Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Martinez/CA/San Francisco Bay (1879, 132 fish stocked, Smith 1896; Cohen and Carlton 1995; Dill and Cordone 1997)
Geographic Extent
Martinez/CA/San Francisco Bay (1879, 132 fish stocked, Smith 1896; Cohen and Carlton 1995; Dill and Cordone 1997); CA/Suisum Bay (1882, 300 fish stocked, Smith 1896); CA/Sacramento River (1883, Smith 1896); CA/South San Francisco Bay, Central San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay (Smith 1896); Grayson/CA/San Joaquin river (1895, Smith 1896); Fremont/CA/Sacramento river (Smith 1896)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Fisheries Intentional |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Predation | |
| Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)) is a major predator in the San Francisco estuary system. As a larva and juvenile, it can influence zooplankton communities by selective predation on copepods, favoring some species (Eurytemora affinis- introduced, Cyclops sp.-native), over others (Pseudodiaptomus forbesi, Sinocalanus doerri, both introduced) (Meng and Orsi 1991; Bryant and Arnold 2007). Predation by adult Striped Bass poses a threat, including an increased risk of extinction ot winter-run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshwaytscha) and Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) (Lindley and Mohr 2003; Sabal et al. 2016; Brandl et al. 202). Striped Bass may have also played a role in the global extinction of the Thicktail Chub (Gila crassicauda) and the local extinction of the Sacramento Perch (Archoplites interruptus) from the freshwaters of the Delta (Cohen and Carlton 1995). | ||
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) is the now the principal sport fish in the San Francisco estuary. A commercial fishery was started for the bass in 1889, just 10 years after their introduction (Smith 1895), and continued to 1935, when it was prohibited, and instead regulated as a sport fishery. By 1968, Striped Bass constituted ~60% of angling in the San Francisco estuary. Herbold et al. (1992, cited by Cohen and Carlton 1995) estimated that Striped Bass fishing brought $45 million into the San Francisco Bay Delta economy. A more recent estimate, for the combined Striped Bass, Sturgeon, Chinook Salmon, and Halibut fisheries concluded that “Bay Delta Complex anglers create about 6,600 jobs, almost $270 million labor income, and almost $500 million output income in the 31 counties in the three regions of this study.” (Program for Applied Research and Evaluation, California State University 2013). The majority of anglers in the Delta region fish for Striped Bass. | ||