Fish 3, Humans 1
It boggles the mind to think how the value of human beings has diminished with the upsurge of the Green Movement. I’m all for trees, clean air and recycling, but I would never put the rights of fish above the safety and well being of my fellow citizens.
Case #1. A few years back, the residents of the Serra Retreat neighborhood wanted to repair a bridge that went over a creek. This would give them a second way out of the canyon in case of fire. We are all aware that previous fires have destroyed many homes in this area. However, the fish advocates were loudly against the bridge. It would disturb the fish that swam beneath. In this case, I believe, reason prevailed and the safety of Serra residents won out.
Case #2. This refers to the devastation of farms in the San Joaquin Valley. A 2-inch fish, a smelt, has been known to get caught in the irrigation system that has made this vast agricultural valley possible. In this case, at least at present, the fish won and thousands of farm families, who not only provided food for themselves, but also for most of us in the United States, were forced to line up at food banks to feed their families with food shipped in from China.
Case #3. This is the end of an American tradition. No longer will dads spend a morning teaching their sons and daughters to fish in the waters off our local shores. These areas are needed for fish preserves. No chance for commercial fishermen to make a living here either.
Case #4. This is the most disheartening to me. Mr. Forge, the owner of Beau Rivage Restaurant is being robbed of part of his property to establish a “fish ladder” so a steelhead trout can climb up to cool pools of water, which many residents believe do not exist. If we sit by and do not fight for Mr. Forge’s right to keep his own property, there will be no one left when Big Brother finds another excuse to confiscate ours. Taking private property by “eminent domain” always involved the needs of the people. Fish did not have such rights until we let the loonies rule.
Agnes Peterson