[Fishlink] ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 1/25/02<~~
bit-bucket@straylight.primelogic.com
bit-bucket@straylight.primelogic.com
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 00:57:08 EST
--part1_de.2175b025.298793b4_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
##########################################################
~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 1/25/02<~~
##########################################################
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. 5, NO. 04 25 JANUARY 2002
##########################################################
"When times are good, reflect. When times are bad, be
brave."....................Korean Proverb
##########################################################
This week's issue of Sublegals is available in PDF format on the web at
www.sublegals.net. We have also pasted the text below for those that
still wish to read it through your email. In the coming weeks we will be
posting all past issues as well as a search engine. In addition to this new
look, we are continuing our Sublegals Fundraiser to support the Institute
for Fisheries Resources and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations in publishing this weekly newsletter free of charge. We
have recently passed our 100th issue, with very little funding, and are
looking to our readers to sustain the continuation of this effort. Thank
you for your support of community fisheries education.
##########################################################
THIS ISSUE.......
CALIFORNIA BOARD OF FORESTRY IN TURMOIL;
STILL NO COHO PROTECTIONS. 5:04/01
KLAMATH 60-DAY NOTICE FILED ASKING FOR
2002 WATER PLAN. 5:04/05.
PROPOSAL TO BARGE ALBION AND GUALALA
RIVER WATER TO SAN DIEGO. 5:04/06.
SENATOR STEVENS PROMISES TO PURSUE
FEDERAL SEAFOOD LABELING. 5:04/010.
SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT PROPOSES "ZERO-BASED
RESTORATION" AS MITIGATION FOR BAY FILL. 5:04/16.
AND MORE.......
##########################################################
5:04/01. CALIFORNIA BOARD OF FORESTRY IN TURMOIL;
FAILURE TO ADOPT COHO PROTECTIONS PART OF PROBLEM:
The California Board of Forestry (BOF), made up of members of the
timber industry and public, charged with developing rules for logging on
private and state lands and approving timber harvest plans (THPs), is in
a state of turmoil following the State Senate Rules Committee refusal to
approve two of three Gubernatorial nominees to the Board. On 9
January, Tharon O'Dell, a timber member of the BOF first appointed by
Governor Pete Wilson and reappointed by Governor Gray Davis, was
confirmed. Two other BOF members, however, whose terms expire on 5
February, failed Senate confirmation. One, Paula Ross, a timber union
representative who was appointed to a public seat, has subsequently
resigned and former Assemblyman Norm Waters, appointed to a
rangeland position on the BOR, will lose his seat in February unless
confirmed by the Senate. State Senate Pro tempore John Burton (D-San
Francisco), who chairs the Rules Committee, has been unhappy with the
lack of balance on the Board, tipped heavily in favor of timber interests
to the detriment of fisheries and forest health. Since 1994, the BOF has
refused to adopt forest rules for the protection of coho salmon; this has
led to the fish being listed under both the federal and state (currently a
candidate species) Endangered Species Acts.
According to a 20 January Sacramento Bee article, another
development relevant to the BOF confirmation hearings is the
introduction of SB 234 by Senator Shelia Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) that
would redefine the makeup of the Board. Currently, of the Board's 9
members, 5 are supposed to represent the general public, 3 are from the
forest products industry, and 1 member represents the range and
livestock industry. Under SB 234, 3 scientists and 1 commercial
fisherman would be added, reducing the number of general public and
livestock industry representatives. Each member of the BOF is appointed
by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Kuehl bill, having
passed the Senate, is now languishing in the Assembly due to a lack of
support from the Governor. Burton, has threatened to hold up
confirmation of any other BOF members until Davis agrees to support
Kuehl's measure.
The February BOF meeting, which begins the 5th, promises to be
particularly contentious, although it will have a quorum to conduct
business following the appointment of former Humboldt County
Supervisor Stan Dixon as its chair. It will be considering the
controversial appeal by Gualala Redwoods of a plan (THP 1-00-101
MEN (Gualala River)) to log the Gualala watershed in Mendocino
County. This THP was blocked when the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) wrote a recommendation letter as part of the
Pre-Harvest Inspection process. The applicant refused to abide by the
NMFS restrictions on logging near streams and watercourses.
5:04/02. PACIFIC SALMON INITIATIVE 2002 GRANT
PROPOSALS DUE 15 MARCH: This is year five of a partnership
among the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the National Marine
Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Community-Based Restoration Program,
and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation program known as the
"Pacific Grassroots Salmon Initiative (PGSI)." PGSI seeks to benefit
native anadromous fishes and their habitats in California and Oregon.
Most grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 in NFWF federal funds, but
may range from $5,000 to $100,000. A broad range of salmon protection
activities are eligible for funding: in-stream restoration, salmonid habitat
conservation planning, land and water acquisition, applied research, and
public education and outreach. Only nonprofit organizations or local and
state agencies are eligible. For more information contact: Steve
Thompson, (707) 575-6067 or steven.a.thompson@noaa.gov. For the
complete Request for Proposals visit:
http://www.nfwf.org/programs/PGSI_RFP.htm.
