Draft 4

Press Release

For Immediate Release: January 4, 2010

Salmon Fishermen are Outraged with Low 2009 Returns

Delta water mismanagement continues to take its toll

California and Southern Oregon salmon fishermen are about to get a double dose of economic
disaster news. First, all the evidence points to a new record low number of fall-run salmon
returning to spawn this year. Second, a possible 2010 salmon fishing season is now very much
in question. The 2009 hatchery returns are in and the fall-run counts are below last year. The
California Central Valley salmon populations continue to sink towards extinction.

In 2008, the Central Valley fall-run returns reached a 150 year record low of 66,000 fish. The
minimum returns for the long term sustainability of these fish are 122,000. Current estimates
indicate 2009 may be as low as 60,000 fish. The official figures will be released by the
California Department of Fish and Game next February or March but it would take a miracle to
change the current results. The 2010 ocean salmon season will be set by the Pacific Fisheries
Management Council next March based on the returns of 2009.

Zeke Grader, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations,
represents the commercial salmon industry. He does not hide his outrage. “I am sick and tired
of hearing about agricultural dustbowls while their politics continue to strangle the life blood out
of the salmon industry. Salmon have consistently been deprived of the water they need to
survive while agricultural water districts make millions by reselling that water. Contrary to San
Joaquin agricultural representatives claims that water for agriculture has decreased in recent
years, export pumping has actually increased 27% since the early 1990s and they now want
more.”

Grader puts the blame squarely on the collapsed Delta and the over pumping of water by the
Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation. He says, “It has been clear
for years that the Delta ecosystem has been turned from an estuary providing a lifeline to
thousands of fish and aquatic species to a massive water delivery system to the pumps.
Millions of baby salmon trying to migrate to the ocean are pulled out of their normal Sacramento
River migration path into the Central Delta where no food or cover exists. Up to 92% perish in
the process. We will never recover salmon under these conditions. The Water Board study to
determine how much of the water flow must be left in the Delta for endangered salmon and
other species to survive is urgently needed.”

As pumping has continued to increase, the returning fall-run counts have dropped 90% from
738,000 fish in 2002 to 66,000 in 2008 and a forecast new low in 2009. In an effort to minimize
the risk of extinction, the Federal Government stopped all recreational and commercial fishing
for salmon in 2008 and 2009 while making it clear that although fishermen had nothing to do
with the decline, it would be the thousands of recreational and commercial fishermen who would
shoulder the burden of the disaster that is the result of poor ocean conditions and inland water
and habitat issues. Unfortunately, closing the fishery has been no help. Mismanagement of the
state’s water continues to be the culprit. The salmon shut down has already cost the state $2.8
billion in lost revenue and 23,000 jobs. Salmon are one of the top 20 nutritional food sources in
the nation.

Most of the Central Valley salmon currently lay their eggs in the cool waters of the tributaries of
the Upper Sacramento River. The spawned adult fish die and the hatched juveniles begin their
long journey to the ocean where they will spend three years growing to adults and then return to
the rivers to repeat the life cycle. This life cycle is now broken as most juvenile fish never make
it past the Delta. The result is continuing declines in salmon populations.

In June 2009, the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a biological opinion under the
Endangered Species Act covering endangered Central Valley salmon, steelhead, green
sturgeon and the offshore Orca killer whales. The opinion indicates that these species are in
danger of extinction as a result of operations of the state and federal water systems in the Delta.
The opinion also requires corrective actions called “Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives” on
the part of those agencies which have caused the problems (Dept. of Water resources and
Bureau of Reclamation).. Six years of scientific study and five science peer reviews were
conducted to ensure that the conclusions of the studies and the required corrective actions were
appropriate. The studies placed most of the cause for the continuing fishery declines on the
Delta pumping operations. The Reasonable and Prudent Alternative corrective actions require
changes in when water is pumped from the Delta and also changes in the pump driven upriver
flows and temperatures which have been lethal to salmon reproduction. The Department of
Water Resources has joined a number of the water exporters in trying to block the
implementation of the biological opinion to the continued peril of salmon and other fish. Thirteen
lawsuits and a bill in congress are now pending in an effort to overturn the opinion and by-pass
the Endangered Species Act. If these are successful, they leave dozens of species on the road
to extinction.

