The Department of Fish and Game has agreed to a settlement with the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta regarding striped bass fishing regulations. Although the record did not support the Coalition’s claim that striped bass predation reduced populations of salmon and smelt, DFG capitulated, apparently because of escalating legal costs.
However, under the settlement, DFG will still have to spend a million dollars on predator studies. New striper regulations will have to be acceptable to the Coalition.
For an excellent summary of reasons why controlling striped bass is likely to be a “cure worse than the disease,” click here to see this article by Peter B. Moyle, UC Davis professor of fish biology, and William Bennett, UC Davis fish ecologist.
