Bush switch on salmon protection stirs outcry

[CShine]

WASHINGTON -- Sweeping changes in how salmon and their habitat are protected could result from a Bush administration proposal that would gauge the health of Northwest salmon by counting, for the first time, hundreds of millions of hatchery fish along with those born in the wild.

Critics immediately denounced the plan for ignoring scientific realities and potentially stripping away crucial protections now granted under the Endangered Species Act.

Carried out to its fullest, fishery experts said, it could result in some salmon stocks' being taken off the endangered species list after years and billions of dollars spent to restore dwindling populations.

Removing the fish from the list would weaken -- or even remove -- land-use restrictions designed to protect habitat, representing a boon to timber, mining, agriculture and construction interests that have been barred from working on the protected land.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/171391_salmon30.html

[Supormom]

1. Oh Lord!

When will it all end?

[saigon68]

2. Why not Kick around the salmon too Today

After all they've fucked up about everything possible already yesterday and today.


Note: I'm not down on the salmon

[jpak]

3. ChimpCo's "New Genetics"

Caged domestic and exotic salmon strains = wild and native salmon strains.

"Sound Environmental Science" indeed...

Who the fuck believes this stuff????

(Oh, I forget, Republicans)

[DS1]

4. Flip meet flop?

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. This is a water issue, not a fish issue. DON'T GET FOOLED!

Think back before the 2000 election. There was a huge outcry from Republican farmers that they were losing water rights because there was too much protectionism for an endangered fish (can't recall which one.) I remember Hannity getting on the bandwagon on this one in 2000. This worked and Bush got gobs of Republican votes. Then, just a year later, we learned that downriver was an Indian fishing industry which was nearly wiped out when the loss of water resulted in a huge fish kill.

Now it looks like he's doing it again. It's a water issue. And those farmers are growing crops in the desert area that require more water than we have available.

Bush has got to go before he further depletes our natural resources.

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. "Mankind and the fish can coexist"

No surprise, taking a stand with corporate interests at the expense of the environment is nothing new.