5:04/03. WASHINGTON STATE HAS FUNDING FOR WATER
QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS: The Washington Department of
Ecology (Ecology) is offering assistance to local governments, Indian
tribes and nonprofit organizations (e.g., fishing organizations) to share in
its $95 million fund to improve and protect the quality of water in lakes,
streams and marine waters of the state. The Department of Ecology
administers the Centennial Clean Water Fund, federal Clean Water Act
Section 319 Nonpoint Source Fund, and State Revolving Fund which are
the state and federal accounts set up to help address Washington's most
crucial water-quality problems. Organizations should send completed
applications to Ecology by 6 March. The Department will review the
applications and make proposed funding decisions this summer. Funding
applications are available at:
www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/funding/2003.
5:04/04. SNAKE RIVER RETURNS PREDICTED: Estimates for
spring run chinook are being released, with a return of over 168,000
chinook predicted, one third of which could be Endangered Species Act
(ESA) listed wild chinook. The numbers are down from last year's
237,000. However, non-Indian commercial harvesters will be able to net
three times as many fish as last year. For more information, go to:
http://www.newsdata.com/enernet/fishletter/fishltr136.html#7.
5:04/05. KLAMATH PROJECT 60-DAY NOTICE FILED: On 25
January, PCFFA and a number of conservation and wildlife refuge
protection organizations filed a 60-day notice to sue as required under
the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), preparing to sue the Bureau
of Reclamation (BOR) and the U.S. Department of Interior if BOR does
not have an approved water plan for the Klamath Irrigation Project by 1
April, the day the current water plan expires. Past years were noted for
delays, and in 2000-2001 BOR operated the Klamath Project for a full
year, in violation of law, without a plan approved by the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). That
resulted in litigation led by PCFFA that slapped an injunction on the
Bureau in March 2001 and forced them to consult with these agencies as
required by Section (7) of the ESA. The consultation confirmed that
past operational practices of the Klamath Project were taking too much
of the Basin's limited water supply, pushing coho salmon and several
other fish species toward extinction. The consultation process resulted
in a number of water reforms that, unfortunately, coincided with a near
record drought (see Sublegals, 4:05/01; 4:04/11; 4:03/05; 4:02/01;
4:01/01; 3:26/05; 3:25/05; 3:24/01; 3:20/01; 3:17/02; 3:15/07; 3:14/01;
3:13/02).
The consultation process is a necessary step under the law to make
sure that Project operations do not jeopardize Klamath Basin ESA-listed
species such as coho salmon. After the water controversy of 2001, Bush
Administration officials promised that this year would be different - that
they would present a water plan much earlier, and also that it would
cover several years, instead of only one year as was the practice in the
past. BOR has never had a Klamath Operations Plan for longer than one
year during its 90-year history. However, the promised new water plan is
now more than 8 weeks late, planting season will soon begin and only 7
weeks remain before the current plan expires.
"This Administration, in spite of good intentions and promises, is in
great danger of falling into the same trap as in the past. Fishermen are
just as frustrated as the irrigators at the Bureau's delay, and need water
certainty in the basin just as much as they do," commented PCFFA's
Glen Spain. "Waiting until the last minute and then winging it, like has
always happened in the past, is not a viable way to do business. Any
further delay harms us all, farmers and fishermen alike." For more
information on the 60-day notice and its implications, see the 25 January
issue of The Oregonian at:
http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_stand
ard.xsl?/base/news/101196334716770162.xml. For a copy of the
60-Day Notice itself see: www.pcffa.org.
5:04/06. PROPOSAL TO BARGE ALBION RIVER WATER TO
SAN DIEGO: The California State Water Resources Board (SWRCB)
has received two applications from the Alaskan Water Export Company
proposing to extract water from the Gualala River (Permit # 31194) and
the Albion River (Permit # 31195) and barge it to San Diego. The
application is currently undergoing review and will soon be available for
public comment. The two watersheds are both in Mendocino County and
have populations of Endangered Species Act listed coho salmon in them.
PCFFA previously sued to stop diversion from the Gualala River and
IFR is assisting in the development of a salmon restoration program for
the Albion River. To receive notice of when the permits are open for
public comment call Katherine Gaffney at the Water Resources Board at
(916) 341-5360. For more information call Linda Perkins at the Albion
River Watershed Protection Association at (707) 937-0903.
