BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2063
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Date of Hearing: March 23, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Jared William Huffman, Chair
AB 2063 (Huffman) - As Amended: March 15, 2010
SUBJECT : Salmon: State Anadromous Fish
SUMMARY : Designates the Chinook salmon as the official state
anadromous fish, and establishes goals for salmon recovery.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Designates the Chinook salmon as the official state anadromous
fish.
2)States legislative findings and declarations regarding Chinook
salmon, including their natural history, values, and importance
to California's natural ecosystems, culture and economy.
3)Proclaims a state goal of restoring Chinook salmon populations
to sustainable levels sufficient to support viable
recreational, commercial and tribal fisheries within a decade,
and states legislative intent that the Department of Fish and
Game (DFG) and the Fish and Game Commission (FGC) work together
collaboratively with other public and private partners,
including but not limited to, the Ocean Protection Council, the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service, the Pacific Fisheries Management
Council, fishing men and women, fishing businesses, local
fishing communities, and other interested parties to restore
thriving and sustainable populations of Chinook salmon.
4)States legislative intent that DFG in implementing these goals
utilize best available science, a life cycle analysis, and
scientifically driven hatchery operations to focus and
prioritize conservation planning efforts for recovery of
Chinook and other salmonid species.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Golden Trout as California's official state
fresh water fish and the Garibaldi as the state marine fish.
2)Establishes a state policy to significantly increase the
natural production of salmon by the end of the century, and
directs DFG to develop a plan and program to double the natural
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production of salmon.
3)Under federal law, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act
establishes a goal of doubling natural salmon production.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Chinook salmon are anadromous fish that are born in
fresh cold water streams, migrate to the ocean where they spend
most of their adult life, and then return to spawn in the streams
of their birth. Several distinct populations of Chinook salmon
have existed in California for hundreds and in some cases
thousands of years, and in the past have supported thriving
commercial and recreational fisheries. Chinook salmon have also
played a major role in shaping California's history, including
serving as an important food source and cultural icon for
indigenous peoples and for early European settlers. Chinook
salmon were first harvested commercially in California in the
1850s when they provided an important food source for the gold
rush. Today all Chinook salmon runs in California are in decline,
and two of the four distinct runs in the Central Valley have been
listed under the state and federal endangered species acts.
The Central Valley Chinook Fall run, which has been the strongest
of the Chinook runs in California, forms the backbone of the
recreational and commercial salmon fishing industry in California
and much of the Pacific Coast. As much as 60% of the salmon
caught off the coast of Oregon, for example, come from the
California Central Valley Fall run. The Chinook's critical role
in the food web is also illustrated by the fact that it is a
major food source for Orca Whales, in addition to other species.
However, in recent years the Central Valley Fall run has
experienced a precipitous decline, dropping 95% from a return of
738,000 in 2002, to only 39,500 in 2009, an all time low. Fall
2009 also marked the third year in a row that returns were below
122,000, the minimum escapement deemed necessary by fisheries
biologists for long-term sustainable fishing. The dramatic
decline in the number of returning fish led to the unprecedented
closure of the salmon season in California for the last two
years. As pointed out in the findings of this bill, the economic
impact of the closures in 2008 and 2009 has been devastating to
the fishing industry, with losses estimated at over $2 billion
and as many as 23,000 jobs lost.
One hopeful sign this year is that the number of two year old
jacks returning with the Fall run, which are thought to be an
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indicator of anticipated returns for the following year, are up.
This has led the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, which
makes recommendations to NMFS for the salmon season, to consider
recommending that at least a limited salmon season be allowed
this year. However, it should be noted that the last two years
projections for Fall returns based on the numbers of jacks were
wrong, and the actual returns were significantly below the
numbers predicted. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council is
expected to make its final recommendations to NMFS by April 14th,
with a decision from NMFS expected shortly after that.
This bill seeks to promote public education of the unique values
and benefits of Chinook salmon to the state by designating
Chinook salmon as the official state anadromous fish. It also
proclaims a state goal of recovering Chinook salmon to
sustainable levels, sufficient to support viable recreational,
commercial and tribal fisheries, recognizes the importance of
collaborative efforts to recover Chinook salmon, and states
Legislative intent that DFG use best available science, a life
cycle analysis and scientifically driven hatchery operations in
determining where to focus and prioritize conservation planning
efforts for salmon recovery.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
AB 2063
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American Sportfishing Association
California Trout
Coastside Fishing Club
Crab Boat Owners Association, Inc.
Golden Gate Fishermen's Association
Johnson Hicks Marine Electronics
Monterey Fish Market
No. Calif./Nevada Council Fed. of Fly Fishers
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Assoc.
RFJ Meswinkel Company
The Nature Conservancy
Trout Unlimited
Water 4 Fish
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Opposition None on File
Analysis Prepared by : Diane Colborn / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096