State Completes Release of 12.7 Million Salmon Into San Pablo Bay

by Dan Bacher, editor of the FishSniffer

June 4, 2009 -- The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) today unloaded 550,000 young Chinook salmon, called smolts, from four massive fish tanker trucks from Nimbus Fish Hatchery into acclimation pens on San Pablo Bay. The pens, operated by the Fishery Foundation of California (FFC), were towed out into San Pablo Bay for release. 
 
Today (June 4) marks the completion of the trucking and acclimation of 12.7 million salmon from Central Valley fish hatcheries this spring. 
 
"Trucking and use of acclimation pens increases the return of adult fish 2-4 times over in-river releases," said Harry Morse, DFG communications on officer. "Transporting young salmon around hazards posed by swimming down river increases their survival and return rates. Holding and acclimating these fish in net pens for a short time before release into the bay further increases their odds of survival." 
 
Acclimation pens are towed out into the bay where the fish are released on the outgoing tide. "Salmon studies show that trucking and use of acclimation net pens increase the return of adult fish 2-4 times more than smolts being released near the hatcheries they were raised at and making the same journey down river," stated Morse. 
 
The collapse of the Central Valley fall run Chinook salmon population has inflicted an estimated $279 million dollar loss to the economy and eliminated 2,690 jobs. "One step in reversing this economic impact is assuring the highest rate of survival of these young salmon," stated Morse. "This is only one piece in the intricate puzzle of finding solutions to the decline in salmon populations." 
 
Unfortunately, fall run Chinook Salmon spawned naturally in the river now face a perilous journey as they encounter unscreened diversions, the state and federal water project pumps on the Delta and reverse flows caused by massive exports of water to corporate agribusiness in the San Joaquin Valley. 
 
The DFG completed its salmon release program on the same day that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released its biological opinion regarding changes the agency will require in the operations of the state and federal water projects to protect winter and fall run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon and the southern population of orcas (killer whales), all listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). 
 
The salmon were released around noon at Mare Island Pier 18, Old Mare Island Navel Base. 
 
For more information, contact Harry Morse, DFG Communications Officer, 916-838-4410, or Kari Burr, FFC Project Manager, (916) 916-997-4285.