5:04/07. SALMONID RESTORATION CONFERENCE SET FOR
UKIAH: The 20th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference will be held
28 February-3 March this year in Ukiah (in Mendocino County along the
Russian River) California. This year's keynote speaker is noted salmon
biologist Jim Lichatowitch, author of Salmon Without Rivers: A History
of the Pacific Salmon Crisis. This year's conference will feature a
session organized by PCFFA's Allison Vogt on the role of oceans and
estuaries in the salmonid life cycle. Also featured will be tours and
sessions on, among other issues: restoring the Russian River; strategies
for encouraging salmon-friendly forestry, fish and vineyards; the future
of hatchery management; allocating Northern California rivers; and
restoration perspectives from the San Joaquin Valley. For more
information on the conference, go to: www.northcoastweb.com/srf.
5:04/08. PRESENTATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS
OF FARMED SALMON: A presentation on "Wild and Farmed Salmon
in the Pacific: Northwest: Environmental Conflicts and Policy Options"
has been scheduled for 31 January at the Richard & Rhoda Goldman
Conference Room, Encina Hall East, 4th floor, at Stanford University in
Palo Alto, California. The presenters are Josh Eagle of the Fisheries
Policy Project at Stanford Law School and Rosamond Naylor of the
Center for Environmental Science & Policy at Stanford. The presentation
begins at 1530 HRS. For a searchable campus map and directions, visit:
http://www.stanford.edu/home/visitors/maps.html.
5:04/09. SALMON MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR UPCOMING
SEASON SETTING PROCESS. The California Department of Fish &
Game (CDFG) has set its annual Salmon Informational Meeting for
Saturday, 23 February in Sacramento (changed from the traditional
meeting in Santa Rosa), California. The public session will present
information regarding inland salmon restoration, mitigation and
enhancement programs, in addition to fishery harvest, spawning
escapement, and ocean abundance estimates. The meeting will be held at
the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street in Sacramento
beginning at 1000 HRS. For more information, call (707) 431-2951.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (PFMC) Salmon
Technical Team (STT) will hold a joint work session with the Council's
Scientific & Statistical Committee (SSC) on Wednesday, 6 February at
the Embassy Suite Hotel (near Portland International Airport) in
Portland, Oregon. The purpose of the session is to review changes made
to the coho Fishery Regulation Assessment Model (FRAM) and the
Klamath Ocean Harvest Model (KOHM). That meeting begins at 0830
HRS.
Following the joint STT-SSC meeting, the STT will hold a work
session on 19-22 February to draft "Preseason Report 1 - Stock
Abundance Analysis for 2002 Ocean Salmon Fisheries" and to consider
any other estimation or methodology issues pertinent to the 2002 ocean
salmon fisheries. The meeting will be held at the PFMC office, at 7700
Ambassador Place, Suite 200 in Portland. The PFMC at its March and
April meetings establishes its salmon season recommendations to the
Secretary of Commerce. For more information, go to:
www.pcouncil.org.
5:04/10. SENATOR TED STEVENS TO PURSUE FEDERAL
SEAFOOD LABELING: U.S Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) said in his
annual address to a joint session of Alaska's legislature, on 22 January,
that he wants to convene a salmon summit this spring to look for ways to
help the industry which he said is in crisis due to the huge influx of
cheaper, farm-raised salmon on the market. Stevens stated, "Shortly after
the Senate reconvenes, it will turn to consideration of the Farm Bill. I
have initiated a new pilot program for salmon insurance modeled after
the successful crop insurance program. I am working also on
amendments that will require the labeling of both imported and farm
raised fish. And we will try to develop a plan to allow our wild salmon
to be labeled organic to give it a share of the growing, lucrative, health
food market." To read his address, go to:
http://www.senate.gov/~stevens/legspeech012202.htm. For more
information on the Farm Bill and labeling, see Sublegals, 5:03/01;
4:25/01; 4:24/01; 4:17/01.
5:04/11. COMMONER TAKES ON GENETIC ENGINEERING:
One of the issues surrounding the labeling of seafood is labeling to
distinguish wild from farmed fish. In addition to the antibiotics and
other chemicals used in the production of most farmed fish is the
concern about genetically-engineered or "transgenic" fish being proposed
for aquaculture broodstock. The European Union currently requires the
labeling of transgenic foods (e.g., soy), but the United States Department
of Agriculture is pressuring the EU to drop this labeling requirement,
thereby denying consumers information on whether the food they are
buying may be transgenic. The February issue of Harper's magazine
features an article by scientist Barry Commoner (Center for the Biology
of Natural Systems at Queens College, City University of New York)
entitled "Unraveling the DNA Myth - The Spurious Foundation of
Genetic Engineering" (pp.39-47). In it, Commoner questions the efficacy
of genetic engineering and the manufacture of transgenic foods.
"There can be no doubt the emergence of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic
acid) was a crucial stage in the development of life, but we must avoid
the mistake of reducing life to a master molecule in order to satisfy our
emotional need for unambiguous simplicity," Commoner writes. The
experimental data, shorn of dogmatic theories, points to the irreducibility
of the living cell, the inherent complexity of which suggests that any
artificially altered genetic system, given the magnitude of our ignorance,
must sooner or later give rise to unintended, potentially disastrous,
consequences. We must be willing to recognize how little we truly
understand about the secrets of the cell, the fundamental unit of life."
