[Fishlink] ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 11/16/01<~~
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~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 11/16/01<~~
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A WEEKLY QUOTA OF FISHERY SHORTS CAUGHT AND
LANDED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES
AND THE PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN'S
ASSOCIATIONS
VOL. 4, NO. 20 16 NOVEMBER 2001
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IN THIS ISSUE.......
WORLD FISHERIES DAY CELEBRATIONS SET FOR 21
NOVEMBER. SEE 4:20/01.
PANETTA AT FISH EXPO, TELLS FISHERMEN TO
"KICK ASS." SEE 4:20/02.
C-J-S FUNDING BILL RESULTS IN GIVE-AWAY OF
BERING SEA POLLOCK. SEE 4:20/04.
OREGON COHO DELISTING DECISION
APPEALED. SEE 4:20/08.
CORPS GETS FUNDS TO NOTCH ELK RIVER
DAM. SEE 4:20/14.
AND MORE.......
#########################################################
4:20/01. WORLD FISHERIES DAY 2001 - BENEFITS,
DONATIONS, RESOLUTION HONORING ONE OF HUMANKIND'S
OLDEST ENDEAVORS: Wednesday, 21 November, marks World
Fisheries Day this year with a number of different events planned
around the globe. In the U.S., the Marine Fish Conservation Network
(MFCN) has promoted a number of radio shows, including spots on
National Public Radio discussing the importance of fishing (for more
information, go to: www.conservefish.org). In response to the 11
September terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, the
Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association is sponsoring a
World Fisheries Day related concert on Saturday, the 17th, to benefit the
survivors of the seafood restaurant victims from the World Trade
Center. Another example is in Maryland, where Phillips Seafood and
the Baltimore County Watermen's Association will be delivering 500
pounds of fish to three homeless shelters in Baltimore on the 19th
commemorating World Fisheries Day. In California, the state
Legislature has adopted a resolution, authored by Assembly member
Virginia Strom-Martin (D-Duncan Mills), celebrating World Fisheries
Day.
The November issue of The Fishermen's News features an article on
World Fisheries Day (go to: www.pcffa.org/fn-nov01.htm). Finally,
U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the House Democratic Whip,
has a draft resolution in the Congress to formally recognize 21
November as World Fisheries Day (for more information, go to:
sf.nancy@mail.house.gov). Also go to PCFFA's website at:
www.pcffa.org for further information on the day designated to
celebrate one of humankind's oldest endeavors.
4:20/02. PANETTA AT FISH EXPO - TELLS FISHERMEN TO
GET TOGETHER AND "KICK ASS": Former U.S. Congressman and
White House Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta, who now chairs the Pew
Oceans Commission, addressed FISH EXPO on 16 November (see
Sublegals, 4:19/09), describing to the assembled group the myriad of
threats facing the ocean environment and telling fishermen they need to
get together in order to have their voice heard. Among the threats to the
oceans and its fishes he raised were non-point pollution sources that are
causing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, the growing
number of invasive species in the nation's waters, and the population
growth along the U.S. coasts threatening wetlands and other habitats as
well as water quality. He expressed his preference for some form of
ocean governance that would bring all parties to the table using the
process being used among six states around the Chesapeake Bay as a
possible model. He also underscored the need to have fishermen at the
table.
"You've got to fight for your industry," Panetta told the fishing
group. "Nationwide, this industry has never gotten its act together, and if
you did, you could be a force. When you're one voice and you represent
one powerful constituency in the country and you go to the people in
Washington, you can begin to have an impact." He then went on to say
that fishermen have to be prepared to "kick ass" to protect their
resources and their livelihoods. Seafood importers, exporters,
distributors and others in the shoreside sector are represented by the
National Fisheries Institute. However, there is currently no national
organization of commercial fishermen in the U.S.
Unlike the federal U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the
20-member Pew Commission includes representatives from the
commercial and recreational fishing industry, including PCFFA
President Pietro Parravano. The Pew Commission is also regarded as
the more balanced of the two groups currently addressing national ocean
policy. The 16-member U.S. Commission, nominated by Congress and
appointed by the President, is viewed as pro-offshore oil and
pro-aquaculture. The next meeting of the Pew Commission is scheduled
for the week of 26 November in New York City. It will hold a public
hearing on Thursday, the 29th, from 1400-1700 HRS at the American
Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street while in
New York. The Pew Commission, which has already published reports
on pollution, aquaculture, and marine invasive species (go to:
www.pewoceans.org), will issue its final recommendations on ways to
control marine pollution, restore fisheries, protect coastal habitats,
and sustain marine life to Congress and the nation in the fall of 2002.
For more information on the New York meeting, contact Justin Kenney
at: kenneyj@pewoceans.org.
The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, meanwhile, held its second
meeting on 13-14 November in Washington, DC. Starting more than a
year after the Pew Commission began its work, the federal commission
will begin a series of nine regional meetings. It has agreed to a tentative
schedule for these meetings in 2002, starting with Charleston, South
Carolina 14-16 January. Meetings are also currently
scheduled to be held in Tampa Bay in February, New Orleans in March,
Los Angeles in April, Honolulu in May; Seattle in June, Boston in July,
Anchorage in August, and Chicago in September. For more
information, contact Robert Hansen at: Robert.C.Hansen@noaa.gov.
4:20/03. IMPASSE ON DUNGENESS CRAB PRICE KEEPS
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA SEASON CLOSED; CONGRESS
EXTENDS STATE EEZ AUTHORITY OVER FISHERY: The Central
California Dungeness Crab season (Sonoma County south) that was set
to start on Thursday, the 15th, has been delayed as a result of a price
disagreement between crabbers and processors on an ex-vessel price
(see Sublegals 4:19/01). Crab marketing associations have asked for a
market order price of between $2.25 and $2.50 per pound, while
processors have offered an ex-vessel price of $1.75 per pound. If the
stalemate continues, it could jeopardize the Thanksgiving market.
In the meantime, Congress has approved language, as part of the
Commerce-Justice-State appropriation package (HR 2500 - see 4:20/04
below), on 15 November, to extend state jurisdiction over the
Dungeness crab fishery in the federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
offshore California, Oregon and Washington through 30 September
2006. The bill was sent to the President 16 November. This language
continues existing authority by the states over this fishery out to 200
miles; however, the issue may be taken up again prior to 2006 in the
reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation &
Management Act.
