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California Water Operations Threaten Survival of Iconic Salmon Fishery: Fishermen, Seafood Restaurant, and Conservationists to Hold Press Conference at Scoma’s Restaurant at Pier 47 in San Francisco

July 23, 2008. Conservationists, fishermen and a representative from Scoma’s will hold a press conference at Scoma’s Restaurant at Pier 47 at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, 2008 to discuss how the state and federal water projects threaten the future of California’s salmon runs and the salmon fishery, and recommendations for restoring and sustaining this iconic resource.

California’s salmon fishery was closed for the first time ever at the beginning of May because of record low numbers of fish returning to spawn. A new report entitled “Fish Out of Water,” released jointly by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), and Water-4-Fish campaign says the survival of the fishery is threatened by massive water diversions by the state and federal water projects in the Central Valley. The report comes just days after a federal judge in Fresno ruled that current Central Valley water operations jeopardize the survival of certain salmon runs and violate the Endangered Species Act.

California fishermen and a representative from Scoma’s Restaurant will discuss how the precarious state of the salmon fishery is affecting them personally. NRDC experts will summarize recommendations from their report on how to restore California’s valuable commercial and recreational salmon fishery before it’s too late.

Who: Barry Nelson, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Doug Obegi, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Zeke Grader, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) Dick Pool, Water-4-Fish campaign organizer and recreational fisherman Representative from Scoma’s Restaurant

What: Press conference to discuss solutions to the salmon fishery collapse in California

Where: Scoma’s Restaurant, Pier 47 at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco Directions: http://scomas.com/?page=directions

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008, 10:00 a.m.

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The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing. More information on NRDC is available at its Web site: www.nrdc.org