Commoner goes on to say, "money has distorted the scientific process
as a once purely academic pursuit has been commercialized to an
astonishing degree by the researchers themselves. Biology has become a
glittering target for venture capital; each new discovery brings new
partnerships, new corporate affiliations. But as the growing opposition to
transgenic crops clearly shows, there is persistent public concern not
only with the safety of genetically engineered foods but also with the
inherent dangers in arbitrarily overriding patterns of inheritance that are
imbedded in the natural world through long evolutionary experience.
Too often those concerns have been derided by industry scientists as the
"irrational" fears of an uneducated public. The irony, of course, is that
the biotechnology industry is based on science that is forty years old and
conveniently devoid of more recent results, which show that there are
strong reasons to fear the potential consequences of transferring a DNA
gene between species." For more, visit the magazine's website at:
www.harpers.org.
To learn more about genetically-engineered fish go to:
www.stopgefish.org; also see the website for the Campaign to Label
Genetically Engineered Foods at: www.thecampaign.org.
5:04/12. NO ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE FOR GROWERS FROM
USING TRANSGENIC SEEDS: A recent study by the Leopold Center
for Sustainable Agriculture has found the "use of genetically modified
seeds did not appear to impact a farmer's bottom line for either corn or
soybean production." Though genetically-engineered or "transgenic"
seeds are heavily marketed under the guise of increasing a farmer's
profits, the Leopold study, based on a cross-section of U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) data on corn and soybean farms in Iowa, found
that farmers planting genetically modified soybeans spent, on average,
$6.17 per acre less on herbicides, but $5.69 per acre more on seeds. The
slight economic advantage was wiped out by the fact that yield for
genetically modified soybeans was 1.6 bushels per acre less than that for
traditional seeds. A similar trend occurred for Bt versus traditional
corn: the genetically modified seed cost $4.31 more per acre, required
$4.63 per acre more for fertilizer, and yielded three more bushels per
acre. For more information on the Leopold study, go to:
www.leopold.iastate.edu/newsletter/2001-4leoletter/gmo.html.
5:04/13. EU COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS BAN OF CHINESE
AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS TAINTED WITH
CHLORAMPHENICOL: WorldCatch News Network reported 25
February that the European Commission's Standing Veterinary
Committee has voted to ban imports of Chinese animal origin, including
shrimp and prawns, due to concerns over the detection of
chloramphenicol in Chinese food products. The ban is in response to the
Commission's efforts over the past two weeks to obtain more
information from EU governments on animal feed and meat
contaminated with chloramphenicol, a banned antibiotic used in animal
feed (see Sublegals, 5:03/09). Four European countries earlier this month
had found trace animal feed laced with the chloramphenicol, which can
lead to aplastic anemia in humans, and were concerned more of the meal
may have started making its way into the food chain. Germany
impounded animal feed at a plant on 16 October, while authorities in
Denmark, Poland and Romania were probing whether tainted fishmeal
had been fed to livestock. On 24 February, the United Nations' Food &
Agricultural Organization (FAO) urged those countries which have not
yet banned the antibiotic to end its use. For the complete report, go to:
www.worldcatch.org.
5:04/14. OREGON RENEWS GREEN CRAB ALERT: Oregon
State Biologists have renewed an alert for European green crabs
(Carcinus maenas) in that state, an invasive species that is becoming a
problem in several other places on the west coast, after discovering
juvenile green crabs at a number of locations in Oregon. The small
exotic crab can devour oysters, clams and other shellfish and compete
for food with native and commercially valuable Dungeness crabs and
fish. The first wave of green crabs, probably spreading from a California
outbreak through ballast water, arrived on the Washington coast with the
El Ninos of the late 1990's, according to the 22 January Oregonian.
Oregon is trying to step up its trapping and monitoring programs, and
asking anyone spotting green crabs in Oregon to report them. The main
number for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife is: (503)
872-5268. Washington State also has a web page with information on
green crab at: http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/ans/greencrab.htm.
The U.S. federal government has established a special web site about
invasive species, with a data index of invasive species, at:
www.invasivespecies.gov. An information index on European green
crab is available there at:
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/profiles/greencrab.shtml.
5:04/15. PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON PLACEMENT OF DREDGED
MATERIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY: The Update on the
Long-Term Strategy (LTMS) for the Placement of Dredged Material in
the San Francisco Bay Region will be held on 31 January in San
Francisco, beginning at 0930 HRS. Topics include the components of
the Management Plan, and Deep Ocean Disposal Site monitoring results,
among others. The LTMS program began in 1988 following a successful
protest led by the Half Moon Bay Fishermen's Marketing Association,
PCFFA and other fishing groups stopping the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the Port of Oakland from dumping dredge spoils in
nearshore crab fishing grounds off Half Moon Bay. Subsequently, the
LTMS adopted the nation's first deepwater dredge spoil disposal site,
recommended by the fishing industry, some 50 miles west of the Golden
Gate. Nevertheless significant dumping continues in San Francisco Bay.