4:20/04. COMMERCE-JUSTICE-STATE APPROPRIATIONS
BILL SENT TO PRESIDENT, $3.3 BILLION FOR NOAA, AFA
AMENDED GIVING POLLOCK TO CATCHER/PROCESSORS,
RELIEF FOR PACIFIC COAST GROUNDFISH FISHERMEN: On
Thursday, 15 November, the Senate gave final approval on a 98-1 vote
to the 2002 Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill, HR 2500
(House Report 107-298) and sent the $39.4 billion spending package to
the President the following day. According to a 15 November
WorldCatch News Network report, it includes $3.25 billion for the
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - a budget
figure comparable to Senate and House-approved funding for the
Commerce agency and just above the President's request of $3.15
billion. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), however, took
a significant cut in conference committee. The House passed $729
million for the federal fishery agency, the Senate passed $668 million
and conferees reported $579.2 million. The President requested $734
million, and the FY '01 enacted level was $815 million. Some of the cuts
came in the area of stock assessments. Conservation programs get
$439.2 million in the conference report, the weather programs are fully
funded and the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund received the full
request of $110 million. For more information, go to:
www.worldcatch.com.
On 15 November, the Senate also passed the 2002 Agriculture
appropriations bill. The $75.9 billion funding bill, HR 2330, (House
Report 107-275) passed on a 92-7 vote; it had already cleared the House
on the 13th. It includes $961 million for the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), compared with the administration's
request for $927 million. NRCS is involved in a number of salmon
habitat restoration programs in California, Oregon and Washington.
In addition to the language extending state jurisdiction in the EEZ
over the Dungeness crab fishery, the Commerce-Justice-State funding
package includes $15.58 million designed to assist the Pacific Coast
groundfish fleet - money that had been sought by Senators Ron Wyden
(D-OR) and Patty Murray (D-WA). According to a report in the 15
November Daily Astorian, more than $4 million of that funding is aimed
at placing observers directly on board fishing vessels to help compile
more accurate catch information and track bycatch. Other groundfish
backing found in the Conference Report includes:
* $1.5 million for direct disaster assistance to fishermen who suffered
financial losses.
* $1 million for Oregon's Groundfish Disaster Outreach - a program that
helps fishermen transition out of the industry and into new fields of
employment.
* $5.22 million for ongoing research on West Coast groundfish.
* $2 million for cooperative groundfish research.
The most controversial provision of the C-J-S 2002 funding bill is the
rider inserted by Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) amending Section 213 of
the American Fisheries Act (P.L. 105-277) deleting the 30 September
2004 sunset date and giving exclusive rights to the Seattle-based
catcher-processor fleet and native corporations holding community
development quotas (CDQs) that were initially allocated Bering Sea
pollock for a 5-year period to implement American ownership of the
pollock catch. The rights to harvest this fish stock are worth $700
million annually. The AFA was already controversial with many in the
fisheries who viewed it as a rip-off of taxpayers and much of the fishing
community to profit a few large well-connected (e.g., former Senate
staffers now in the employ of the fishing companies) fish harvesting and
processing companies.
4:20/05. PACIFIC COAST WHITING CATCHER/PROCESSOR
FISHERY CLOSES FOR YEAR: On 13 November, the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the closure of the 2001
catcher/processor fishery for Pacific whiting (hake) effective 1800 HRS
that day, pursuant to 50 CFR, Part 660. The closure will be in effect
until the beginning of the 2002 season. NMFS is accepting comments
on the action until 3 December. For comments, contact Rod McInnis,
Acting Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West
Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213. For more
information, call Becky Renko at (206) 526-6110.
4:20/06. AUSTRALIAN SEAFOOD CONFERENCE TO FEATURE
PAPER ON TRAWL FISHERY RESTRUCTURING AND BUY-OUT:
"Seafood Directions 2001," Australia's national seafood conference, that
will be held 27-29 November this year in Brisbane, Australia, will
feature a paper on the restructuring and license buy-out implemented
this year in the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery. The program
resulted in the removal of one-third of the 750 licenses and boats that
were authorized to fish in that fishery as of 1 January 2001, according to
Ted Loveday, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Seafood
Industry Association. One hundred (100) of these licenses were
removed on 1 Jan 2001 through a $20 million (AUS) license buy-out
and another hundred licenses have been permanently removed since then
through mechanisms in the new Queensland East Coast Trawl
Management Plan (ECTP) that was implemented in conjunction with the
license buy-out. There are now a little over 500 licenses and boats
remaining in the fishery and this number is continuing to decline, says
Loveday. For more information on the conference or to receive a copy
of the paper, go to: www.seafoodsite.com.au/seafooddirections.
On a related issue, the November edition of The Queensland
Fisherman, features a new fisheries policy developed by the Australian
Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) that it circulated prior to that nation's
recently conducted federal elections (pp.20-25). The policy may be of
interest to U.S. and Canadian fishermen and others in the fisheries. For
more information, go to: www.asic.org.au.
4:20/07. FISH CONSUMPTION SUBJECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE MEETING IN SEATTLE: "What is the relationship between
water quality, fish consumption and environmental justice?" will be the
focus of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)
meeting scheduled for 3-6 December in Seattle. A public comment
period dedicated to the focused policy issue is scheduled for Tuesday
evening, 4 December from 1900-2100 HRS.
The NEJAC was established to ensure that the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) receives the viewpoints of diverse
stakeholders on issues related to environmental justice. The NEJAC
consists of 26 members representing community groups; industry; state,
local and tribal governments, and both government and non-government
organizations. For more information on the Seattle meeting, go to:
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/main/ej/nejac/conf_ne.html, or call the toll-free
NEJAC Hotline at: (888) 335-4299.
4:20/08. OREGON COHO DELISTING DECISION APPEALED:
U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Michael Hogan ruled 16 November that a
coalition of fisheries and conservation organizations, including both
PCFFA and IFR, had a right to intervene in the Alsea Valley Alliance v.
NMFS case (see Sublegals 4:19/05; 4:18/02) for purposes of appealing
to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Hogan's Oregon coastal coho
Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting decision. An appeal was
immediately filed with the Court of Appeals, together with a request for
a stay of Judge Hogan's decision. A stay, if granted, would reinstate
coho ESA protections for the central Oregon population until either the
appeal could be heard or the case becomes moot with the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) changes in its policy concerning
inclusion of hatchery fish within the genetic conservation unit (the ESU
or 'evolutionarily significant unit') that the ESA listing protects.
