any salmon were harvested off the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and
watching too many horror movies? posted warning notices by local California coast by commercial into net pens in San Pablo Bay or along the
(Kate) authorities. Being informed is part of fishermen, while approximately 88,464 coast.
Answer: Since 1950, there have been staying safe. You probably won’t see were caught by recreational anglers and Giant tanker trucks specially modified
191 shark incidents in California, 14 a shark, but we hope you enjoy the inland river fishermen reeled in more to carry salmon smolts are used to release
of which were fatal. Most of these beauty of our spectacular Pacific than 28,000. The four Central Valley millions of smolts from late February
injuries (and all the fatalities) were Ocean. hatcheries operated by CDFW, and until June. They deliver hundreds of
caused by white sharks - that’s the Coleman National Fish Hatchery thousands of smolts weekly, via more
species you typically see portrayed as operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife than 50 individual releases. In most cases
predators on-screen. In reality, CDFW Hatcheries Service, produced the bulk of the 2019 three to five truckloads of smolts are
marine biologists do not believe that Complete Release of harvest. California’s commercial and delivered during each release. The Feather
white sharks intentionally target 20 Million Young recreational salmon fishery is estimated River Hatchery routinely releases smolts
humans as prey. White sharks Salmon to generate more than $500 million in into San Pablo Bay, a 250-mile roundtrip,
typically feed on pinniped Hatcheries operated annual income. while the longest run is from Mokelumne
populations (like seals), and from by the California Department of Fish Feather River Hatchery produced 6.4 Hatchery to Monterey, at 340 miles.
their vantage point, a swimmer or and Wildlife (CDFW) in the Central million fall-run Chinook salmon and “The coordination and logistics of spawning,
surfer might look a lot like a seal or Valley just completed the final release 1.75 million spring-run Chinook rearing, tagging, transporting and releasing
sea lion. of young Chinook salmon raised this salmon. Nimbus Fish Hatchery millions of smolts is a challenging job under
year. More than 20 million young produced 4.4 million fall-run Chinook normal circumstances,” Purdy said. “More
salmon, called smolts, raised in four salmon and Merced River Hatchery than 100 employees, from fish pathologists to
state-run hatcheries were released in produced 1.1 million fall-run Chinook hatchery managers, staff and truck drivers,
various locations throughout the salmon. Mokelumne River Hatchery have to be scheduled throughout the cycle, well
Sacramento and San Joaquin River produced 4.3 million fall-run Chinook in advance of final release of fish. In light of this
systems, the Delta, San Pablo Bay and salmon for their mitigation program, year’s rapidly evolving conditions and
into a coastal net pen. and an additional 3 million (also fall- challenges, the completion of our 2020 releases
Interestingly, even as the state’s These fish will return as adults to run) for the Commercial Salmon is an especially sweet success.”
population has greatly increased and Central Valley tributaries to spawn in Trollers Enhancement and Restoration Hatchery workers typically have a wide
more people than ever are visiting two to five years. They will provide a Program. range of job skills, making it possible to
the beach to surf, swim and scuba bulk of the commercial and sport catch Once the hatcheries rear the young keep operations running even though
dive, the number of shark incidents of Chinook salmon off the California salmon, the second phase of CDFW’s hiring, training and supervising new
has not increased proportionally. And coast. Similarly, annual returns of work is to tag a defined portion of the workers during the last few months was
while it’s true that incidents have hatchery reared salmon provide a large total production with tiny coded wire not possible.
been reported in almost every coastal portion of the in-river sport fishing tags to allow scientist to track their
county, when you consider the catch of Chinook salmon. eventual contribution to sport and Each of CDFW hatcheries receives
number of people who visit the operational funding from various water
managers, utility districts and water
districts to provide mitigation for habitat
RESOURCES ANYONE NEED ASSISTANCE? lost due to dams. In addition, more than
CHECK OUT THE RESOURCES
$250,000 in funding was provided by the
AVAILABLE BELOW:
The (ARA) Alliance for Retired Americans The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) RESOURCES ~ There are thousands of commercial salmon industry to help raise
is a national organization that advocates for 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 600 3 million smolts to benefit commercial
the rights and well-being of over 4.4 million Alexandria, VA 223145 federal, state, and private benefit ocean salmon fisheries.
retirees and their families. www.SeniorsLeague.org programs that help pay for prescription Interested on serving on a jury?
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I have a can of gray and a can
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painted.
August 2020 11