Tag Archives: San Francisco Bay
Herring Fishermen Sue Chevron Over California Oil Leak
A pipeline rupture that gushed hundreds of gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay spurred a class action filed Tuesday that accuses a Chevron refinery of prioritizing profits over safety and threatening the survival of herring in the area for years to come. “We have been working for years to preserve and protect the herring that spawn in the Bay,” said plaintiff John Mellor, a longtime fisherman and vice president of the San Francisco Herring Association. On Feb. 9, a Chevron refinery in the East Bay city of Richmond, California, discovered a pipeline leak,,, >click to read< 10:45
This Is Where 75% Of Wild-Caught Seafood Grows (It’s Not The Ocean)
The special places where freshwater rivers mix with the salty ocean are known as estuaries. Even if you have never heard of an estuary, you probably know of a couple; Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, Washington’s Puget Sound, Florida’s Tampa Bay, and California’s San Francisco Bay are all estuaries. Estuaries are also are teeming with life-supporting nutrients. River water carries land-based nutrients into the estuary, and salt-water animals take advantage. The special features of estuaries make them an essential component of the seafood industry accounting for up to 75% of commercially-caught seafood. >click to read< 08:42
Fishermen gearing up for next leg of the commercial salmon season
After the season for commercial salmon fishing kicked off in May with two stints totaling less than three weeks, fishermen are looking forward to the end of the month when they’ll be able to cast their lines almost uninterrupted through September. June 30 marked the end of the second stint between Pigeon Point and the Mexican border, after the first open week spanned May 1-7. Starting July 26 through August, commercial boats will get the green light between Pigeon Point and Horse Mountain, including the San Francisco Bay. And while fishermen are less than thrilled with this year’s scaled-back season for salmon, catches have been on the rise for many of them, at least when they’re allowed to fish. >click to read<10:18
Thousands of Sharks, Other Sea Life Mysteriously Die in San Francisco Bay, State Says No Funding Available to Determine Cause
As many as 2,000 leopard sharks have mysteriously died in the San Francisco Bay over the past few months. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says determining the cause is not a priority for the state since the sharks are not threatened or endangered, however, scientists say additional research and resources are crucial since the threat is now believed to be preying on other marine life. “This pathogen can tackle a variety of different species … we’ve had a much more diverse group of fish that have been found dead in the San Francisco Bay.” At least 500 bat rays, hundreds of striped bass, 50 smooth-hound sharks and about 100 halibut died in the bay between February and July, according to Okihiro’s estimates. Video, click here to read the story 09:24
San Francisco Bay – They’re back – the bay’s herring hordes return
Sea lions, porpoises and tens of thousands of birds are jockeying for position with fishermen this week as the annual herring run splashes into San Francisco Bay, a spectacular marine wildlife showcase that conservationists say is one of the largest in North America. Read [email protected] 12:03
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service unveil vast, $1.24 billion 50-year tidal marsh restoration plan for San Francisco Bay
FREMONT, Calif. — A 50-year plan for the restoration of San Francisco Bay and other coastal wetlands was released Thursday by federal wildlife officials who say it’s the biggest effort to save tidal marshes outside the Florida Everglades. more@wapo 18:17
Bay Area sea gull population explodes, bringing flocks of problems
“These sea gulls, they need some thinning,” said Gilroy retiree Bill Valiquette, a lifelong Bay Area resident who has seen gull problems dramatically worsen. “Just go around and collect the damn eggs and throw them in the garbage. There’s too damn many to shoot. You’d have to take 15 guys with double-barrel shotguns and go crazy.” Wildlife experts say government biologists can’t simply massacre thousands of gulls. The public outcry would be too great. continued@mercurynews
Commercial Herring Fishing Starts in San Francisco Bay – A nice report from the JuneauTek Blog
California fishermen are harvesting the first herring of 2013 in San Francisco Bay this week. The total gillnet quota is 2,690 tons and the fishery will last until March 15, 2013. Lots of links, and video. Very nice presentation. Read more