The basis of intervention was that NMFS is no longer representing
the interests of fish protection interests because it failed to ask for a stay
and failed to take an appeal. Instead of doing either, and faced with
landowner petitions for the delisting of nearly every listed salmonid on
the west coast based on that ruling, NMFS decided to undertake a
complete review of its policy with regard to ESA classification of
hatchery fish under the ESA. Planned hearings will begin in February of
2002 running for a period of 60 days, with a projected decision date in
September 2002. NMFS then plans a status review of all listings that
might be affected by any changes in the policy. At that time, at least
two years down the road, NMFS may then propose relisting of the
Central Oregon coho, leaving them completely unprotected under the
ESA in the interim. For details on the NMFS review see:
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/occd/occd.html. The decision on the request
for a stay of Judge Hogan's trial court order must be made by 10
December. For more information on the Intervener's petition, contact:
Patti Goldman or Kristen Boyles, EarthjusticeLegal Defense Fund, (206)
343-7340. For the full Oregonian story see:
http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/
html_standard.xsl?/base/news/10060017576527191.xml
4:20/09. EIGHTH ANNUAL SALMON RUN: Okay, it's only a 5k
run and 3k walk, but this is not the Sacramento, the Columbia or the
Fraser where we'd demand a marathon, or the Yukon or the Amur where
an ironman triathlon would be required. It's for the Ventura River and
it's a good cause. The Matilija Coalition, a local non-profit dedicated to
restoring the Ventura River in southern California (it once supported
major coho and steelhead populations), is sponsoring the run as part of a
fund-raiser on Sunday, 18 November. Fish passage on the Ventura
River has been blocked for decades by the now silted-in Matilija Dam,
and both fish conservationists and surfers are working to remove the
dam and restore the river. The Institute for Fisheries Resources, in fact,
is under contract with the California Coastal Conservancy to develop a
plan for the ancient Matilija structure. For more information on the
event, that is being co-sponsored by Patagonia and Great Pacific Iron
Works, among others, contact: Paul Jenkin, Environmental Director,
Surfrider Foundation Ventura County Chapter Coordinator, Matilija
Coalition at: paul@matilija-coalition.org.
4:20/10. HATCHERY SALMON SURPLUSES ADD TO FOOD
BANKS FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: In addition to fish
donations being made by fishing groups to food banks around World
Fisheries Day and the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, fish hatcheries
throughout the Northwest are making surplus hatchery fish available for
shelters and others serving the needy this year. WorldCatch News
Network reports that about 80,000 pounds of frozen fillets have been
distributed to food banks across the Washington State so far this year.
Twenty-thousand pounds have come to Second Harvest of the Inland
Northwest, with another 20,000 pounds on the way. While the Chinook
and pink runs are done for the year, some coho are still making their
way to hatcheries, and the chum season is just getting started. Last year,
food banks in Washington distributed 140,000 pounds of fillets. In
Oregon, the state is planning to hike its hatchery contributions to the
hungry and needy, with a truckload of about 40,000 pounds of frozen
salmon fillets for the Oregon Food Bank. The shipment is the first of
several totaling about 140,000 hatchery fish which will provide around
500,000 meals to needy Oregonians this fall. For more information, go
to: www.worldcatch.com.
4:20/11. BUSH ADMINISTRATION REMOVES MINING
CLAIMS BAN IN SOUTHERN OREGON SALMON STREAMS:
Reversing one of the last Clinton Administration initiatives, Secretary of
Interior Gale Norton is lifting the current ban on filing new mining
claims within the Siskiyou National Forest in some of the west coast's
last remaining good salmon and steelhead spawning habitat in southern
Oregon. The ban, imposed for a two year period by outgoing Secretary
of Interior Bruce Babbitt on 23 January 2001, was intended to pave the
way for further protections of these public lands primarily for their
habitat and wildlife value, but Babbitt failed to protect these key river
systems under a national monument designation, citing lack of time.
Conservation and fisheries groups in the area have been pressing for the
designation of these public lands as a 'Six Rivers National Monument'
for several years, a proposal also backed by PCFFA and several other
fisheries groups because of the need for protection of key salmon and
steelhead streams. Monument status would have provided maximum
protection for critical salmon and steelhead habitat on these public
lands. There are already more than 1,000 mining claims in the Siskiyou
National Forest, and under the much criticized 1872 Mining Act any of
these mining claims could be developed with little regard to
environmental impacts and with no royalties payments to the US
Treasury. Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, Oregon Senator Ron
Wyden and Representative Peter DeFazio, in whose Congressional
district these lands sit, all favored the original mining claim moratorium,
but Oregon Senator Gordon Smith has opposed any additional protection
for those areas. Local mining advocates argued that the rivers should
remain open to mining 'in light of current national security concerns.'
For more information about efforts to protect the southern Oregon
coastal river systems and the 'Siskiyou Wild Rivers' proposal see:
http://www.siskiyou.org.
4:20/12. CONSERVATIONISTS SEEK TO BLOCK SALE OF
MAINE SALMON FARM TO DUTCH COMPANY: Plans by a Maine
aquaculture operation, Heritage Salmon, to sell out to the Dutch Seafood
giant, Nutreco, have run afoul of local conservation groups who are
currently in federal court in Bangor suing Heritage for operating its
farms in violation of the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA). U.S. Public
Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) has asked Maine Department of
Marine Resources Commissioner George LaPointe to block any transfer
of the farms under Maine law. "For nearly a decade, Heritage has
violated the federal Clean Water Act with impunity, and has also failed
to live up to the requirements of its state leases," said Joshua R. Kratka,
senior attorney at the National Environmental Law Center (NELC).
"The State of Maine should not transfer these leases of public lands to
yet another multinational fish-farming conglomerate without first
assuring that any new salmon farm operator will comply with state and
federal environmental laws." Heritage Salmon is a division of George
Weston, Ltd., the Canadian supermarket conglomerate.
In a 2 November letter, U.S. PIRG's attorneys requested that
LaPointe deny a transfer of Heritage sites to any new owner until the
new owner guarantees that environmental safeguards will be put in
place. Such safeguards include measures to prevent fish escapes and the
spread of disease to wild salmon, to minimize the use and release of
toxic chemicals, and to ensure that salmon farm wastes do not create
"dead zones" on the ocean bottom beneath and around the farm sites.
Heritage, like other salmon farm owners in Maine, operates its farms on
submerged public lands. It leases these lands from the state, and must
abide by the terms of its leases. State law prohibits the transfer of a
lease if, among other things, the operations of the new lessee would
"unreasonably interfere with the ability of the lease site and surrounding
areas to support existing ecologically significant flora and fauna." For
more information, contact Joshua Kratka at: (617) 422-0880.
