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Session Abstracts
Friday, March 16, 2001
Session I
Introductory Remarks and Salmonid Poster Unveiling
William J. Douros, Superintendent, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
California Fisheries: Why Do They Matter?
Fred Keeley, Assemblymember, 27th District
The
presentation by Speaker pro Tem Fred Keeley will discuss the economic
dimension of salmon, the role of salmon in California's history and
traditions, and the role that salmon play in ecosystems. The presentation
will also discuss California legislative efforts and legislative politics
surrounding salmon recovery efforts.
Salmon Decline: Why Care About Salmon?
James Lecky, Assistant Regional Administrator, National Marine
Fisheries Services, Southwest Region
Salmon
and steelhead trout embody historic, cultural and economic values
that have been of significance for thousands of years, predating the
arrival of European settlers. Salmonids also serve as highly visible
indicators of the manner in which humans interact with their environment.
Over the last century or so, human activities have caused a precipitous
decline in the numbers of salmon and steelhead in the Monterey Bay
area. Some of these activities have caused direct and easily understood
impacts to salmonids; others, such as global warming, are more subtle
but probably just as harmful. Although natural cycles, such as ocean
conditions and predation by marine mammals, can and do affect the
ability of salmonids to cope with environmental fluctuations, the
rapidity with which human activities have impaired habitat conditions
exceeds the ability of salmonids to successfully adapt. Salmonids
are extremely sensitive to changes in habitat conditions and to reductions
in habitat quantity, and we can often see how salmonids respond to
these human-induced impacts. As harbingers of adverse effects of human
activities, salmon and steelhead can help us to better understand
ourselves - how we affect the environment, how we set priorities,
how to craft solutions to complex problems of competing uses for limited
resources.
Friday,
March 16 -- Session II
FishNet 4C: A Proactive County Initiative for Salmonid Protection and Restoration
Kallie Marie Kull, Program Director, FishNet 4C - Fishery Network of the Central California Coastal Counties
FishNet
4C - a unique, multi-county program, was an exciting pro-active move
by County Supervisors to help the Central California Coastal Counties
do their part for salmonid protection and restoration. Incentives
and regulations have combined in recent years to bring county governments
forward, to join in an ever increasing local movement for watershed
planning and restoration. UC Berkeley and the FishNet Program have
teamed up to provide the Counties with the blueprints to make lasting
positive effects on anadromous fishery habitat.
Department of Fish and Game Perspective on Salmonid Recovery
Robert W. Floerke, Regional Manager, California Department of Fish
and Game, Central Coast Region
California
Department of Fish and Game is affecting recovery of the anadromous
salmonids using streams tributary to the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary by protecting and restoring their habitat, by hatchery supplementation,
and by studying their distribution and relative abundance.
Assessing Viability and Setting Recovery Goals for Salmonids: How Science Can
Support Recovery Planning
Dr. Eric Bjorkstedt, Research Fisheries Biologist, NOAA Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, Santa Cruz Laboratory
The
Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides measures to conserve and recover
listed species, thereby returning them to sustainable numbers no longer
requiring the protections of the ESA. Decisions regarding issues such
as how to define "recovery goals," how to go about attempting to achieve
such goals, and what are acceptable costs and risks associated with
these efforts are political and social in nature. Scientific assessment,
evaluation, and research can provide information on the likely outcomes
and risks associated with different recovery scenarios&endash;information
crucial to reaching decisions based on the best understanding of how
salmonid populations and their habitats function, given the data available
for analysis. This presentation will 1) review efforts to develop
a scientific framework for developing recovery goals based on our
best understanding of salmonid biology and ecology, including the
concept of "Viable Salmonid Populations" and how this concept relates
to recovery of Evolutionarily Significant Units, 2) briefly outline
how Technical Recovery Teams may approach the development of preliminary
recovery goals, and 3) emphasize the importance of understanding uncertainty
and its implications for predicting outcomes of recovery strategies,
evaluating risks associated with these strategies, and shaping the
expectations of society regarding the appropriate role of science
in recovery planning.
Friday, March 16 -- Session III
To Recover the Salmon: Conservation Options Under the Endangered Species Act
Miles Croom, Recovery Coordinator, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region
Salmon
and steelhead populations, once abundant in California, have declined
to about 10 percent or less of historical levels. These fish supported
thriving fisheries at one time, but due to the drastic decline in
their numbers they have been listed for protection under the federal
Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA was passed by Congress in 1973
to provide measures to conserve and recover listed species, thereby
returning them to sustainable numbers no longer requiring the protections
of the ESA. The ESA contains a number of tools that are used by government
agencies, local jurisdictions, user groups and landowners to ensure
that human activities are done in a way that avoids or minimizes the
harmful effects of these activities. These ESA tools affect different
groups in different ways, but in the end the tools are intended to
promote the recovery of listed species. This presentation will take
a brief look at these tools, which include section 4 rules, section
7 consultations, and section 10 permits, and show how they relate
to recovery planning.