PCFFA has called for a concerted multi-agency effort to protect and
restore San Francisco Bay and has identified dredging and in-bay
disposal as one of the major threats to the west coast's most important
estuary (see Sublegals, 4:26/01). At the LTMS meeting PCFFA will call
for the cessation of all in-bay dumping. For information on the 31st
LTMS meeting, contact Cinamon Vann at cinamonv@bcdc.ca.gov.
5:04/16. ZERO BASED RESTORATION: The 25 January San
Francisco Chronicle reports the San Francisco International Airport
(SFO) expansion project, currently proposing to fill 900 acres of San
Francisco Bay for new runways, will seek to mitigate the destruction of
Bay habitat utilized by species like herring, native oysters and crab by
initiating restoration projects in other parts of the Bay. One restoration
proposal is an agreement between SFO and Jim Haire, owner of slightly
over 1000 acres in the North Bay. If sold as a hay farm, Haire's property
would sell at a value of approximately 1.65 million. SFO has offered
almost $16 million if Haire agrees to farm his property until SFO
receives all of its necessary permits to proceed with the expansion
project. Under the agreement, Haire will receive about $28,000 a month
for an option on the property but he must either farm or disc it to assure
no natural restoration begins prior to an SFO take-over. This is to assure
the property is in the worst possible shape so the airport could then claim
maximum restoration credits.
SFO is also in negotiations with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service
(USFWS) for the purchase of the former Navy communications center
on Skaggs Island. Together the two acquisitions could add over 4,000
acres to the San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge. However, many
environmental groups question the validity of mitigation sites so far
away from the site of the expansion. PCFFA in its 4 January letter to the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NFS) classified proposed expansion
of SFO, the largest fill project proposed since 1965, a major threat to San
Francisco Bay and its fisheries. For the text of the Chronicle article go
to:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/0
1/25/NB237172.DTL.
5:04/17. COMMISSION ON OCEAN POLICY TO MEET IN LOS
ANGELES: The federal Commission on Ocean Policy is holding
regional meetings throughout the country this spring. A meeting in Los
Angeles, California is scheduled for 17-19 April. For information, go to:
http://oceancommission.gov. In the meantime, the Pew Oceans
Commission finished two days of meetings in Monterey (21-22 January)
discussing ocean governance. It will meet next in New Orleans, on
14-16 March. For more information, go to: www.pewoceans.org.
5:04/18. IT'S JANUARY AND IT'S SUBLEGALS PLEDGE
MONTH: Sublegals, which is published weekly by PCFFA and IFR
staff, operates on a shoestring at best. Producing it, however, costs staff
time and money. To keep these weekly fishery briefing "shorts" coming
to you, we are asking readers for a small donation. In return, your
support will help keep Sublegals coming and you will also get a great
gift in appreciation. At the $25.00 level, readers get a coffee mug, with
our Sarcastic Fringehead logo; at the $50.00 level there's the mug, the
gray (because the news isn't just black or white) 100% organic cotton
t-shirt (Patagonia) with our logo; and at the $100.00 level, there's the
mug, the t-shirt and the 2002 Cape Cod Fishermen's "fishcake" calendar.
To pledge or learn more, go to: www.sublegals.net/fundraiser.htm.
NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,
comments or any corrections to Allison Vogt, Editor at:
ifrfish@pacbell.net or call the IFR/PCFFA office with the news and a
source at either: (415) 561-FISH (Southwest Office) or (541) 689-2000
(Northwest Office).
##########################################################
"Fishlink" is a registered trademark of the Institute for Fisheries
Resources. All rights to the use of this trademark are reserved to IFR.
This publication, however, may be freely reproduced and circulated
without copyright restriction. If you are receiving this as a subscriber,
please feel free to pass this on to your colleagues. Subscribers who wish
to post or circulate hard copy of Sublegals or have no access to the
Internet may receive fax subscriptions by faxing their request, with their
fax number to: (415) 561-5464. You may also go to our web site at:
www.sublegals.net for archives of back issues and instructions on how
to donate to these efforts. Thanks!
##########################################################
--part1_de.2175b025.298793b4_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>##########################################################
<BR> ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 1/25/02<~~
<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. 5, NO. 04 25 JANUARY 2002
<BR>##########################################################
<BR>
<BR>"When times are good, reflect. When times are bad, be
<BR>brave."....................Korean Proverb
<BR>##########################################################
<BR>This week's issue of Sublegals is available in PDF format on the web at
<BR>www.sublegals.net. We have also pasted the text below for those that
<BR>still wish to read it through your email. In the coming weeks we will be
<BR>posting all past issues as well as a search engine. In addition to this new
<BR>look, we are continuing our Sublegals Fundraiser to support the Institute
<BR>for Fisheries Resources and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
<BR>Associations in publishing this weekly newsletter free of charge. We
<BR>have recently passed our 100th issue, with very little funding, and are
<BR>looking to our readers to sustain the continuation of this effort. Thank
<BR>you for your support of community fisheries education.
