WSB hatchery article

[taggermike]

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topic...mixed-results/

I thought this was worth sharing. Things aren't going well with the hatchery program. Mike

[Saba Slayer]

Also from their source...San Diego Coastkeeper.
http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/learn/f...en-s-pool.html

[Saba Slayer]

San Diego Coastkeeper says...
Many factors including pollution, climate change, and over-fishing contribute to kelp forest decline, and their collective impact is far greater than any individual stressor.

[Saba Slayer]

San Diego Coastkeeper says...
Average size across a wide range of West Coast fish is down by half from 20 years ago.

[Saba Slayer]

San Diego Coastkeeper says...
Here, nature is preserved for everyone to enjoy. In fact, if you are standing at La Jolla Cove looking out, you gaze upon the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve, one of eleven marine protected areas (MPAs) that grace the coast of San Diego County.

You may even spot one of Coastkeeper's MPA Watch volunteers below, walking the high tide line, jotting down tally marks as they take observations of human use activities within the Marine Protected Area.

[Saba Slayer]

San Diego Coastkeeper firmly believes in the importance of MPAs. We heavily participated in the MLPA process and dedicated staff to fight for conservation interests on the Regional Stakeholder Group, whose input ultimately led to the creation of MPA maps for the Fish & Game Commission to consider. Following the completion of the design phase, we continued to advocate for the strongest possible protections for San Diego’s coast. Our education and outreach drew widespread community support including the endorsement of numerous elected officials and business leaders. Over 700 MPA supporters attended a Fish and Game Commission hearing on the issue held in San Diego in 2010.

[Saba Slayer]

There are two sides to every story...the review being done on the WSB project is something that was planned years ago by the state as a scientific review to access the project and see if we want to continue with the WSB species or move on to another species or just drop the program. This review is not being done due to problems with the program as the story makes it seem. The review is being done by scientists made up of folks from all over the country.
The money that DFW gives the project is from the saltwater stamp that you buy with your license. It was started years ago with the support of the Shedd's at AFTCO primarily to enable the hatchery.
The 4000 fish we lost in Redondo was due to a problem with the new desal treatment plant that was built a few yeras ago... It was not the fault of the WSB program... as a matter of fact the DFW considered suing the power plant for the lost fish.
Before every release the DFW sends a biologist to sample the health of the fish to be released...so i'm not sure where they got the info about deformed fish. If the fish are unhealthy and a threat to the species they are euthanized.
Anyone with a aquarium knows, that once a disease starts, it can spread pretty quickly (especially if you have 3000 to 5000 fish in the system)... So it seems to me that it's in the best interest of the species to euthanize the infected fish...even though it may bother the tree/fish huggers to see them die.
I'm not so sure I'd side with all the facts from this article as I think the San Diego Coastkeepers group has their own agenda and it doesn't seem to be too fisherman friendly...much like the Santa Monica "Heal the Bay" folks. I think this writer need to widen his sources.
Thanks for the link Mike...it's always good to see what the other side says.