Awhile back I mentioned that farmers were denied water cos of a fish...
By dragon54u
@dragon54u (31633)
United States
September 17, 2009 9:57pm CST
The Delta Smelt was declared an endangered species in 1999. This past year the water has been turned off in the richest farmland of America because of this two inch fish. People who used to feed the world are now patrons of local food banks and in danger of losing their farms. Sean Hannity is just now covering this tonight--I'll watch it tomorrow, it's bedtime now.
When I started the discussion I had a couple people say that the fish was more important than the people. I can understand this to a point--each species we lose affects the entire world. But nature corrects itself, God did not make an imperfect world, only imperfect humans. I'm sorry if we lose a little minnow but they live in irrigation ditches--not exactly natural teeming cycles of life.
What do you think now, with all this economic distress? Does environmental concerns trump concerns about human quality of life? Do these farmers deserve to starve and lose their lands because of a little fish?
4 responses
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Remember the Spotted Owl? We shut down the logging industry in Oregon by preventing them from harvesting old growth timber. This was a big issue several years ago. It was reported that a forest fire went through the old growth forest and guess what the Spotted owl built homes in new a growth forest. Knowing this and seeing the proof they still can not cut old growth timber.
These extreme environmentalist are more concerned with animals and plants than people. They are blocking drilling, mining and now farming. What is next - We have been told that CO2 is now a pollutant so I guess we have to stop breathing. Most environmentalist believe in Evolution which is survival of the fittest. Change or perish.
I feel that this is becoming a constitutional issue and it should force limits on the government.
2 people like this
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Well, the Angel fish sitting in a Petco fish tank is derived from an ancestor that once lived wild in a larger body of water. So, why not do to the Delta Smelt what we do to so many other fish...relocate and breed a bunch of them until they're no longer endangered. Ta-da, problem solved. I should get paid for this, I could be rich.
2 people like this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Sorry Latrivia, but if you can't make honest, hardworking people suffer you're just not doing it right. These people want to make headlines and you don't make headlines by fixing problems. You do that by creating even bigger problems which is exactly what they've done. Now we get to watch California fall even deeper into debt as their massive farming industry is crippled.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Too simple and too cheap. Come up with a solution that can publicize animal rights and make people suffer and cost lots of money and you'll have a winner. 
That really makes too much sense for the government to understand!
That really makes too much sense for the government to understand!1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
18 Sep 09
Apparently California Farmers are supposed to be happy to lose their farms and way of life so that a fish might live... and as our domestic agriculture suffers, we'll import produce from other countries who chose the produce over the fish.
It's only bad when the US does it.
2 people like this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Yes, the USA is the evil nation!! China can poison our children with lead-laden toys and jewelry and make homes toxic with their drywall and yet we are the evil ones for wanting to feed ourselves and the world!
Look at my first reply to see my philosophy. I'm not a monster, I love nature, but I love my children and their future children, too, plus every other nations' children. They have a RIGHT NOT TO STARVE BECAUSE OF OUR STUPIDITY!!!!
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
18 Sep 09
I have not heard about this topic. But from what you have written there has to be some middle ground to keep both concerns managed. Is this lil fish sustainable as food for humans? If you haven't heard the majority of our fish now comes from overseas not from the USA. So if people can prosper from thses lil fish, sure why not but make sure you don't "bite the hand that feeds you" (ie the farmers). Or provide them the means to not only raise these fish but continue to prosper on their family farms.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
18 Sep 09
Well, as one that loves and reveres Nature, I would like this fish to thrive. But not at the expense of the people that depend on our farmlands to feed them. However, every loss of a species affects the Earth and whatever lives on it. We wouldn't know the impact of the Delta Smelt loss for decades or even a century but there will probably be an impact. We might be sorry for watering the fields and we might be glad we did it. But we don't know.
I'm for saving the people. We are advanced enough that we have the technology developed by the brains that God gave us to minimize or avoid the consequences of sacrificing a species so that our children can be healthy.
