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Tilapia population up in Salton Sea
By Benjamin Spillman
The Desert Sun
October 7th, 2003
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The people who count fish in the Salton Sea say they’re dragging in more tilapia with their gill nets.
The population survey by the California Department of Fish and Game indicates tilapia are reproducing in the sea, despite an ongoing fish drought experienced by many anglers in the lake.
Tilapia, though not the most glamorous fish in the sea, are a key source of food for corvina, the sport fish that has lured fishermen and women from around the country to the desert sea.
Fish and Game workers who netted almost nothing during spring surveys, reported snaring 686 tilapia when they repeated the exercise this summer.
Fall sampling is under way and the results could give an even clearer picture of what’s living in the murky water.
"Tilapia were the only things we caught," Fish and Game biologist Jack Crayon said of the summer survey, which he recently reported to the Salton Sea Authority. "Here was a whole species that was invisible during the spring yet obviously there."
In a report on the findings, Crayon said existing tilapia appear to be maturing to reproductive age.
The report added, "this summer is the first sign of that happening in several years."
Salton Sea fishing guide Ray Garnett said he’s hopeful increasing numbers of tilapia will eventually fuel a resurgence of corvina.
"It is the best fishing in the world when the conditions are right," Garnett said of the sea.
Garnett said corvina, a silvery fish than can grow to more than 30 pounds, are important to seaside life because of their popularity with anglers.
"They are a good fighting game fish and they are good to eat," Garnett said. "That is all I fish for."
But Crayon said even if existing tilapia continue to grow and reproduce, it may take years to cause a noticeable impact on corvina.
And even if it does, Crayon, along with another member of the Fish and Game Department’s Salton Sea team, might not be there to record it.
Crayon said he’s one of two of the team’s three members to be warned of potential layoffs related to the state’s budget crisis.
The team only recently began producing consistent fish surveys.
Doug Barnum, the scientist who coordinates research at the Salton Sea Science Office, said disrupting Fish and Game surveys can hurt research even if someone else picks up the work.
"The value of a monitoring plan is to do it and do it on a regular basis," he said. With disruptions, "you have gaps in your data and gaps in time that you can’t explain."
By Benjamin Spillman
The Desert Sun
October 7th, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The people who count fish in the Salton Sea say they’re dragging in more tilapia with their gill nets.
The population survey by the California Department of Fish and Game indicates tilapia are reproducing in the sea, despite an ongoing fish drought experienced by many anglers in the lake.
Tilapia, though not the most glamorous fish in the sea, are a key source of food for corvina, the sport fish that has lured fishermen and women from around the country to the desert sea.
Fish and Game workers who netted almost nothing during spring surveys, reported snaring 686 tilapia when they repeated the exercise this summer.
Fall sampling is under way and the results could give an even clearer picture of what’s living in the murky water.
"Tilapia were the only things we caught," Fish and Game biologist Jack Crayon said of the summer survey, which he recently reported to the Salton Sea Authority. "Here was a whole species that was invisible during the spring yet obviously there."
In a report on the findings, Crayon said existing tilapia appear to be maturing to reproductive age.
The report added, "this summer is the first sign of that happening in several years."
Salton Sea fishing guide Ray Garnett said he’s hopeful increasing numbers of tilapia will eventually fuel a resurgence of corvina.
"It is the best fishing in the world when the conditions are right," Garnett said of the sea.
Garnett said corvina, a silvery fish than can grow to more than 30 pounds, are important to seaside life because of their popularity with anglers.
"They are a good fighting game fish and they are good to eat," Garnett said. "That is all I fish for."
But Crayon said even if existing tilapia continue to grow and reproduce, it may take years to cause a noticeable impact on corvina.
And even if it does, Crayon, along with another member of the Fish and Game Department’s Salton Sea team, might not be there to record it.
Crayon said he’s one of two of the team’s three members to be warned of potential layoffs related to the state’s budget crisis.
The team only recently began producing consistent fish surveys.
Doug Barnum, the scientist who coordinates research at the Salton Sea Science Office, said disrupting Fish and Game surveys can hurt research even if someone else picks up the work.
"The value of a monitoring plan is to do it and do it on a regular basis," he said. With disruptions, "you have gaps in your data and gaps in time that you can’t explain."
