Anglers Speak Out Against Regulations That Could Eradicate California’s Striped Bass

On November 8, hundreds of anglers stood up for California’s salmon and striped bass at a Department of Fish and Game public workshop. Close to 500 people attended the meeting, all in opposition to proposed regulations that could eradicate striped bass from the Bay Delta. Despite the public outcry, these regulations are still being considered, but you can take action by sending a letter to the Fish and Game Commission TODAY!

Water Contractors Shift the Blame to Striped Bass

Increased water diversions for agricultural irrigation in California’s Central Valley are having a devastating impact on recreational salmon fishing and businesses that depend on the Delta’s fishery. Instead of reducing irrigation rates to a level that will provide the needed conditions for salmon and Delta smelt, an important forage fish, the Central Valley’s water contractors have shifted the blame to striped bass.

NOAA Fisheries and the Department of Fish and Game have succumbed to the pressure and are now blaming striped bass for the decrease in salmon, smelt and other fish in the Delta. Instead of tackling the real cause of these population declines – the large diversion of freshwater from the Delta – the Department of Fish and Game has proposed changes in striped bass regulations that will result in an overall decrease in striped bass populations.

Striped Bass Have Lived in the Delta for More Than 100 Years!

Striped bass have successfully coexisted with native fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay for over a hundred years. The proposed regulation changes will only cause harm to the businesses and individuals that rely on the striped bass fishery, while providing no boost to other fish stocks.

Take Action!

Don’t let California’s water contractors eradicate striped bass at the expense of the entire Delta ecosystem. Send a message to the Fish and Game Commission and voice your opposition to these irresponsible regulations today.

KeepAmericaFishing

KeepAmericaFishing is the fastest growing community of anglers united with one common goal -- to protect our right to sustainably fish on our nation's waterways. As the voice of the American angler, KeepAmericaFishing works to keep our public resources – our oceans, lakes, rivers and streams – open, clean and abundant with fish.

Across the country, preventing or limiting recreational anglers’ access to public waters fisheries is being touted as a new way to manage fish populations. This unprecedented shift undermines the achievements of proven fisheries management methods that focus on conservation and promote sustainable fishing. As a result, the past 10 years have seen a dramatic increase in bans on recreational fishing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Texas to Minnesota.

In an effort to combat access restrictions around the country, the American Sportfishing Association launched KeepAmericaFishing to unite the nation’s 60 million anglers under one voice. Through policy, science and conservation, KeepAmericaFishing works to minimize access restrictions, promote clean waters and restore fish populations. With its conservation partners, KeepAmericaFishing works to limit and provide for review and revision science-based closures to areas in which they are clearly beneficial to the health of the fishery.

At KeepAmericaFishing, we are working to give voice to the millions of American recreational anglers who share one thing in common - a passion for fishing.