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CalTrout Study Reveals Strains on California's Native Coldwater Fish: 65% Could be Gone in 100 years

By Tom Chandler 11/20/2008

If you needed an excuse to get out and go fishing now, then CalTrout may have done you a favor with yesterday's release of "SOS: California's Native Fish Crisis" report (compiled by Dr. Peter Moyle, a heavy hitter in fish biology circles).

The bullet points? They're not pretty:

  • If present trends continue, 65% of native salmon, steelhead, and trout species will be extinct within 100 years or sooner.

  • Sixty-five percent of the species headed towards extinction are found only in California

  • Of the state's 22 anadromous fish species (which spawn in freshwater and live most of their adult lives in the ocean), 59% are in danger of extinction

  • Of the state's nine living native inland fish, 78% are in danger of extinction


Click to download a copy of

Here's the lead from the Press Release:

San Francisco, CA – Fish and watershed advocacy group California Trout today released the first-ever comprehensive report chronicling the status of each of California's native fish species (salmon, steelhead, and trout). SOS: California's Native Fish Crisis was written and researched by Dr. Peter Moyle, UC Davis professor and renowned expert on California's water systems and the fish that inhabit them.

In truth, the news isn't that surprising; many of the region-specific trout sub-species are relegated to tiny redoubts and hybridizing with introduced populations, and the over-allocation of California's water resources is severely stressing salmon, steelhead populations.

CalTrout notes fishing is a $2 Billion industry in California, and the Trout Underground would like to note that the fishing part of the state's economy could be sustainable (largely "free") - given a modicum of clean, cold water and a little attention.

The find out more (and find links to the report, which features the attractive cover shown above), simply click on the link: "SOS: California's Native Fish Crisis"

To read the report itself, click here.

See you reading, Tom Chandler.
AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

8 comments
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@Eddie, thanks for the link :) It seemed things are going horribly for fisheries everywhere, then I caught the tail end of Nat. Geo feature on how well regulated Alaska's fisheries are, maybe there's something we could apply to a few more perhaps?
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[...] Best go fishing now, conservationist/writer Ted Williams noted in his introduction to this item posted to his blog at Fly Rod amp; Reel magazine#8217;s [...]
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here is the sustainable seafood guide
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i am also much more concerned with the saltwater fish population. i carry a very comprehensive guide on sustainable seafood put out by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Tom, I am sure you've heard of this guide. What do you think of it? Eddie * Wholesum Organic Clothing *
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Rough: You brownline types could rule the fly fishing world one day - better start trademarking the obvious names now ('Red Horse fly rods” has a nice ring). Redhorse aren't spared from these threats either TC. At least Canada has the right frame of mind to protect some of these "other" fish alongside your prized blue ribbon trout. At the current rate, the only thing we'll be fishing for are carp ... more and pikeminnows. I've already called dibs on the patent for the carp switch rod .
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Rough: You brownline types could rule the fly fishing world one day - better start trademarking the obvious names now ('Red Horse fly rods" has a nice ring). Kbarton: Hell, I thought I was apocalyptic (see my latest post above).
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A multitude of scientists have gone on record that the world's oceans will be depleted by 2040 - meaning 70-90% of each commercial fishery currently harvested will be gone. I'm honestly more concerned about saltwater than fresh, and regrettably have resigned myself to the knowledge that our historic species, and their historic distribution, are toast. Squeezed by the press of humanity, without any ... more champion other than private groups who bemoan their loss - and can do little else, the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Green lawns gt; fish. Considering how much of the world depends on fish as a staple of their diet - when the oceans are vacuumed clean, someone is going to nuke their neighbor. When populations start to starve - uncommon things happen and they're rarely good. Whether big trout exist in the wild will not matter when all that fallout starts heading our way. My apologies for my opinion.
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not just our trout, but many of our native fish across the country are also being threatened. Of course, our coldwater fisheries are at the highest risk. More needs to be done to protect these fragile fisheries; selling off BLM land in highly sensitive areas, expanding mining operations, damming of watersheds, poor land use and water practices, and development don't help the cause any... Thanks for ... more the enlightenment.
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