Fish wars

In 2008, a group of San Joaquin Valley water users sued the Department of Fish and Game in federal court over protectively managing striped bass, an introduced predator that the plaintiffs, the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, say have damaged Central Valley salmon runs. A federal judge could settle the lawsuit on March 17 by ordering the Fish and Game Commission to rewrite, or even eliminate, striped-bass fishing regulations. Fishery advocates warn that the coalition merely hopes to divert attention from Delta water pumps, which are known to kill salmon but also are something farmers depend upon for their industry’s growth.