Climate change will have major impacts on watersheds and fishery resources over the next 50-100 years.  Berkley Conservation Institute will encourage US and Global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow the rate of climate change over the century.  We must also incorporate the expectation of climate change impacts in natural resource management decisions made today.  Another key issue for 2008/09 will be to help sportsmen understand the potential impacts to fish and wildlife and to push for strategic investment and long term management strategies by America’s fish and wildlife management agencies.  We will produce  a major report outlining a pragmatic, realistic strategy to restore Pacific Salmon.  We will work with the media to communicate strategies to protect and restore wildlife in the age of global warming.

Clean Water-Healthy Streams and Lakes   We will work to ensure wetlands and fishable waters are cleaned up to meet the fishable and swimable standard of the Clean Water Act of 1973.  We will advocate for strengthening protections for wetlands and small streams.  Recent decisions by the US Supreme Court have weakened the Clean Water Act, particularly with respect to protecting the wetlands.  BCI will work with FishNet and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) to support legislation currently introduced in Congress to re-strengthen the act.  Additionally, in 2008, we will join a coalition of other conservation organizations to lobby the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore the Clean Lakes Program, as a portion of the Clean Water Act.  Finally, we will advocate legislation to exempt recreational boats from the requirement to have  National Pollution Discharge Permits for bilge and runoff water.  This is an onerous requirement that was never an intended target of Clean Water Act pollution prevention programs.  Such legislation has already been introduced in Congress in 2008.

Mercury Pollution   Mercury pollution from coal-fired energy plants is creating fish health advisories across America, creating fear and uncertainty about the healthfulness of eating the fish anglers catch.  The EPA is proposing to allow more flexibility and a delayed timetable for cleaning up this pollution.  BCI will work with environmental advocates and sportsmen’s groups to advocate a strict standard for removing mercury from emissions and an expedited schedule for the clean up.  We also want to see consistent standards for mercury advisories between the EPA (sportfishing advisories) and the Food and Drug Administration (seafood advisories).

BCI works with State and Federal fisheries managers on a number of issues each year.  BCI is an active member of FishNet, a national coalition of fisheries advocates. 

Pacific Salmon Recovery   In 2008/09, BCI will continue to work with sportsmen’s organizations and environmental advocates to ensure a long-term recovery strategy for Pacific Salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act.  The severe fisheries restrictions in recent years  in the Columbia River and along the Pacific Coast show current efforts are not enough to ensure sustainable fisheries and the economic benefits they contribute.  2008 is a particularly important year for advocating the removal of obsolete dams on the Klamath and the Lower Snake rivers that have disproportionate negative impacts on salmon.  A long-term plan to  better balance water use between power, agriculture and fisheries is needed on the Sacramento,  Klamath, Columbia and many other Pacific Coastal streams.  We intend to fight efforts to water down the Central Valley Improvement Act, which provides water for fish in the Sacramento River in California.  Additionally, the collapse of the Sacramento River Fall Chinook salmon, with resulting castastrophic fisheries closures in 2008 brings urgency to resolving the issue of excessive pumping of fresh water from the Sacramento Bay Delta.

Marine Reserves    2008 is an important year to work with other fisheries and environmental interests to find a good compromise regarding establishment of Marine Reserves (no fishing zones in the Ocean).  Fishing gear should not be damaging key marine fish habitats and fisheries must be sustainably managed.  However, we will fight against unwarranted or excessive closures of fishing access.  Clear objectives, evaluation of economic/social impacts and a transparent, inclusive process for government decisions on this issue is required.  Oregon and California are key states as both have ongoing processes involving fishermen and other conservation interests.

Invasive Species   Invasive Aquatic Species are an increasing threat to the fisheries of America, and around the World.  We will support the “Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers” program and will supply information on invasive species to our staff, pros and avid angling partners.  There is more that can be done to prevent the spread of invasive species across America.  The recent discovery of zebra and quagga mussels in California gives new emphasis to this issue.  Anglers must do more to ensure that their boats are not transporting invasive species between water bodies.

Outdoor Media Contacts   We work regularly with outdoor media contacts from ESPN/BASS, TRCP and other conservation partners to inform individual freelance writers about important conservation issues.  Our membership in the TRCP is also a way to add our voice to the sportsmen’s community voice on conservation issues.  In 2007, BCI was recognized as a Hero of Conservation by Field and Stream magazine.  This was one of three Heroes program recognized in 2007 in the business category. 

Conservation Advocacy   We partner with organizations such as the American Sportfishing Assn., the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the National Fisheries Network (FishNet) to advance conservation policy advocacy.  We work with partners at the state, region and national levels to affect funding and policy on sustainable natural resource management. In 2008/09 we expect to establish a website for the BCI that will include key conservation partner links and action updates on breaking conservation issues.

BCI continues to partner with regional and local conservation organizations and projects.  An example is the Fish Smart project of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the University of Maryland.  This project is designed to develop gear that advances survival of sport released fish in catch and release fisheries and to improve communications with anglers to adopt these new gear approaches.  BCI continues to support the Berkley Award for Conservation, given annually to the BASS Federation Nation chapter or state organization outstanding conservation project each year.

BCI’s conservation director is a board member of TRCP. He also serves on the Freshwater and Saltwater Government Affairs committees of ASA.  He serves as a science and policy advisor to the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association and to the Northwest Guides and Anglers Assn.  He is also an environment advisor to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Berkley has a long history of promoting and facilitating fishing line recycling, and is in the process of building a new program to lead this effort worldwide.   We are expanding the program to involve more states and federal agencies in fishing line recycling.  In 2007, we worked with the Boat US Foundation and NOAA Fisheries to expand fishing line recycling into major marinas in America.

Berkley FishHab Program   These plastic structures, which include recycled fishing line, can create habitat complexity in lakes and reservoirs, especially when installed under piers and fishing docks.  We will be improving our program to produce Berkley FishHabs and marketing them to conservation partners worldwide.