4:20/13. DISMAL FORECAST FOR BRISTOL BAY SOCKEYE:
The Associated Press reported on 15 November that the Alaska
Department of Fish & Game (ADFG) is predicting a run of 16.8 million
sockeye this next season for Bristol Bay, with approximately 9.7 million
reds available for harvest. The University of Washington predicted just
slightly more fish in its forecast. The forecast pales in comparison to the
average 25 million reds fishermen have netted in the bay over the last 20
years. Last year's catch was about 14 million fish. Alaska Governor
Tony Knowles has declared a disaster in the region three out of the last
five years due to low salmon returns or prices, and next summer is
setting up to be possibly worse still. In addition to production, prices too
have been depressed; last season fishermen took home only 40 cents a
pound, the lowest price since 1975, because of increasing competition
from foreign fish farms. Many fishermen doubt prices will improve next
summer. And many might just stay home. Last summer, about 15
percent of Bristol Bay's 1,800-plus boat fishermen and 900 beach
fishermen stayed away.
4:20/14. CONGRESS GIVES ARMY CORPS FUNDS TO BEGIN
NOTCHING ELK CREEK DAM TO ALLOW SALMON PASSAGE:
The Eugene Register-Guard reported 16 November that the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (COE) has received $2 million from Congress to
begin notching the half-finished Elk Creek Dam to allow salmon
passage on this tributary of Oregon's Rogue River. Elk Creek Dam was
first authorized by Congress in 1962 as part of a three-dam flood-control
project for the Rogue River. Construction was halted at the halfway
point in 1987 after a federal injunction was issued based on the COE's
failure to assess impacts on Rogue River salmon. Since 1987 crews
have been trapping salmon and steelhead at the base of the dam, hauling
them in trucks upstream, and releasing them to reach spawning habitat.
The trap-haul system cost $8 million/year, and federal biologists have
warned that in the long run threatened coho salmon would not survive.
In 1995, COE abandoned the project after spending $100 million. Two
years later it proposed partial demolition to enhance fish passage, but
local opposition kept the Corps from going ahead. PCFFA, IFR and
other organizations then sued to have the dam removed under the federal
Endangered Species Act. The $2 million will cover work through the
fiscal year ending next September. COE plans to sign up a contractor for
the work in January and have it completed by October, in time for
spawning coho salmon to swim through the notch to good spawning
habitat upstream. See: http://www.registerguard.com/news/
Wire/N0076OR--ElkCreekDam.html.
4:20/15. MIAMI TO HOST FISHERIES SCIENCE SUMMIT: The
world's leading fisheries experts will meet 26-30 November at the
University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric
Sciences for the first "World Conference on the Scientific and Technical
Bases for the Sustainability of Fisheries," according to a report 16
November by WorldCatch News Network. Scientists representing key
fisheries across the globe will present research that addresses some of
the critical challenges imposed by the increasing worldwide demand for
fish and other seafood; one billion people depend on fish as their main
source of animal protein and many more consume seafood as part of a
healthy diet. The 5-day conference is intended to bring together current
scientific knowledge to compare and contrast case studies of many of
the world's major fisheries. Fisheries assessment and management
experts on tuna, billfish, reef fish, anchovies, sharks, hakes, cod,
lobsters, shrimps, abalone, orange roughy and other fishes will provide
their global perspective on the successes and failures in fisheries as a
means to try to develop an international consensus on the management
priorities for sustainability.
"Our ultimate goal is to define how we can use our ocean resources
in a sustainable way," said Nelson Ehrhardt, professor of marine biology
and fisheries at the Rosenstiel School and conference organizer. "To
meet the world's demand for fish, while reducing the decline of existing
stocks, we must manage fish stocks by leaving enough fish so that they
can breed and maintain their populations and also protect essential
habitats, given environmental variability and uncertainty."
The World Conference is sponsored by the Rosenstiel School's
Center for Sustainable Fisheries. The final outcome of this conference
will be a publication containing case studies as well as the discussions,
conclusions and recommendations presented by the participants. This
publication is intended by the sponsors to become the guide for policy
institutions, commercial entities and non-governmental organizations to
use as a reference on scientific and technical matters regarding the
sustainability of fisheries. For more information, go to:
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/cfsf/2001conf.
NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,
comments or any corrections to Allison Vogt, Editor at:
ifrfish@pacbell.net or call the IFR office with the news and a source at
either: (415) 561-FISH (Southwest Office) or (541) 689-2000
(Northwest Office).
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<BR> ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 11/16/01<~~
<BR>##########################################################
<BR> A WEEKLY QUOTA OF FISHERY SHORTS CAUGHT AND
<BR> LANDED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES
<BR> AND THE PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN'S
<BR> ASSOCIATIONS
<BR>
<BR> VOL. 4, NO. 20 16 NOVEMBER 2001
<BR>##########################################################
<BR>IN THIS ISSUE.......
<BR>
<BR>WORLD FISHERIES DAY CELEBRATIONS SET FOR 21
<BR>NOVEMBER. SEE 4:20/01.
<BR>
<BR>PANETTA AT FISH EXPO, TELLS FISHERMEN TO
<BR>"KICK ASS." SEE 4:20/02.
<BR>
<BR>C-J-S FUNDING BILL RESULTS IN GIVE-AWAY OF
<BR>BERING SEA POLLOCK. SEE 4:20/04.
<BR>
<BR>OREGON COHO DELISTING DECISION
<BR>APPEALED. SEE 4:20/08.
<BR>
<BR>CORPS GETS FUNDS TO NOTCH ELK RIVER
<BR>DAM. SEE 4:20/14.
<BR>
<BR>AND MORE.......
<BR>#########################################################
<BR>4:20/01. WORLD FISHERIES DAY 2001 - BENEFITS,
<BR>DONATIONS, RESOLUTION HONORING ONE OF HUMANKIND'S
<BR>OLDEST ENDEAVORS: Wednesday, 21 November, marks World
<BR>Fisheries Day this year with a number of different events planned
<BR>around the globe. In the U.S., the Marine Fish Conservation Network
<BR>(MFCN) has promoted a number of radio shows, including spots on
<BR>National Public Radio discussing the importance of fishing (for more
<BR>information, go to: www.conservefish.org). In response to the 11
<BR>September terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, the
<BR>Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association is sponsoring a
<BR>World Fisheries Day related concert on Saturday, the 17th, to benefit the
<BR>survivors of the seafood restaurant victims from the World Trade
<BR>Center. Another example is in Maryland, where Phillips Seafood and
<BR>the Baltimore County Watermen's Association will be delivering 500
<BR>pounds of fish to three homeless shelters in Baltimore on the 19th
<BR>commemorating World Fisheries Day. In California, the state
<BR>Legislature has adopted a resolution, authored by Assembly member
<BR>Virginia Strom-Martin (D-Duncan Mills), celebrating World Fisheries
<BR>Day.