<BR>##########################################################
<BR>THIS ISSUE.......
<BR>
<BR>CALIFORNIA BOARD OF FORESTRY IN TURMOIL;
<BR>STILL NO COHO PROTECTIONS. 5:04/01
<BR>
<BR>KLAMATH 60-DAY NOTICE FILED ASKING FOR
<BR>2002 WATER PLAN. 5:04/05.
<BR>
<BR>PROPOSAL TO BARGE ALBION AND GUALALA
<BR>RIVER WATER TO SAN DIEGO. 5:04/06.
<BR>
<BR>SENATOR STEVENS PROMISES TO PURSUE
<BR>FEDERAL SEAFOOD LABELING. 5:04/010.
<BR>
<BR>SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT PROPOSES "ZERO-BASED
<BR>RESTORATION" AS MITIGATION FOR BAY FILL. 5:04/16.
<BR>
<BR>AND MORE.......
<BR>##########################################################
<BR> 5:04/01. CALIFORNIA BOARD OF FORESTRY IN TURMOIL;
<BR>FAILURE TO ADOPT COHO PROTECTIONS PART OF PROBLEM:
<BR>The California Board of Forestry (BOF), made up of members of the
<BR>timber industry and public, charged with developing rules for logging on
<BR>private and state lands and approving timber harvest plans (THPs), is in
<BR>a state of turmoil following the State Senate Rules Committee refusal to
<BR>approve two of three Gubernatorial nominees to the Board. On 9
<BR>January, Tharon O'Dell, a timber member of the BOF first appointed by
<BR>Governor Pete Wilson and reappointed by Governor Gray Davis, was
<BR>confirmed. Two other BOF members, however, whose terms expire on 5
<BR>February, failed Senate confirmation. One, Paula Ross, a timber union
<BR>representative who was appointed to a public seat, has subsequently
<BR>resigned and former Assemblyman Norm Waters, appointed to a
<BR>rangeland position on the BOR, will lose his seat in February unless
<BR>confirmed by the Senate. State Senate Pro tempore John Burton (D-San
<BR>Francisco), who chairs the Rules Committee, has been unhappy with the
<BR>lack of balance on the Board, tipped heavily in favor of timber interests
<BR>to the detriment of fisheries and forest health. Since 1994, the BOF has
<BR>refused to adopt forest rules for the protection of coho salmon; this has
<BR>led to the fish being listed under both the federal and state (currently a
<BR>candidate species) Endangered Species Acts.
<BR>
<BR> According to a 20 January Sacramento Bee article, another
<BR>development relevant to the BOF confirmation hearings is the
<BR>introduction of SB 234 by Senator Shelia Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) that
<BR>would redefine the makeup of the Board. Currently, of the Board's 9
<BR>members, 5 are supposed to represent the general public, 3 are from the
<BR>forest products industry, and 1 member represents the range and
<BR>livestock industry. Under SB 234, 3 scientists and 1 commercial
<BR>fisherman would be added, reducing the number of general public and
<BR>livestock industry representatives. Each member of the BOF is appointed
<BR>by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Kuehl bill, having
<BR>passed the Senate, is now languishing in the Assembly due to a lack of
<BR>support from the Governor. Burton, has threatened to hold up
<BR>confirmation of any other BOF members until Davis agrees to support
<BR>Kuehl's measure.
<BR>
<BR> The February BOF meeting, which begins the 5th, promises to be
<BR>particularly contentious, although it will have a quorum to conduct
<BR>business following the appointment of former Humboldt County
<BR>Supervisor Stan Dixon as its chair. It will be considering the
<BR>controversial appeal by Gualala Redwoods of a plan (THP 1-00-101
<BR>MEN (Gualala River)) to log the Gualala watershed in Mendocino
<BR>County. This THP was blocked when the National Marine Fisheries
<BR>Service (NMFS) wrote a recommendation letter as part of the
<BR>Pre-Harvest Inspection process. The applicant refused to abide by the
<BR>NMFS restrictions on logging near streams and watercourses.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/02. PACIFIC SALMON INITIATIVE 2002 GRANT
<BR>PROPOSALS DUE 15 MARCH: This is year five of a partnership
<BR>among the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the National Marine
<BR>Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Community-Based Restoration Program,
<BR>and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation program known as the
<BR>"Pacific Grassroots Salmon Initiative (PGSI)." PGSI seeks to benefit
<BR>native anadromous fishes and their habitats in California and Oregon.
