Good for Gobies

Re: Endangered tidewater gobies.

The Hueneme / Ormond estuary has suffered through years of abuse and neglect and yet its unique habitats continue to sustain an incredible diversity of wildlife. This area contains habitat essential for the survival of many threatened and endangered species, including California least terns, brown pelicans, western snowy plovers, salt marsh bird’s-beak, and many federal and state candidate species.

The various habitats (salt marshes, lagoons, estuaries, southern coastal foredunes and others) at Hueneme are already considered to be endangered and are supposed to be protected. A recent discovery of tidewater gobies by UC Santa Barbara biologist Dr. Kevin Lafferty doesn’t appear to create any new problems, although it means additional work is now clearly needed to make all the determinations necessary in creating a recovery plan.

This discovery may have the positive effect of focusing attention on a number of issues dealing with water quality and quantity. Such attention would be beneficial to all area wildlife and to the ecology.

The economic value of protecting wetlands is well understood by sport fishermen, commercial fishermen and many farmers as well. According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, three-quarters of the nation’s $4-billion marine fish and shellfish harvest is made up of estuarine-dependent species (fish that use vegetation for spawning, rearing and feeding). Marine fisheries contribute more than $50 billion to the GNP. Twenty million American recreational fishermen fish for estuarine wetlands-dependent species, adding enormously to our economy. In California alone, more than 1 1/2 million sports fishermen pursue this resource and more than $200 million in seafood is delivered to the docks. Loss of wetlands correlates with decline in annual fish harvests and lost jobs in this industry. Therefore, any focus on protecting wetlands is good economic news. What’s good for gobies ends up being good for all of us.

ALAN SANDERS

Port Hueneme

Sanders is conservation chairman Sierra Club, Los Padres chapter, Sespe group