<BR>
<BR>The November issue of The Fishermen's News features an article on
<BR>World Fisheries Day (go to: www.pcffa.org/fn-nov01.htm). Finally,
<BR>U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the House Democratic Whip,
<BR>has a draft resolution in the Congress to formally recognize 21
<BR>November as World Fisheries Day (for more information, go to:
<BR>sf.nancy@mail.house.gov). Also go to PCFFA's website at:
<BR>www.pcffa.org for further information on the day designated to
<BR>celebrate one of humankind's oldest endeavors.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/02. PANETTA AT FISH EXPO - TELLS FISHERMEN TO
<BR>GET TOGETHER AND "KICK ASS": Former U.S. Congressman and
<BR>White House Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta, who now chairs the Pew
<BR>Oceans Commission, addressed FISH EXPO on 16 November (see
<BR>Sublegals, 4:19/09), describing to the assembled group the myriad of
<BR>threats facing the ocean environment and telling fishermen they need to
<BR>get together in order to have their voice heard. Among the threats to the
<BR>oceans and its fishes he raised were non-point pollution sources that are
<BR>causing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, the growing
<BR>number of invasive species in the nation's waters, and the population
<BR>growth along the U.S. coasts threatening wetlands and other habitats as
<BR>well as water quality. He expressed his preference for some form of
<BR>ocean governance that would bring all parties to the table using the
<BR>process being used among six states around the Chesapeake Bay as a
<BR>possible model. He also underscored the need to have fishermen at the
<BR>table.
<BR>
<BR>"You've got to fight for your industry," Panetta told the fishing
<BR>group. "Nationwide, this industry has never gotten its act together, and if
<BR>you did, you could be a force. When you're one voice and you represent
<BR>one powerful constituency in the country and you go to the people in
<BR>Washington, you can begin to have an impact." He then went on to say
<BR>that fishermen have to be prepared to "kick ass" to protect their
<BR>resources and their livelihoods. Seafood importers, exporters,
<BR>distributors and others in the shoreside sector are represented by the
<BR>National Fisheries Institute. However, there is currently no national
<BR>organization of commercial fishermen in the U.S.
<BR>
<BR>Unlike the federal U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, the
<BR>20-member Pew Commission includes representatives from the
<BR>commercial and recreational fishing industry, including PCFFA
<BR>President Pietro Parravano. The Pew Commission is also regarded as
<BR>the more balanced of the two groups currently addressing national ocean
<BR>policy. The 16-member U.S. Commission, nominated by Congress and
<BR>appointed by the President, is viewed as pro-offshore oil and
<BR>pro-aquaculture. The next meeting of the Pew Commission is scheduled
<BR>for the week of 26 November in New York City. It will hold a public
<BR>hearing on Thursday, the 29th, from 1400-1700 HRS at the American
<BR>Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street while in
<BR>New York. The Pew Commission, which has already published reports
<BR>on pollution, aquaculture, and marine invasive species (go to:
<BR>www.pewoceans.org), will issue its final recommendations on ways to
<BR>control marine pollution, restore fisheries, protect coastal habitats,
<BR>and sustain marine life to Congress and the nation in the fall of 2002.
<BR>For more information on the New York meeting, contact Justin Kenney
<BR>at: kenneyj@pewoceans.org.
<BR>
<BR>The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, meanwhile, held its second
<BR>meeting on 13-14 November in Washington, DC. Starting more than a
<BR>year after the Pew Commission began its work, the federal commission
<BR>will begin a series of nine regional meetings. It has agreed to a tentative
<BR>schedule for these meetings in 2002, starting with Charleston, South
<BR>Carolina 14-16 January. Meetings are also currently
<BR>scheduled to be held in Tampa Bay in February, New Orleans in March,
<BR>Los Angeles in April, Honolulu in May; Seattle in June, Boston in July,
<BR>Anchorage in August, and Chicago in September. For more
<BR>information, contact Robert Hansen at: Robert.C.Hansen@noaa.gov.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/03. IMPASSE ON DUNGENESS CRAB PRICE KEEPS
<BR>CENTRAL CALIFORNIA SEASON CLOSED; CONGRESS
<BR>EXTENDS STATE EEZ AUTHORITY OVER FISHERY: The Central
<BR>California Dungeness Crab season (Sonoma County south) that was set
<BR>to start on Thursday, the 15th, has been delayed as a result of a price
<BR>disagreement between crabbers and processors on an ex-vessel price
<BR>(see Sublegals 4:19/01). Crab marketing associations have asked for a
<BR>market order price of between $2.25 and $2.50 per pound, while
<BR>processors have offered an ex-vessel price of $1.75 per pound. If the
<BR>stalemate continues, it could jeopardize the Thanksgiving market.
<BR>
<BR>In the meantime, Congress has approved language, as part of the
<BR>Commerce-Justice-State appropriation package (HR 2500 - see 4:20/04
<BR>below), on 15 November, to extend state jurisdiction over the
<BR>Dungeness crab fishery in the federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
<BR>offshore California, Oregon and Washington through 30 September
<BR>2006. The bill was sent to the President 16 November. This language
<BR>continues existing authority by the states over this fishery out to 200
<BR>miles; however, the issue may be taken up again prior to 2006 in the
<BR>reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation &
<BR>Management Act.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/04. COMMERCE-JUSTICE-STATE APPROPRIATIONS
<BR>BILL SENT TO PRESIDENT, $3.3 BILLION FOR NOAA, AFA
<BR>AMENDED GIVING POLLOCK TO CATCHER/PROCESSORS,
<BR>RELIEF FOR PACIFIC COAST GROUNDFISH FISHERMEN: On
<BR>Thursday, 15 November, the Senate gave final approval on a 98-1 vote
<BR>to the 2002 Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill, HR 2500
<BR>(House Report 107-298) and sent the $39.4 billion spending package to
<BR>the President the following day. According to a 15 November
<BR>WorldCatch News Network report, it includes $3.25 billion for the
<BR>National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - a budget
<BR>figure comparable to Senate and House-approved funding for the
<BR>Commerce agency and just above the President's request of $3.15
<BR>billion. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), however, took
<BR>a significant cut in conference committee. The House passed $729
<BR>million for the federal fishery agency, the Senate passed $668 million
<BR>and conferees reported $579.2 million. The President requested $734
<BR>million, and the FY '01 enacted level was $815 million. Some of the cuts
<BR>came in the area of stock assessments. Conservation programs get
<BR>$439.2 million in the conference report, the weather programs are fully
<BR>funded and the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund received the full
<BR>request of $110 million. For more information, go to:
<BR>www.worldcatch.com.