Perspectives
from Various User Groups and Panel Discussion
- Moderator:
Jeff Almquist, Supervisor, County of Santa Cruz
- Mike
Stiller, President, Santa Cruz Commercial Fisherman's Association
- Craig
Bell, Northern Association of River Guides
- Bud
McCrary, Owner, Big Creek Lumber
- Gary
Patton, Executive Director, LandWatch Monterey County
- Tim
Frahm, Conservation & Water Quality Program Director, San
Mateo County Farm Bureau
- Karen
Christensen,Watershed Program Director, Santa Cruz County Resource
Conservation District
- Allen
Smith, Chairman of the Board, Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Program
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Saturday,
March 17 -- Session I
Welcome
Stephanie Harlan, Boardmember, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments;
Councilmember, City of Capitola; Chair, Sanctuary Advisory Council
William J. Douros, Superintendent, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Fisheries Conservation in Monterey Bay: What Have We Learned from the Salmon?
Miles Croom, Recovery Coordinator, National Marine Fisheries Service,
Southwest Region
"Ironically,
as we work to save the salmon, it may turn out that the salmon save
us."
Paul
Schell, former Mayor of Seattle
The
evidence is becoming increasingly clear, both in detail and in the
range of effects, that we humans are having a direct, measurable impact
on the world around us. Some of these effects are more or less obvious,
such as the construction of dams that close off habitat that once
supported salmon spawning. Others of these effects are more subtle,
or at least are more difficult to link in a direct way to our activities.
Global warming, sea level rise, holes in the ozone layer, melting
of glaciers throughout the world, declining stocks of harvestable
fish&endash;these problems seem to be more difficult for us to take
ownership of. As we work to gain a better understanding of the ecological
mechanisms through which our activities are expressed, and as we build
support for attempts to change the behaviors that led to these impacts,
we must not wait to initiate corrective measures. These measures must
be understood and supported by the people who will be asked to make
changes, and feasible options must be devised to both buy time and
provide some measure of protection against extinction. To this end,
institutions such as NMFS and the NOS National Marine Sanctuary Program
are working to provide these options and protections for resources
that have been of enormous importance in the past for historical,
cultural and economic reasons. The drastic decline in the numbers
of salmon and steelhead on the West Coast is teaching us that we must
begin now to make the investment in time, money, and effort to preserve
the future of these fish&endash;as both symbols of our stewardship
and as resources of economic and ecological significance - while at
the same time we seek deeper insights and better understanding of
exactly how to direct those energies to best effect.
Coastal Pelagic Species: Where Are They All Coming From?
Dr. Kevin T. Hill, Senior Marine Biologist, California Department
of Fish and Game, Marine Region - La Jolla
Coastal pelagic species are schooling fish, not associated with the ocean
bottom, that migrate in coastal waters. California's major coastal
pelagic species include Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), Pacific
mackerel (Scomber japonicus), jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus),
northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and market squid (Loligo opalescens).
Coastal pelagic species collectively comprise the one of the largest
marine fisheries in California with respect to biomass, landed volume,
and revenue. One characteristic common to coastal pelagic species
is the highly dynamic nature of their populations with respect to
movement, biomass, and availability to the fishery. 'Boom or bust'
population cycles of coastal pelagic stocks have been attributed to
a number of key factors, including relatively short life cycles, variable
recruitment, and annual and decadal scale variation in optimal habitats
for spawning, larval survival, recruitment, and feeding. The management
history has varied widely for coastal pelagic species. Prior to the
1970's, management was minimal for all these species. The outlook
for coastal pelagic species and their fisheries will depend upon the
forces of nature, economics, and the combined wisdom of resource users
and managers.
Overfished Groundfish and the Sustainable Fisheries Act
Dr. Steve Ralston, Research Fisheries Biologist, National Marine Fisheries
Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Santa Cruz Laboratory
In
1996 the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) was passed by Congress when
it re-authorized the original Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act of 1976. The SFA imposed significant new standards
that guide and constrain the management of all the nation's marine
fisheries, as mediated through the Regional Fishery Management Councils.
