Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

This autumn finds us rearing this years crop of about 49,000 steelhead fingerlings, of which well over 17,000 are progeny of Carmel River adults. This is the first time in nearly 10 years that we have been allowed to spawn and rear Carmel River steelhead, and we are looking forward to releasing these fish in our southern region streams next spring. We had a very successful Chinook Enhancement Program this spring thanks in a large measure to Howard Theilbar and his Monterey area crew of volunteers. They released approximately 110,500 Chinook smolts into the Monterey Bay for their journey throughout the Pacific Ocean and their return in about 3 years to enhance our Monterey Bay fishery. To date we have released 772,000 Chinook smolts into the Monterey Bay over the 9 year period of this program. My deepest thanks to all of those who support our efforts in conducting this Chinook Enhancement Program.

On September 8, 2000 the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) put into effect the so-called 4(d) rules of the Environmental Species Act (ESA). It is still much too early to tell how significantly these rules will affect our present methods and procedures of performing fish culture activities, and how they will effect the physical makeup of our Kingfisher Flat Rearing Facility on Big Creek. As a result of these unknown effects, most of our present plans to complete the 1998 storm damage recovery elements are on hold. A much clearer understanding of jow the 4(d) rules will affect our mission, goals, and processes is necessary before we can move forward with the completion of the restoration of our facilities.

Our Project (MBSTP) was advised in late June by California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) that NMFS and CDFG had decided that grant funds fromthe Pacific Coast Salmonid Recovery Fund (PCSRF) (funding approved by the U.S. Congress in 1999) cannot be used for construction and equipment purposes. This was a severe blow to our earlier understanding that some PCSRF funds would be available to complete our rebuilding program. As a result of this NMFS/CDFG decision we must find new, probably private, sources of funding. We have recently submitted a proposal for private grant funding for a new water filtration system for our fertilized egg incubation and hatching system. This addition is needed in order to prevent the recurrence of a disastrous mud intrusion event into our incubation system that occurred during a huge storm in February of 2000. Grant requests will be prepared and submitted over the next 12 months to solicit funding support for the other significant modifications and upgrades at our Kingfisher Flat Rearing Facility.

The new MBSTP Five Year Plan for rearing steelhead, coho salmon, and chinook salmon had been completed. Our new fish culture permits are being prepared by NMFS and CDFG based on this Five Year Plan. I have recently submitted a permit revision request for CDFG approval to allow us to rear chinook smolts in the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor in 2001. This new net pen facility in combination with our net pen in Monterey Harbor will essentially double our Chinook Enhancement Program output to about 240,000 chinook smolts annually for release into Monterey Bay waters.

Over the past 20 years MBSTP has been operating two very effective satellite rearing facilities. At the present time these facilities in the Santa Cruz and Salinas areas are undergoing significant repair and refurbishment activities in preparation for the forthcoming fish rearing season.

We are deeply grateful to the following organizations, groups, and individuals for their financial support of the ongoing restoration and operation of our fish rearing facilities:

• David & Lucile Packard Foundation
• The Fish & Game Commissions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties
• Salmon Stamp Committee
• Scott Creek Watershed Council
• The many individuals, businesses, schools, and community organizations who have provided outstanding support.

Some things seem to never change such as our annual dilemma of raising enough funds to sustain the operation of our fish rearing and fish culture activities. Many people and organizations are not aware of the fact that we can't continue our highly successful Salmon & Trout Education Program (STEP) in our schools if we don't have sufficient funds to raise the fish to provide for the STEP in-class activities. In order for us to continue spawning, rearing, and planting salmon and steelhead in our local streams, we continue to have an urgent need for your financial support and your volunteer help. Thank you most sincerely for the support in the past and in the future. Please tell your friends, family, and colleagues about us and our needs. Our annual fin clipping party is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 2000. See the Volunteers Activities Corner article in the Newsletter for further details. Also our annual Albacore Dinner fund raiser will be held in Castroville on Saturday, November 11, 2000. I hope to see you at these events.

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