Here's what I wrote to the Commission.

Commissioners,

You recently voted to re-open the back ponds at Shadow Cliffs to catch and release fishing. For this I thank you.

I was the fisherman who lobbied you to make this change, and in making the change you’ve restored a measure of my faith in the Commission to do the right thing. As the owner of calfishing.com, I talk with hundreds of fishermen around the state every year and I can tell you with great certainty that you’ve restored a measure of their faith as well.

You weren’t there to see the four year old boy fishing the ponds with his dad on the opening weekend and see his smile, and but you should know that he was there. You didn’t see the teenage kid with his float tube (and his flat-bill cap) hiking over the levee that Saturday, but he was there too – so excited to get back on the water he was practically running down the trail.

The decision you made on the back ponds exemplifies the management of wildlife in concert with recreation. You should be proud.

Commissioners, I hope you’ll use the same good judgment you used with this little Shadow Cliffs issue in the much larger issue of the Delta striped bass regulations you’ll be asked to vote on soon.

As you know, CA DFG is being used a pawn by groups seeking to profit from the Delta’s water. As a Commission you may feel that your hand is forced and that you must approve the regulations on the recommendation of Department biologists.

I submit to you that you can vote No on these regulations and do so with the law on your side. You should vote no because:

1. You know, with 100% certainty, that these proposed striped bass regulations will be used as a lever by Mr. Resnick to extract more water from the Delta.

2. You know that striped bass predation has far less of an impact to native species than removing water.

3. Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act directs that you must not jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species or modify their critical habit - but you know that no matter what you do, listed species will be jeopardized to some degree.

4. So you are forced to choose between striped bass continuing to eat native fish, or modifying the entire Delta environment for the worse as more water is removed.

When faced with these two evils, you must pick the lesser of the two evils. And that means a No vote on the regulation changes.

You know in your hearts it’s the right thing to do and I think I’ve given you the legal ammunition to do it.

Keep our faith strong Commissioners.


Respectfully,


Rob Belloni