In a recent Fox News report, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/22/critics-calif-water-tunnel-project-claim-its-govt-waste-to-save-tiny-smelt.html Critics of California water-tunnel project claim it's gov't waste to save tiny smelt, a Westlands Water District official, Johnny Amaral is quoted saying, "The tunnels are not an economically viable project and would not be needed if we used common sense."

GGSA executive director John McManus responded saying, "Salmon fishermen noted Mr. Amaral's statement that the peripheral canal tunnels project is not economically viable with great interest. We haven't seen a financing scheme yet that doesn't rely on shifting most of the costs onto the backs of property owners in southern California. The tunnels would mostly benefit a handful of large growers in the western San Joaquin Valley while making others pay. The average homeowner in southern California better watch their wallet if the tunnels move forward. Not only will the tunnels, as currently designed, kill off our salmon runs, they'll also force southern California property owners to pay more for their water. The common sense needed here starts with acknowledging that water is a finite resource in California, the state needs to leave enough to keep our salmon runs alive, and using one gallon to produce a single almond is not a good use of water.

Since Westlands keeps pushing for the tunnels while finally acknowledging they aren't economically viable, maybe Mr. Amaral can tell us who the growers he represents believe should pay for this economically nonviable project."

John McManus
Executive Director
Golden Gate Salmon Association
650-218-8650

The Golden Gate Salmon Association (www.goldengatesalmonassociation.org) is a coalition of salmon advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fisherman, businesses, restaurants, tribes, environmentalists, elected officials, families and communities that rely on salmon. GGSA’s mission is to protect and restore California’s largest salmon producing habitat comprised of the Central Valley river’s that feed the Bay-Delta ecosystem and the communities that rely on salmon as a long-term, sustainable, commercial, recreational and cultural resource.

Currently, California’s salmon industry is valued at $1.4 billion in economic activity annually and about half that much in economic activity and jobs again in Oregon. The industry employs tens of thousands of people from Santa Barbara to northern Oregon. This is a huge economic bloc made up of commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen (fresh and salt water), fish processors, marinas, coastal communities, equipment manufacturers, the hotel and food industry, tribes, and the salmon fishing industry at large.

GGSA president John McManus is a long-time salmon fisherman and salmon advocate. He comes from a varied background that includes ten years of commercial salmon fishing in southeast Alaska, 15 years producing news for CNN and more recently, 11 years doing publicity and organizing for the public interest environmental law firm Earthjustice. Work at Earthjustice included organizing and publicity supporting restored salmon fisheries in the Columbia, Klamath and Sacramento rivers. 

A San Francisco native, Muni Pier and Lake Merced were the places where he first learned to tie a fishing line, bait a hook, and cast. He’s a long time member of the Coastside Fishing Club and keeps a boat part of the year in Half Moon Bay. 

From the 1970s on he spent a lot of time in the north coast salmon communities of Bodega Bay, Pt. Arena, Fort Bragg and Eureka. As salmon runs declined in the 1990’s, he got a front row seat to the demise of these communities, something that fuels his advocacy for salmon and salmon communities to this day. 

The Golden Gate Salmon Association is a coalition of salmon advocates that includes commercial and recreational salmon fisherman, businesses, restaurants, a native tribe, environmentalists, elected officials, families and communities that rely on salmon. 

GGSA’s mission is to restore California salmon for their economic, recreational, commercial, environmental, cultural and health values.

Currently, California’s salmon industry is valued at $1.4 billion in economic activity annually in a regular season and about half that much in economic activity and jobs again in Oregon. The industry employs tens of thousands of people from Santa Barbara to northern Oregon. This is a huge economic bloc made up of commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen (fresh and salt water), fish processors, marinas, coastal communities, equipment manufacturers, the hotel and food industry, tribes, and the salmon fishing industry at large.