DFG Begins New Study to Increase Survival of Out-migrating Juvenile Salmon

Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists are trying a new tactic to help California’s ocean-bound juvenile salmon, in hopes of increasing survival rates. On May 3, for the first time in state history, DFG staff used a boat to move approximately 100,000 young Chinook (called smolts) down the Sacramento River to San Francisco Bay. Upon arrival, the smolts were released in the Bay, where they will grow to adulthood before returning upriver to spawn.

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“We’ve been using trucks to transport smolts to points downstream for years, but we’ve never moved them by barge, and we’ve never moved them this far,” said DFG Environmental Scientist Colin Purdy, who supervised the boat transport to the Bay Area. “Truck releases are typically much further upstream, and though they do shorten the fish’s journey to the ocean, they still face all kinds of hazards in the river. It’s possible we could better the chances of survival for this species just by making a few thoughtful changes in our operating practices. The data we collect over the next few years will tell the story, but we’re hopeful that we’ll see positive results.”

Salmon return to their spawning grounds using their sense of smell. The process, called imprinting, begins before birth as waters flow over the eggs and continues as they grow and make their way to the ocean. Each segment of water on their journey has distinctive chemical cues which they can re-trace to their spawning grounds. Water is circulated through pumps from the Sacramento River into the boat’s holding tank, where the fish are kept. The hope is that this may improve their ability to find their way back as an adult and predators are unable to access the fish in the holding tank during the journey downstream.

This is the beginning of a multi-year study program aimed at increasing return rates of salmon from the sea to their native rivers. Over the next few years, scientists will use the data collected from the fish to test and evaluate the idea that overall survival rates and increased adult returns can be better achieved by barging the young salmon downstream.

To form a basis of comparison for this study, two other control groups of 100,000 smolts each were released by trucks in other locations at the same time as the barge release — one at a different location in the Bay, and one into the Sacramento River near Sacramento. All 300,000 fish in this study were implanted with coded wire tags smaller than a tiny piece of pencil lead, which will ultimately enable scientists to tell which of the three groups the returning fish came from — the barge release, or one of the two truck releases.

The study is being conducted by DFG fisheries biologists with the support of the Commercial Salmon Trollers Advisory Committee, which donated the use of the boat, fuel and crew time to help ensure a successful start to the study. They have committed to helping DFG for the next three years of data collection.

“This has been a major cooperative effort and we really appreciate DFG’s willingness to work with everybody and look at new ways of doing things,” said Zeke Grader, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen. “DFG is committed to decreasing straying rates among the salmon migrating up the Sacramento River. Barging may be one way to achieve this goal.”

Scientists hope to confirm that — unlike the usual method of transporting the fish by truck — the boat transport will both eliminate in-river hazards such as getting lost or being eaten by predators, and give the smolts a chance to imprint on their native stream on their way to the ocean, improving their chances of successful return.

Media Contacts:
Colin Purdy, DFG Region 2, (916) 358-2832
Andrew Hughan, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8944

Public Comment Period for Draft Ecosystem Restoration Program Conservation Strategy Receives Second Extension

Media Contacts:
Chad Dibble, DFG Water Branch, (916) 445-1202
Jordan Traverso, DFG Communications, (916) 654-9937

Public Comment Period for Draft Ecosystem Restoration Program Conservation Strategy Receives Second Extension

The public comment period for the draft conservation strategy for the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley and Delta has once again been extended due to multiple requests from the public. The draft report, entitled “Conservation Strategy for Restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Ecological Management Zone and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley Regions,” will be available for public review and comment until Sept. 30, 2011.

The document identifies biologically promising ecosystem restoration opportunities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Ecological Management Zone and the Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley regions, and provides the rationale for restoration actions specific to each of these areas. It provides the conceptual framework and process that will guide the refinement, evaluation, prioritization, implementation, monitoring and review of Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP) actions.

The draft report is available on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov/erp/reports_docs.asp. ERP performance measures can be found in Appendix D.

With this additional extension, comments will continue to be received by the Department of Fish and Game until 5 p.m. on Sept. 30. Comments may be emailed to cdibble@dfg.ca.gov or hand-delivered to:

Chad Dibble
Department of Fish and Game
830 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

All comments submitted by the due date will be considered as the report is finalized.

Questions about the report should be directed to Chad Dibble, Senior Environmental Scientist, at (916) 445-1202 or cdibble@dfg.ca.gov.

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Abalone Die-Off Observed in Sonoma County

Contact:
Carrie Wilson, DFG Communications, (831) 649-7191, CWilson@dfg.ca.gov

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has confirmed reports of dead red abalone and sea stars inside coves along the coast in Sonoma County. The number of dead and dying abalone is not known but reports have come from Bodega Bay, Russian Gulch, Fort Ross, Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park, beginning on August 27. DFG biologists and game wardens have collected abalone, mussels and water samples and are continuing to document reports from the public.

According to DFG biologists, these abalone deaths coincided with a local red tide bloom (or phytoplankton bloom) and calm ocean conditions. Although the exact reasons for the abalone deaths are not known, invertebrate die-offs have occurred in the past along the northern California coast when similar weather and bloom conditions existed.

Biologists are not attributing the deaths to Withering Syndrome (an abalone disease) since the abalone are not withered and other invertebrates have been affected. Withering Syndrome has been known to cause abalone mortality in the past in central and Southern California.

The abalone fishery remains open at this time. Abalone divers and pickers are reminded that they must adhere to all licensing requirements and bag limits, which can be found online at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/mapregs3.asp#abalone_open. There is a daily limit of three abalone and a yearly limit of 24 abalone, along with season restrictions and area closures as well as other regulations for recreational abalone fishing in northern California.

Abalone fishermen are advised to contact a physician immediately if they feel sick, and to report symptoms to the local county health department (www.sonoma-county.org/health/about/publichealth.asp).

The public is encouraged to report the location, number and date of dead or dying abalone to Ian Taniguchi at (562) 342-7182 or by e-mail at itaniguchi@dfg.ca.gov. The latest red tide updates from the California Department of Public Health are also posted online at www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/DDWEM.aspx.

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