Jim Costa: “As I was saying, Mr. Chairman, the fact is that the State has changed a great deal to present day. The current water…”

“As I was saying, Mr. Chairman, the fact is that the State has changed a great deal to present day. The current water system is unable to meet the demands under the current restrictions that are required under the Endangered Species Act to maintain and to try to increase the population of salmonoid and steelhead. We have determined, as my colleague and friend from California stated, that these fish, these predator fish, are responsible for a large amount of the takings of both the native California salmon and steelhead, and yet we have no program to balance this. What this amendment would do is it simply requires that for a recovery plan to be effective, it must incorporate and address all factors involved in species recovery, those of particularly high concern. Some of the studies have indicated on the Sacramento River over 95 percent of the juvenile salmon and steelhead are eaten by these predator striped bass, these nonnative fish and other invasive species. This amendment ensures that the recovery plan for endangered salmon and steelhead takes these factors into account, including the predation by the nonnative species such as striped bass. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment of the gentleman from California. {time} 1730”