Loss of Wetlands Threatens State’s Shrimp, Study Finds

The federal government declared four species of California shrimp threatened or endangered by the federal government Thursday because of loss of wetlands.

Most of the threatened wetlands habitat is in the Central Valley, although the shrimp exist in at least 13 counties, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

“An exhaustive review of all the available data makes it clear that listing is warranted,” Fish and Wildlife Service Director Mollie Beattie said in a news release. The agency will soon outline proposals to preserve wetlands, she said.

The threatened or endangered shrimp are known to exist in Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Merced, Riverside, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Solano, Tehama, Tulare and Ventura counties, the agency said.

Designated as endangered were the conservancy fairy shrimp, the longhorn fairy shrimp and the vernal pool tadpole shrimp. Listed as threatened was the vernal pool fairy shrimp.

Beattie said only a fraction of the proposed development projects in the region would be hurt by the listing. Some projects may have to be modified to protect wetlands, she said.

Rep. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy) called the listing outrageous and unjustified.

“In its zeal to make California farmers into vassals of the federal government, the Fish and Wildlife Service has cast aside studies which demonstrate that the fairy shrimp may not be endangered,” Pombo said, adding that motorists who drive through puddles may end up subject to fines for damaging shrimp habitat.

Bob Krauter, spokesman for the California Farm Bureau, said that despite the government’s assurances, farmers were still wary.

“Potentially, there could be very serious problems for landowners,” Krauter said. “Landowners have been stripped of their rights to use their land.”

The federal government is committed to protecting habitat and the region’s economy, Beattie said.

The fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp are a food source for waterfowl and amphibians in the Central Valley. Because they are dependent on water availability, salinity and other factors, they are an indicator of the general conditions of seasonal wetlands, the agency said.