<BR>
<BR>On 15 November, the Senate also passed the 2002 Agriculture
<BR>appropriations bill. The $75.9 billion funding bill, HR 2330, (House
<BR>Report 107-275) passed on a 92-7 vote; it had already cleared the House
<BR>on the 13th. It includes $961 million for the Natural Resources
<BR>Conservation Service (NRCS), compared with the administration's
<BR>request for $927 million. NRCS is involved in a number of salmon
<BR>habitat restoration programs in California, Oregon and Washington.
<BR>
<BR>In addition to the language extending state jurisdiction in the EEZ
<BR>over the Dungeness crab fishery, the Commerce-Justice-State funding
<BR>package includes $15.58 million designed to assist the Pacific Coast
<BR>groundfish fleet - money that had been sought by Senators Ron Wyden
<BR>(D-OR) and Patty Murray (D-WA). According to a report in the 15
<BR>November Daily Astorian, more than $4 million of that funding is aimed
<BR>at placing observers directly on board fishing vessels to help compile
<BR>more accurate catch information and track bycatch. Other groundfish
<BR>backing found in the Conference Report includes:
<BR>
<BR>* $1.5 million for direct disaster assistance to fishermen who suffered
<BR>financial losses.
<BR>
<BR>* $1 million for Oregon's Groundfish Disaster Outreach - a program that
<BR>helps fishermen transition out of the industry and into new fields of
<BR>employment.
<BR>
<BR>* $5.22 million for ongoing research on West Coast groundfish.
<BR>
<BR>* $2 million for cooperative groundfish research.
<BR>
<BR>The most controversial provision of the C-J-S 2002 funding bill is the
<BR>rider inserted by Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) amending Section 213 of
<BR>the American Fisheries Act (P.L. 105-277) deleting the 30 September
<BR>2004 sunset date and giving exclusive rights to the Seattle-based
<BR>catcher-processor fleet and native corporations holding community
<BR>development quotas (CDQs) that were initially allocated Bering Sea
<BR>pollock for a 5-year period to implement American ownership of the
<BR>pollock catch. The rights to harvest this fish stock are worth $700
<BR>million annually. The AFA was already controversial with many in the
<BR>fisheries who viewed it as a rip-off of taxpayers and much of the fishing
<BR>community to profit a few large well-connected (e.g., former Senate
<BR>staffers now in the employ of the fishing companies) fish harvesting and
<BR>processing companies.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/05. PACIFIC COAST WHITING CATCHER/PROCESSOR
<BR>FISHERY CLOSES FOR YEAR: On 13 November, the National
<BR>Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the closure of the 2001
<BR>catcher/processor fishery for Pacific whiting (hake) effective 1800 HRS
<BR>that day, pursuant to 50 CFR, Part 660. The closure will be in effect
<BR>until the beginning of the 2002 season. NMFS is accepting comments
<BR>on the action until 3 December. For comments, contact Rod McInnis,
<BR>Acting Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West
<BR>Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213. For more
<BR>information, call Becky Renko at (206) 526-6110.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/06. AUSTRALIAN SEAFOOD CONFERENCE TO FEATURE
<BR>PAPER ON TRAWL FISHERY RESTRUCTURING AND BUY-OUT:
<BR>"Seafood Directions 2001," Australia's national seafood conference, that
<BR>will be held 27-29 November this year in Brisbane, Australia, will
<BR>feature a paper on the restructuring and license buy-out implemented
<BR>this year in the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery. The program
<BR>resulted in the removal of one-third of the 750 licenses and boats that
<BR>were authorized to fish in that fishery as of 1 January 2001, according to
<BR>Ted Loveday, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Seafood
<BR>Industry Association. One hundred (100) of these licenses were
<BR>removed on 1 Jan 2001 through a $20 million (AUS) license buy-out
<BR>and another hundred licenses have been permanently removed since then
<BR>through mechanisms in the new Queensland East Coast Trawl
<BR>Management Plan (ECTP) that was implemented in conjunction with the
<BR>license buy-out. There are now a little over 500 licenses and boats
<BR>remaining in the fishery and this number is continuing to decline, says
<BR>Loveday. For more information on the conference or to receive a copy
<BR>of the paper, go to: www.seafoodsite.com.au/seafooddirections.
<BR>
<BR>On a related issue, the November edition of The Queensland
<BR>Fisherman, features a new fisheries policy developed by the Australian
<BR>Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) that it circulated prior to that nation's
<BR>recently conducted federal elections (pp.20-25). The policy may be of
<BR>interest to U.S. and Canadian fishermen and others in the fisheries. For
<BR>more information, go to: www.asic.org.au.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/07. FISH CONSUMPTION SUBJECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
<BR>JUSTICE MEETING IN SEATTLE: "What is the relationship between
<BR>water quality, fish consumption and environmental justice?" will be the
<BR>focus of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)
<BR>meeting scheduled for 3-6 December in Seattle. A public comment
<BR>period dedicated to the focused policy issue is scheduled for Tuesday
<BR>evening, 4 December from 1900-2100 HRS.
<BR>
<BR>The NEJAC was established to ensure that the U.S. Environmental
<BR>Protection Agency (EPA) receives the viewpoints of diverse
<BR>stakeholders on issues related to environmental justice. The NEJAC
<BR>consists of 26 members representing community groups; industry; state,
<BR>local and tribal governments, and both government and non-government
<BR>organizations. For more information on the Seattle meeting, go to:
<BR>http://es.epa.gov/oeca/main/ej/nejac/conf_ne.html, or call the toll-free
<BR>NEJAC Hotline at: (888) 335-4299.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/08. OREGON COHO DELISTING DECISION APPEALED:
<BR>U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Michael Hogan ruled 16 November that a
<BR>coalition of fisheries and conservation organizations, including both
<BR>PCFFA and IFR, had a right to intervene in the Alsea Valley Alliance v.
<BR>NMFS case (see Sublegals 4:19/05; 4:18/02) for purposes of appealing
<BR>to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Hogan's Oregon coastal coho
<BR>Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting decision. An appeal was
<BR>immediately filed with the Court of Appeals, together with a request for
<BR>a stay of Judge Hogan's decision. A stay, if granted, would reinstate
<BR>coho ESA protections for the central Oregon population until either the
<BR>appeal could be heard or the case becomes moot with the National
<BR>Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) changes in its policy concerning
<BR>inclusion of hatchery fish within the genetic conservation unit (the ESU
<BR>or 'evolutionarily significant unit') that the ESA listing protects.
