Fish Species May Face Extinction
Posted on: Friday, 28 October 2005, 18:00 CDT
By Douglas Fischer, STAFF WRITER
Population levels of a small fish unique to the San Francisco Bay- Delta estuary have fallen to all-time lows -- far below the record low measured just last year and raising fears the species could be extinct in a year or two.
New data released by the California Department of Fish and Gameshow an abundance index for the delta smelt of 12 -- almost a quarter of the previous low of 44 measured for the same period last year and well below the 151 measured in 2003.
More troubling: The fish's "recovery index," a different measurement of the species' health, sits at 4. Federal biologists say a number below 74 reflects "high concern" over the species' health.
"This species is very close to extinction," said Christina Swanson, senior scientist with the Bay Institute, which tracks the estuary's health.
The smelt's woes offer further confirmation of a potentially catastrophic collapse of the ecological health of one of the biggest estuaries on the West Coast, scientists say.
Numerous estuary-dependent species, including the delta and longfin smelt, threadfin shad and striped bass, have seen long-term declines since the 1980s that, for reasons not fully understood, have accelerated since 2002.
Scientists and biologists see three main causes for that decline: the rise of toxic compounds, both from poisonous algae blooms and pesticide runoff; increasing invasive species that crowd out others; and increased water exports from the Delta to Southern California.
Whether the smelt -- a small, sardine-like fish -- can recover from current lows remains unknown. Swanson called for an immediate reduction and restructuring of both state and federal water plans, noting the giant pumps siphoning water send more south during the smelt's spawning season now than a decade ago.
"We're going to need to do as many things as possible this year to reduce mortality of the remaining fish," said Swanson. "Certainly one of the things we have control of in this system is the amount of water we export."
Contact Douglas Fischer at dfischer@angnewspapers.com
Source: Oakland Tribune
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