Dr. Mark Rockwell of the Endangered Species Coalition points out that The Endangered
Species Act is America’s most popular environmental law and has 80% public support. He
says, “The law was created to stop human activity before it results in extinction. Few Americans
want to be responsible for any species going extinct, especially when it can be prevented. I
don’t believe the American public wants to see the Pacific Coast’s most iconic fish, salmon, on
the verge of extinction.”

Dick Pool is a fishing gear manufacturer and represents the West Coast recreational salmon
fishing interests on the board of the American Sportfishing Association. He says, “There are
500,000 recreational salmon anglers in California. They are mad as hell and they have a right
to be. The State and Federal governments have a legal obligation to protect fish and wildlife
and fishermen can’t understand why nothing is happening.” 74,000 of these supporters have
signed Water4Fish petitions demanding political action.

Pool adds: The billion dollar salmon industry in California is also at risk. There are 904 retailers
that sell salmon equipment, 11 salmon equipment manufacturers, 23 equipment and fish
wholesalers, 85 charter boats, 150 river guides and 74 marinas all serving the salmon industry.
All of these businesses are hurting badly as are the communities where they do business.

Larry Collins, a commercial salmon fisherman from San Francisco, is typical of the fishermen
and businesses that are facing economic disaster. He and his wife Barbara have fished for
salmon for 25 years. He says, “I own a $200,000 boat with payments to make. I also own a
house in San Francisco with a mortgage. Salmon fishing represents 70% of my income. I fish
for crab and other species but there is no way I can make up the income loss from salmon. I
face losing everything I own.”

In September 2009 the California Legislature passed the massive “Water Bill” to change the
way water is managed in the state and to begin restoring the Delta. A number of changes will
improve future conditions for salmon. Assemblyman Jared Huffman is Chairman of the
Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife committee. He was one of the co-authors of the bill. He
fought hard to maintain the critical fishery provisions. He says, “-------“. (Suggested text along
these lines.) “I am very disappointed to hear that the fall-run returns will not reach the
minimums for another year. Each year the runs drop, means that it will be that much harder to
rebuild them. The water bill contains several provisions to help restore salmon. One of the
most important is a requirement that the State Water Resources Control Board immediately
commence a study to determine the minimum Delta flow needs for salmon and other species to
survive. I am pleased to see that the Board is moving ahead with this project and has
scheduled the first preliminary hearing for January 7th. The salmon industry needs to participate
in every step of this process. Its conclusions will be very important in establishing new flow
requirements.”

Roger Thomas is President of the Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association, representing the
Charter Boat fleet from Monterey to Fort Bragg. He says, “Hundreds of thousands of salmon
fishermen are being out gunned by a few billionaire corporate farmers who are spending
millions in public affairs campaigns to retain the status quo and pump more water from the
Delta. We have all heard their slogans; “Fish vs. People” and “Mr. President, Turn on the
Pumps”. This is baloney. The pumps have been running full out since June. Their objective is
to shut us down to get the salmon water. The only farmers being hurt badly are the ones with
junior water rights. Their biggest problem is a 3 year drought, not the fish. There are over 4
million fishermen in California and we need to make our voices heard.”

The salmon news comes on the back of a report by scientists from NASA and the University of
California finding that San Joaquin agricultural operations are not only sucking the lifeblood
waters out of the Delta, but also out of the water table under their fields. The loss of water
measured by NASA satellites clearly shows San Joaquin industrial agriculture operations are
taking far more water than nature is replenishing and are unsustainable as currently managed.
Past abuse of groundwater pumping by these same industrial agriculture operations has caused
San Joaquin Valley underground aquifers to collapse and the fields to sink up to 30 feet in
elevation in some places.

Contacts:

Zeke Grader (415) 606-5140

Roger Thomas (415) 674-3478
Dick Pool (925) 963-6350
Dr. Mark Rockwell (530) 432-0100