<BR>
<BR>The basis of intervention was that NMFS is no longer representing
<BR>the interests of fish protection interests because it failed to ask for a stay
<BR>and failed to take an appeal. Instead of doing either, and faced with
<BR>landowner petitions for the delisting of nearly every listed salmonid on
<BR>the west coast based on that ruling, NMFS decided to undertake a
<BR>complete review of its policy with regard to ESA classification of
<BR>hatchery fish under the ESA. Planned hearings will begin in February of
<BR>2002 running for a period of 60 days, with a projected decision date in
<BR>September 2002. NMFS then plans a status review of all listings that
<BR>might be affected by any changes in the policy. At that time, at least
<BR>two years down the road, NMFS may then propose relisting of the
<BR>Central Oregon coho, leaving them completely unprotected under the
<BR>ESA in the interim. For details on the NMFS review see:
<BR>http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/occd/occd.html. The decision on the request
<BR>for a stay of Judge Hogan's trial court order must be made by 10
<BR>December. For more information on the Intervener's petition, contact:
<BR>Patti Goldman or Kristen Boyles, EarthjusticeLegal Defense Fund, (206)
<BR>343-7340. For the full Oregonian story see:
<BR>http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/
<BR>html_standard.xsl?/base/news/10060017576527191.xml
<BR>
<BR>4:20/09. EIGHTH ANNUAL SALMON RUN: Okay, it's only a 5k
<BR>run and 3k walk, but this is not the Sacramento, the Columbia or the
<BR>Fraser where we'd demand a marathon, or the Yukon or the Amur where
<BR>an ironman triathlon would be required. It's for the Ventura River and
<BR>it's a good cause. The Matilija Coalition, a local non-profit dedicated to
<BR>restoring the Ventura River in southern California (it once supported
<BR>major coho and steelhead populations), is sponsoring the run as part of a
<BR>fund-raiser on Sunday, 18 November. Fish passage on the Ventura
<BR>River has been blocked for decades by the now silted-in Matilija Dam,
<BR>and both fish conservationists and surfers are working to remove the
<BR>dam and restore the river. The Institute for Fisheries Resources, in fact,
<BR>is under contract with the California Coastal Conservancy to develop a
<BR>plan for the ancient Matilija structure. For more information on the
<BR>event, that is being co-sponsored by Patagonia and Great Pacific Iron
<BR>Works, among others, contact: Paul Jenkin, Environmental Director,
<BR>Surfrider Foundation Ventura County Chapter Coordinator, Matilija
<BR>Coalition at: paul@matilija-coalition.org.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/10. HATCHERY SALMON SURPLUSES ADD TO FOOD
<BR>BANKS FOR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: In addition to fish
<BR>donations being made by fishing groups to food banks around World
<BR>Fisheries Day and the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, fish hatcheries
<BR>throughout the Northwest are making surplus hatchery fish available for
<BR>shelters and others serving the needy this year. WorldCatch News
<BR>Network reports that about 80,000 pounds of frozen fillets have been
<BR>distributed to food banks across the Washington State so far this year.
<BR>Twenty-thousand pounds have come to Second Harvest of the Inland
<BR>Northwest, with another 20,000 pounds on the way. While the Chinook
<BR>and pink runs are done for the year, some coho are still making their
<BR>way to hatcheries, and the chum season is just getting started. Last year,
<BR>food banks in Washington distributed 140,000 pounds of fillets. In
<BR>Oregon, the state is planning to hike its hatchery contributions to the
<BR>hungry and needy, with a truckload of about 40,000 pounds of frozen
<BR>salmon fillets for the Oregon Food Bank. The shipment is the first of
<BR>several totaling about 140,000 hatchery fish which will provide around
<BR>500,000 meals to needy Oregonians this fall. For more information, go
<BR>to: www.worldcatch.com.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/11. BUSH ADMINISTRATION REMOVES MINING
<BR>CLAIMS BAN IN SOUTHERN OREGON SALMON STREAMS:
<BR>Reversing one of the last Clinton Administration initiatives, Secretary of
<BR>Interior Gale Norton is lifting the current ban on filing new mining
<BR>claims within the Siskiyou National Forest in some of the west coast's
<BR>last remaining good salmon and steelhead spawning habitat in southern
<BR>Oregon. The ban, imposed for a two year period by outgoing Secretary
<BR>of Interior Bruce Babbitt on 23 January 2001, was intended to pave the
<BR>way for further protections of these public lands primarily for their
<BR>habitat and wildlife value, but Babbitt failed to protect these key river
<BR>systems under a national monument designation, citing lack of time.
<BR>Conservation and fisheries groups in the area have been pressing for the
<BR>designation of these public lands as a 'Six Rivers National Monument'
<BR>for several years, a proposal also backed by PCFFA and several other
<BR>fisheries groups because of the need for protection of key salmon and
<BR>steelhead streams. Monument status would have provided maximum
<BR>protection for critical salmon and steelhead habitat on these public
<BR>lands. There are already more than 1,000 mining claims in the Siskiyou
<BR>National Forest, and under the much criticized 1872 Mining Act any of
<BR>these mining claims could be developed with little regard to
<BR>environmental impacts and with no royalties payments to the US
<BR>Treasury. Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, Oregon Senator Ron
<BR>Wyden and Representative Peter DeFazio, in whose Congressional
<BR>district these lands sit, all favored the original mining claim moratorium,
<BR>but Oregon Senator Gordon Smith has opposed any additional protection
<BR>for those areas. Local mining advocates argued that the rivers should
<BR>remain open to mining 'in light of current national security concerns.'
<BR>For more information about efforts to protect the southern Oregon
<BR>coastal river systems and the 'Siskiyou Wild Rivers' proposal see:
<BR>http://www.siskiyou.org.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/12. CONSERVATIONISTS SEEK TO BLOCK SALE OF
<BR>MAINE SALMON FARM TO DUTCH COMPANY: Plans by a Maine
<BR>aquaculture operation, Heritage Salmon, to sell out to the Dutch Seafood
<BR>giant, Nutreco, have run afoul of local conservation groups who are
<BR>currently in federal court in Bangor suing Heritage for operating its
<BR>farms in violation of the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA). U.S. Public
<BR>Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) has asked Maine Department of
<BR>Marine Resources Commissioner George LaPointe to block any transfer
<BR>of the farms under Maine law. "For nearly a decade, Heritage has
<BR>violated the federal Clean Water Act with impunity, and has also failed
<BR>to live up to the requirements of its state leases," said Joshua R. Kratka,
<BR>senior attorney at the National Environmental Law Center (NELC).
