BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1201
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Date of Hearing: May 6, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1201 (Salas) - As Amended April 22, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), by
June 30, 2016, to develop and initiate a science-based approach
to help address predation by nonnative species upon Delta
species listed as threatened or endangered under the California
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Endangered Species Act (CESA).
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Unknown significant increased costs for DFW to implement the
science-based approach in the Delta likely in the millions of
dollars (GF or special fund).
A study published in 2013, Effects of Fish Predation on
Salmonids in the Sacramento River-San Joaquin Delta and
Associated Ecosystem indicates costs for eradication efforts
range from $1 million to tens of millions depending on the
approach implemented.
2)Increased administrative costs to DFW to develop the approach
in the $150,000 to $250,000 range (GF or special fund).
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, promoting the long-term
ecological health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its
native species are critical to ensuring a reliable and
sustainable water supply for all Californians. This bill helps
to achieve that by requiring DFW to develop a science-based
approach to predation of listed species by non-native species
in the Delta.
2)Background. The striped bass is a nonnative sportfish that
predates on the Delta Smelt, a fish listed under CESA.
Existing law prohibits striped bass from being transported or
carried out of or into California except striped bass taken
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from the Colorado River by licenses sportfishers.
The Fish and Game Commission sets seasons, bag limits and size
limits for take of striped bass. Current regulations
establish a statewide limit of 2 fish, 18 inches minimum in
length, except in the Colorado River District, the Southern
District and certain lakes, where the limit is 10 fish with no
minimum size restriction.
Delta Smelt are protected under CESA and take of this fish is
limited to incidental take associated with a lawful activity
and fully mitigated.
3)The Great Fish Debate. Past efforts to address nonnative
species that predate on native species were primarily focused
on striped bass. Water agencies, particularly in the San
Joaquin Valley, contend striped bass are the primary cause of
the decline of delta smelt and other pelagic (the water zone
in which fish species live) species rather than the lack of
instream flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.
Others, including environmentalist and fishers associations,
disagree citing the lack of instream flows and a loss of
habitat as primary stressors on those endangered fish species
in the Delta.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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