<BR>Most grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 in NFWF federal funds, but
<BR>may range from $5,000 to $100,000. A broad range of salmon protection
<BR>activities are eligible for funding: in-stream restoration, salmonid habitat
<BR>conservation planning, land and water acquisition, applied research, and
<BR>public education and outreach. Only nonprofit organizations or local and
<BR>state agencies are eligible. For more information contact: Steve
<BR>Thompson, (707) 575-6067 or steven.a.thompson@noaa.gov. For the
<BR>complete Request for Proposals visit:
<BR>http://www.nfwf.org/programs/PGSI_RFP.htm.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/03. WASHINGTON STATE HAS FUNDING FOR WATER
<BR>QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS: The Washington Department of
<BR>Ecology (Ecology) is offering assistance to local governments, Indian
<BR>tribes and nonprofit organizations (e.g., fishing organizations) to share in
<BR>its $95 million fund to improve and protect the quality of water in lakes,
<BR>streams and marine waters of the state. The Department of Ecology
<BR>administers the Centennial Clean Water Fund, federal Clean Water Act
<BR>Section 319 Nonpoint Source Fund, and State Revolving Fund which are
<BR>the state and federal accounts set up to help address Washington's most
<BR>crucial water-quality problems. Organizations should send completed
<BR>applications to Ecology by 6 March. The Department will review the
<BR>applications and make proposed funding decisions this summer. Funding
<BR>applications are available at:
<BR>www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/funding/2003.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/04. SNAKE RIVER RETURNS PREDICTED: Estimates for
<BR>spring run chinook are being released, with a return of over 168,000
<BR>chinook predicted, one third of which could be Endangered Species Act
<BR>(ESA) listed wild chinook. The numbers are down from last year's
<BR>237,000. However, non-Indian commercial harvesters will be able to net
<BR>three times as many fish as last year. For more information, go to:
<BR>http://www.newsdata.com/enernet/fishletter/fishltr136.html#7.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/05. KLAMATH PROJECT 60-DAY NOTICE FILED: On 25
<BR>January, PCFFA and a number of conservation and wildlife refuge
<BR>protection organizations filed a 60-day notice to sue as required under
<BR>the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), preparing to sue the Bureau
<BR>of Reclamation (BOR) and the U.S. Department of Interior if BOR does
<BR>not have an approved water plan for the Klamath Irrigation Project by 1
<BR>April, the day the current water plan expires. Past years were noted for
<BR>delays, and in 2000-2001 BOR operated the Klamath Project for a full
<BR>year, in violation of law, without a plan approved by the U.S. Fish &
<BR>Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). That
<BR>resulted in litigation led by PCFFA that slapped an injunction on the
<BR>Bureau in March 2001 and forced them to consult with these agencies as
<BR>required by Section (7) of the ESA. The consultation confirmed that
<BR>past operational practices of the Klamath Project were taking too much
<BR>of the Basin's limited water supply, pushing coho salmon and several
<BR>other fish species toward extinction. The consultation process resulted
<BR>in a number of water reforms that, unfortunately, coincided with a near
<BR>record drought (see Sublegals, 4:05/01; 4:04/11; 4:03/05; 4:02/01;
<BR>4:01/01; 3:26/05; 3:25/05; 3:24/01; 3:20/01; 3:17/02; 3:15/07; 3:14/01;
<BR>3:13/02).
<BR>
<BR> The consultation process is a necessary step under the law to make
<BR>sure that Project operations do not jeopardize Klamath Basin ESA-listed
<BR>species such as coho salmon. After the water controversy of 2001, Bush
<BR>Administration officials promised that this year would be different - that
<BR>they would present a water plan much earlier, and also that it would
<BR>cover several years, instead of only one year as was the practice in the
<BR>past. BOR has never had a Klamath Operations Plan for longer than one
<BR>year during its 90-year history. However, the promised new water plan is
<BR>now more than 8 weeks late, planting season will soon begin and only 7
<BR>weeks remain before the current plan expires.
<BR>
<BR> "This Administration, in spite of good intentions and promises, is in
<BR>great danger of falling into the same trap as in the past. Fishermen are
<BR>just as frustrated as the irrigators at the Bureau's delay, and need water
<BR>certainty in the basin just as much as they do," commented PCFFA's
<BR>Glen Spain. "Waiting until the last minute and then winging it, like has
<BR>always happened in the past, is not a viable way to do business. Any
<BR>further delay harms us all, farmers and fishermen alike." For more
<BR>information on the 60-day notice and its implications, see the 25 January
<BR>issue of The Oregonian at:
<BR>http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_stand
<BR>ard.xsl?/base/news/101196334716770162.xml. For a copy of the
<BR>60-Day Notice itself see: www.pcffa.org.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/06. PROPOSAL TO BARGE ALBION RIVER WATER TO
<BR>SAN DIEGO: The California State Water Resources Board (SWRCB)
<BR>has received two applications from the Alaskan Water Export Company
<BR>proposing to extract water from the Gualala River (Permit # 31194) and
<BR>the Albion River (Permit # 31195) and barge it to San Diego. The
<BR>application is currently undergoing review and will soon be available for
<BR>public comment. The two watersheds are both in Mendocino County and
<BR>have populations of Endangered Species Act listed coho salmon in them.