<BR>"The State of Maine should not transfer these leases of public lands to
<BR>yet another multinational fish-farming conglomerate without first
<BR>assuring that any new salmon farm operator will comply with state and
<BR>federal environmental laws." Heritage Salmon is a division of George
<BR>Weston, Ltd., the Canadian supermarket conglomerate.
<BR>
<BR>In a 2 November letter, U.S. PIRG's attorneys requested that
<BR>LaPointe deny a transfer of Heritage sites to any new owner until the
<BR>new owner guarantees that environmental safeguards will be put in
<BR>place. Such safeguards include measures to prevent fish escapes and the
<BR>spread of disease to wild salmon, to minimize the use and release of
<BR>toxic chemicals, and to ensure that salmon farm wastes do not create
<BR>"dead zones" on the ocean bottom beneath and around the farm sites.
<BR>Heritage, like other salmon farm owners in Maine, operates its farms on
<BR>submerged public lands. It leases these lands from the state, and must
<BR>abide by the terms of its leases. State law prohibits the transfer of a
<BR>lease if, among other things, the operations of the new lessee would
<BR>"unreasonably interfere with the ability of the lease site and surrounding
<BR>areas to support existing ecologically significant flora and fauna." For
<BR>more information, contact Joshua Kratka at: (617) 422-0880.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/13. DISMAL FORECAST FOR BRISTOL BAY SOCKEYE:
<BR>The Associated Press reported on 15 November that the Alaska
<BR>Department of Fish & Game (ADFG) is predicting a run of 16.8 million
<BR>sockeye this next season for Bristol Bay, with approximately 9.7 million
<BR>reds available for harvest. The University of Washington predicted just
<BR>slightly more fish in its forecast. The forecast pales in comparison to the
<BR>average 25 million reds fishermen have netted in the bay over the last 20
<BR>years. Last year's catch was about 14 million fish. Alaska Governor
<BR>Tony Knowles has declared a disaster in the region three out of the last
<BR>five years due to low salmon returns or prices, and next summer is
<BR>setting up to be possibly worse still. In addition to production, prices too
<BR>have been depressed; last season fishermen took home only 40 cents a
<BR>pound, the lowest price since 1975, because of increasing competition
<BR>from foreign fish farms. Many fishermen doubt prices will improve next
<BR>summer. And many might just stay home. Last summer, about 15
<BR>percent of Bristol Bay's 1,800-plus boat fishermen and 900 beach
<BR>fishermen stayed away.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/14. CONGRESS GIVES ARMY CORPS FUNDS TO BEGIN
<BR>NOTCHING ELK CREEK DAM TO ALLOW SALMON PASSAGE:
<BR>The Eugene Register-Guard reported 16 November that the U.S. Army
<BR>Corps of Engineers (COE) has received $2 million from Congress to
<BR>begin notching the half-finished Elk Creek Dam to allow salmon
<BR>passage on this tributary of Oregon's Rogue River. Elk Creek Dam was
<BR>first authorized by Congress in 1962 as part of a three-dam flood-control
<BR>project for the Rogue River. Construction was halted at the halfway
<BR>point in 1987 after a federal injunction was issued based on the COE's
<BR>failure to assess impacts on Rogue River salmon. Since 1987 crews
<BR>have been trapping salmon and steelhead at the base of the dam, hauling
<BR>them in trucks upstream, and releasing them to reach spawning habitat.
<BR>The trap-haul system cost $8 million/year, and federal biologists have
<BR>warned that in the long run threatened coho salmon would not survive.
<BR>In 1995, COE abandoned the project after spending $100 million. Two
<BR>years later it proposed partial demolition to enhance fish passage, but
<BR>local opposition kept the Corps from going ahead. PCFFA, IFR and
<BR>other organizations then sued to have the dam removed under the federal
<BR>Endangered Species Act. The $2 million will cover work through the
<BR>fiscal year ending next September. COE plans to sign up a contractor for
<BR>the work in January and have it completed by October, in time for
<BR>spawning coho salmon to swim through the notch to good spawning
<BR>habitat upstream. See: http://www.registerguard.com/news/
<BR>Wire/N0076OR--ElkCreekDam.html.
<BR>
<BR>4:20/15. MIAMI TO HOST FISHERIES SCIENCE SUMMIT: The
<BR>world's leading fisheries experts will meet 26-30 November at the
<BR>University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric
<BR>Sciences for the first "World Conference on the Scientific and Technical
<BR>Bases for the Sustainability of Fisheries," according to a report 16
<BR>November by WorldCatch News Network. Scientists representing key
<BR>fisheries across the globe will present research that addresses some of
<BR>the critical challenges imposed by the increasing worldwide demand for
<BR>fish and other seafood; one billion people depend on fish as their main
<BR>source of animal protein and many more consume seafood as part of a
<BR>healthy diet. The 5-day conference is intended to bring together current
<BR>scientific knowledge to compare and contrast case studies of many of
<BR>the world's major fisheries. Fisheries assessment and management
<BR>experts on tuna, billfish, reef fish, anchovies, sharks, hakes, cod,
<BR>lobsters, shrimps, abalone, orange roughy and other fishes will provide
<BR>their global perspective on the successes and failures in fisheries as a
<BR>means to try to develop an international consensus on the management
<BR>priorities for sustainability.
<BR>
<BR>"Our ultimate goal is to define how we can use our ocean resources
<BR>in a sustainable way," said Nelson Ehrhardt, professor of marine biology
<BR>and fisheries at the Rosenstiel School and conference organizer. "To
<BR>meet the world's demand for fish, while reducing the decline of existing
<BR>stocks, we must manage fish stocks by leaving enough fish so that they
<BR>can breed and maintain their populations and also protect essential
<BR>habitats, given environmental variability and uncertainty."
<BR>
<BR>The World Conference is sponsored by the Rosenstiel School's
<BR>Center for Sustainable Fisheries. The final outcome of this conference
<BR>will be a publication containing case studies as well as the discussions,
<BR>conclusions and recommendations presented by the participants. This
<BR>publication is intended by the sponsors to become the guide for policy
<BR>institutions, commercial entities and non-governmental organizations to
<BR>use as a reference on scientific and technical matters regarding the
<BR>sustainability of fisheries. For more information, go to:
<BR>http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/groups/cfsf/2001conf.
<BR>
<BR>NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,
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<BR>(Northwest Office).
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