Wolf Meetings Delayed and Dead Sturgeon

Wolf Meetings Delayed and Dead Sturgeon I’m Susan Allen in for Greg Martin on today’s Northwest Report.

Oregon Ranchers are frustrated that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission has delayed a commission meeting on the removal of wolves from the state endangered species list until October. According to the Statesmen Journal ODF rescheduled due to full meeting agendas and to allow for ore time for public testimony. The commission will consider proposals to delist wolves statewide or only partly delist them. Ranchers are hoping the fact that Oregon's currently has maintained a population of 77 known wolves — 26 pups and four breeding pairs in Eastern Oregon for three consecutive years — will justify removing them from the state list.

And here is Aginfo reporter Matt Rice on what he observed recently at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers:

 

Matt Rice:

There was an over powering smell of dead fish, I had heard the salmon and sturgeon were dying, but I didn’t realize how serious the problem really was. Just a few miles downriver we spotted a 7 foot sturgeon along the beach, which is pretty sad considering it takes them about 25 years to reach this size. Obviously with water temperature reaching up to 75 degrees, Fish and Game officials are blaming the warm waters but they’re still considering other issues like lower water levels with stagnant water and potential diseases with salmon they might be eating.

 

Thank you Matt let’s hope condition quickly improve for these great fish.