THIS JUST IN … New Report Shows 74 Percent of California’s Native Salmon, Steelhead and Trout Likely to Be Extinct in 100 Years, 45 Percent in 50 Years if Trends Continue.
From Cal Trout: Fish and watershed advocacy group California Trout (CalTrout) and University of California Davis, Center for Watershed Sciences, provided key results from an in-depth report today detailing the status of 32 types of salmon, steelhead, and trout that are native to California.
SOS II: Fish in Hot Water is the second such report released by CalTrout and the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences.
“Declining fish populations indicate degraded waters, which threaten the health and economic well-being of all Californians.” If present trends continue, 74 percent of California’s native salmon, steelhead, and trout species are likely to be extinct in 100 years.
Thanks to ongoing scientific research, we now know what to do – and where – to improve the plight of native fish.” The report includes an analysis of key threats to the survival of each species, starting with the overarching threat of climate change, which is likely to reduce the availability of cold water habitat that salmon, steelhead, and trout all depend on for survival.
Restoring function to once productive – but now highly altered – habitats can greatly improve rearing conditions for juvenile fish, especially floodplains, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and spring-fed rivers.
Additionally, SOS II: Fish in Hot Water identifies three science-based strategies to support a return to abundance for California’s native salmonids: First, focus on opportunities to mimic natural processes within altered landscapes.
The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences has been conducting problem-solving research on conservation and water management issues since 1998.
Key Facts from State of the Salmonids II: Fish in Hot Water 45 percent of California’s salmon, steelhead and trout are likely to be extinct in the next 50 years if present trends continue.
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