[env-trinity] Eureka Times Standard July 16

[Byron]

Editorial: Are the salmon the river's canaries?

Eureka Times-Standard - 7/16/06

 

The problems affecting chinook salmon on the Klamath River are puzzling
biologists. Agencies are waiting to hear from a laboratory exactly what's
making an increasing number of fish ill. 

 

Chinook are the mainstay of the Klamath's tribal and sport river fisheries,
and for ocean commercial and recreational fisheries. This fall, so few adult
fish are expected to return to the river that commercial fisheries were
canceled up and down the coast, while tribal and sport fisheries were
slashed. 

 

It was thought that with this year's higher than usual water flows, the
salmon would be at less risk of illness. One has to wonder if the fact that
fish are apparently still getting sick isn't a sign that it is the river
that is ill. Are the sick salmon a signal that something is ailing the
river, much as canaries signaled bad air in mines? 

 

We hope answers are forthcoming and that they give us what we need to
correct whatever is ailing the fish -- or the water.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

 

 

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