WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS
Glass half full?
Acknowledgement of these “inconvenient realities” represents an important first step in realizing the difficulties associated with species recovery, particularly in California as human population continues to expand and shifts in climate change habitat and species interactions. Certainly, wild Pacific salmonid recovery is an onerous task, especially at the southern extent of the range of many Pacific salmonids, where Katz et al. (2012) recently found that up to 78% of salmonids in California will be extirpated by 2100 if present trends continue. But, it’s that last part—if present trends continue—that leads us to believe that Lackey is overly pessimistic. Fundamental change in how species, ecosystems, and water are managed is required to reverse the downward trend of wild Pacific salmonids in California. Such change, though difficult, is not impossible.
There is thus a need to abandon the shotgun approach of recovery and narrow the focus and investment dollars on scientifically based approaches. Click through the slides below to see our suggestions that integrate scientific knowledge of natural processes into management of water and fish resources and will improve outcomes for both fish and people.