Thursday, July 16, 2009

Fish Over People

Turns the great equation upside down—not how it should be—and this article notes how the bad equation is playing out in the salmon fishing industry along the Northern California coast.

An excerpt.

“SACRAMENTO – The rallying cry “people, not fish” has echoed loudly from Sacramento to Bakersfield, moving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to commit vast amounts of money and extra water to a depressed agricultural region where Dust Bowl comparisons are no exaggeration in some parts.

“But while the plight of farmers and idled farmworkers in the San Joaquin Valley has captured attention, a similar deepening crisis is unfolding along California's North Coast.

“There, all salmon boats are under federal order to remain moored for a second straight year as part of an effort to prevent overfishing.

“The outlook remains grim. Drought, commitments to bring water to farms and pollution are working against them, fishermen say. River flows appear too low and too warm to sustain healthy salmon populations.”