Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator
On August 7, the California Fish and Game Commission considered the repeal of a Striped Bass Policy and a draft Delta Fisheries Management Policy. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted a letter strongly opposing the Commission’s repeal of the Striped Bass Policy and encouraged California anglers to attend the public meeting and voice the sportsmen’s community’s collective opposition to the repeal of the 1996 Striped Bass Policy.
The sportsmen’s community was heard, and the Commission unanimously elected to delay the vote on revisions to the Delta Fisheries and Striped Bass Policies until its meeting in December. Commissioners heard from dozens of speakers including representatives from Nor Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association, the California Striped Bass Association, and the Delta Anglers Coalition.
Rather than repeal the Striped Bass Policy as proposed, sportsmen’s groups encouraged the Commission to work with the angling community, Commission staff, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Staff to update the Striped Bass Policy based on the best available science while working toward stabilizing and restoring the striped bass fishery of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
CSF will continue to monitor the Commission’s decisions to ensure the policy updates include responsible management of native and non-native species alike, and do not unjustifiably misdirect the blame for listed species and species of concern population declines to the Delta’s non-native and popular sport fisheries.
The policy will be discussed again at the Commission meeting on December 11, 2019, at 8:30am PST, at the Natural Resources Building Auditorium, First Floor, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento CA 95814.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
