DFG News Release

Delta Smelt Information Requested

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) requests data and comments on a petition to uplist Delta smelt under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).

The California Fish and Game Commission is considering a petition to change the status of delta smelt from “threatened” to “endangered” under CESA. The petition was filed in April 2007 by the Bay Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2074.6 of the Fish and Game Code, DFG must complete a status review of the species and provide a written report to the Fish and Game Commission that indicates, based upon the best scientific information available, whether or not uplisting the Delta smelt from threatened to endangered under CESA is warranted. DFG will submit its report to the Commission on June 20, 2008. Comments from interested and affected parties, including members of the public and local agencies, are requested by Feb. 29.

The Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a small native fish listed as threatened under both CESA and the Federal Endangered Species Act. Delta smelt live only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Because the fish is listed as threatened under CESA, California law already prohibits take of Delta smelt unless authorized by DFG. However, the abundance of Delta smelt has declined since its listing as threatened in 1993.

DFG’s Fall Midwater Trawl fish survey completed in December found considerably low abundance of Delta smelt in the San Francisco Estuary and Delta. The annual survey collects several small pelagic fishes from 116 sites located between San Pablo Bay and the lower reaches of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and provides data on these species. Results from the survey are posted at www.delta.dfg.ca.gov/data/mwt.

Please send data and comments related to the petitioned action and/or the status of Delta smelt to:

• DFG Supervising Biologist Marty Gingras
  Department of Fish and Game
  Re: Delta Smelt Petition
  4001 North Wilson Way
  Stockton, CA 95205
• by electronic mail to: mgingras@dfg.ca.gov with “Re: Delta Smelt Petition” in the subject line
• by fax to: (209) 946-6355, Attention: Marty Gingras, Re: Delta Smelt Petition.