Comments on: Chamber Breakfast: Tiny Mussel – Huge Problem

By: B Dixon

B Dixon — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:15:06 +0000

This a VERY SERIOUS ISSUE…!As for the restrictions being set in place by the F&G. This is a measure that HAS to be accomplished less this wonderful watershed be closed to everyone! I am an avid bass guy and a VP of a local club in Santa Maria and I stand behind the F&G for placing these regs into place. All I can say for the bass guys is ‘be ready to fish, or go home’. It’s that simple. Follow the rules or stay home! Can’t be any clearer than that my fellow bassers.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:05:30 +0000

More info on the mussel:
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=95

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:08:21 +0000

A few fishermen have tossed out the idea that birds are carrying the Quagga mussel. There is, however, no evidence at this time to support this claim. Those who claim that the bird-as-vector notion is false point to the fact that were either the Zebra or Quagga mussel carried by migrating birds, there would be a connect-the-dots map of infested lakes and ponds to prove it, given the amount of time that both mollusks have been in the US; 1988 and 1989, respectively.
The Wikipedia articles on both Zebra and Quagga mussels are interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra_mussel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quagga_mussel

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:02:37 +0000

What is the bird connection?
This is just like many other global problems. Similar to the mites that the bees now have. Has anyone heard about this frog that is in Hawaii now that makes this really high pitched sound at night? It is destroying property values in some areas because people can’t sleep. I think it came from Austraila. Also there is a type of sea weed that it extremely invasive that was in the San Diego area, they seem to be making some progress on that one. We also have many invasive plants in the Chaparrel like those cane like plant. And we are losing eucalyptus trees to the bark beetle and another fungus that attacks the leaves. And the abalone got some type of diesese a while back that devastated them. It’s a difficult problem indeed.

By: Dennis Rice

Dennis Rice — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:19:20 +0000

This is certainly a serious problem. The posts have already begun on local news pages calling this just another environmentalist plot to close the lake to boats; Russ Baggerly, et al, have always wanted to drive out fishermen, etc. “It isn’t the boats; it’s the birds”.
Actually, I understand that the boats may remain on the lake if they remain at Casitas. Only boats that lake-hop will be restricted. While this may have some short-term economic impact (maybe good for the boat rental folks), the long-term scenario is dire without timely action. It is just one of those pieces of information that no one wants to hear. Besides it is easier to close the lake to boats than birds.