The most significant new aspects of the SFA affecting west coast groundfish
fisheries were the requirements that the Pacific Fishery Management
Council end overfishing if it occurred and to maintain healthy groundfish
stocks close to population levels that would be expected to produce,
over the long term, the maximum sustainable yield. Both requirements
have resulted in sharp reductions in allowable biological catch of
groundfish and landings have fallen accordingly. In addition, a number
of stocks have been declared overfished and rebuilding plans have
been implemented that further constrain fishery impacts along the
west coast.
Toward a New Ocean Wilderness: Bring Back the Fish
Richard Charter, Marine Conservation Advocate, Environmental Defense
A
careful look below the waves shows that many marine species are clearly
in trouble, with a search for new restoration tools now generating
a growing public dialog. While Monterey Bay enjoys the unique protection
afforded by our nation's largest National Marine Sanctuary, there
is now compelling scientific evidence that populations of key marine
species continue to decline. The creation of "no take" marine reserves
has a substantial track record of success in other parts of the world,
and is gaining growing attention in the U.S.
Overly
optimistic assumptions by fishery managers as to what levels of harvest
might be sustainable have contributed to these problems, combined
with pollution and climate change. Our society now needs to look at
new tools for the restoration of our fish populations.
An
Executive Order has called for the creation of a National Center for
Marine Protected Areas. California's new law, the Marine Life Management
Act, seeks to better protect ocean resources. The Pacific Fishery
Management Council is working toward the adoption of marine reserves
as part of its strategy for rebuilding declining rockfish populations.
Each
new marine reserve site must be custom designed and created locally.
Lengthy and patient stakeholders consultation processes at the Dry
Tortugas in the Florida Keys, and within California's Channel Islands
National Marine Sanctuary, are providing models for good science,
relevant consultative processes, and enabling the design of effective
reserves that will produce constructive and multi-disciplinary results.
Join
us for a stimulating look at how fishery management is changing. We
will also look at the types of marine reserves, the range of purposes
they serve, and the grassroots organizing necessary to successful
designation. Biodiversity, research, and fishery restoration can all
be secured by the creation of marine reserves, but each reserve must
begin with the people in affected local communities. In a field now
rapidly emerging as one of the important answers to the questions
being asked by our marine environment, we are embarking on a process
which is as much of an art as a science.
Saturday,
March 17 -- Session II
Federal Fishery Management: The Challenge of Litigation
Dr. Rebecca Lent, Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries
Service, Southwest Region
One
of the greatest challenges faced by the National Marine Fisheries
Service is the growing number of legal cases brought against the agency.
At last count, NMFS is confronting 114 cases nation-wide, with 16
of these cases focused here in the Southwest Region. These suits are
brought against the agency by environmental constituents, commercial
and recreational fishermen, as well as other private and tribal organizations.
The allegations in the suits include violation of Magnuson-Stevens
Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (RFA), and the Administrative Procedure Act. While
the litigation workload has forced the agency to put more resources
into defending its actions, there have been positive effects of the
lawsuits. New regulatory actions are subjected to a more rigorous
review and analytical process. The agency has been able to increase
its emphasis on NEPA and RFA analyses, enlisting social as well as
environmental scientists in improving regulatory packages. Legal experts
are more integrated into the entire regulatory process from concept
to regulation, reviewing actions and products at every step of the
way. These efforts won't necessarily result in fewer lawsuits; however,
regulatory actions taken by the agency are not only defensible, they
are based on data and analyses that more fully inform the public as
well as the decision makers.
Changes in Management Strategies for California's Fisheries
Patricia Wolf, Regional Manager, Marine Region, California Department
of Fish and Game
The
conservation and management of California's diverse and rich marine
resources entered a new era with the passage of the Marine Life Management
Act (MLMA) of 1998. This law directs the State to manage resources,
and fisheries, for sustainability; to involve fishermen, scientists
and the interested public in developing management measures; to use
fishery management plans as a primary tool for management; and to
develop and use the best available scientific information. The MLMA
also gave greater responsibility for marine fisheries management to
the California Fish and Game Commission. Another important piece of
legislation, the Marine Life Protection Act, requires recommendations
for networks of marine protected areas including siting of new areas
and modifications of existing areas, with an emphasis on public and
peer review. Implementation of these acts, as well as other legislative
mandates for fishery management, is well underway. These change in
management strategies present new challenges and have required innovative
approaches and solutions by the Department of Fish and Game and the
Marine Region.
A Vision for Sustainable Fisheries Along the California Coast: Protecting Habitats for Fish and Humans
Pietro Parravano, President, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Association
The Cultural Value of Recreational Fishing in California: Conservation Ethics Giving Back More Than We Take
Bob Strickland, President, United Anglers of California
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