<BR>PCFFA previously sued to stop diversion from the Gualala River and
<BR>IFR is assisting in the development of a salmon restoration program for
<BR>the Albion River. To receive notice of when the permits are open for
<BR>public comment call Katherine Gaffney at the Water Resources Board at
<BR>(916) 341-5360. For more information call Linda Perkins at the Albion
<BR>River Watershed Protection Association at (707) 937-0903.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/07. SALMONID RESTORATION CONFERENCE SET FOR
<BR>UKIAH: The 20th Annual Salmonid Restoration Conference will be held
<BR>28 February-3 March this year in Ukiah (in Mendocino County along the
<BR>Russian River) California. This year's keynote speaker is noted salmon
<BR>biologist Jim Lichatowitch, author of Salmon Without Rivers: A History
<BR>of the Pacific Salmon Crisis. This year's conference will feature a
<BR>session organized by PCFFA's Allison Vogt on the role of oceans and
<BR>estuaries in the salmonid life cycle. Also featured will be tours and
<BR>sessions on, among other issues: restoring the Russian River; strategies
<BR>for encouraging salmon-friendly forestry, fish and vineyards; the future
<BR>of hatchery management; allocating Northern California rivers; and
<BR>restoration perspectives from the San Joaquin Valley. For more
<BR>information on the conference, go to: www.northcoastweb.com/srf.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/08. PRESENTATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS
<BR>OF FARMED SALMON: A presentation on "Wild and Farmed Salmon
<BR>in the Pacific: Northwest: Environmental Conflicts and Policy Options"
<BR>has been scheduled for 31 January at the Richard & Rhoda Goldman
<BR>Conference Room, Encina Hall East, 4th floor, at Stanford University in
<BR>Palo Alto, California. The presenters are Josh Eagle of the Fisheries
<BR>Policy Project at Stanford Law School and Rosamond Naylor of the
<BR>Center for Environmental Science & Policy at Stanford. The presentation
<BR>begins at 1530 HRS. For a searchable campus map and directions, visit:
<BR>http://www.stanford.edu/home/visitors/maps.html.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/09. SALMON MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR UPCOMING
<BR>SEASON SETTING PROCESS. The California Department of Fish &
<BR>Game (CDFG) has set its annual Salmon Informational Meeting for
<BR>Saturday, 23 February in Sacramento (changed from the traditional
<BR>meeting in Santa Rosa), California. The public session will present
<BR>information regarding inland salmon restoration, mitigation and
<BR>enhancement programs, in addition to fishery harvest, spawning
<BR>escapement, and ocean abundance estimates. The meeting will be held at
<BR>the Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 Ninth Street in Sacramento
<BR>beginning at 1000 HRS. For more information, call (707) 431-2951.
<BR>
<BR> The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (PFMC) Salmon
<BR>Technical Team (STT) will hold a joint work session with the Council's
<BR>Scientific & Statistical Committee (SSC) on Wednesday, 6 February at
<BR>the Embassy Suite Hotel (near Portland International Airport) in
<BR>Portland, Oregon. The purpose of the session is to review changes made
<BR>to the coho Fishery Regulation Assessment Model (FRAM) and the
<BR>Klamath Ocean Harvest Model (KOHM). That meeting begins at 0830
<BR>HRS.
<BR>
<BR> Following the joint STT-SSC meeting, the STT will hold a work
<BR>session on 19-22 February to draft "Preseason Report 1 - Stock
<BR>Abundance Analysis for 2002 Ocean Salmon Fisheries" and to consider
<BR>any other estimation or methodology issues pertinent to the 2002 ocean
<BR>salmon fisheries. The meeting will be held at the PFMC office, at 7700
<BR>Ambassador Place, Suite 200 in Portland. The PFMC at its March and
<BR>April meetings establishes its salmon season recommendations to the
<BR>Secretary of Commerce. For more information, go to:
<BR>www.pcouncil.org.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/10. SENATOR TED STEVENS TO PURSUE FEDERAL
<BR>SEAFOOD LABELING: U.S Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) said in his
<BR>annual address to a joint session of Alaska's legislature, on 22 January,
<BR>that he wants to convene a salmon summit this spring to look for ways to
<BR>help the industry which he said is in crisis due to the huge influx of
<BR>cheaper, farm-raised salmon on the market. Stevens stated, "Shortly after
<BR>the Senate reconvenes, it will turn to consideration of the Farm Bill. I
<BR>have initiated a new pilot program for salmon insurance modeled after
<BR>the successful crop insurance program. I am working also on
<BR>amendments that will require the labeling of both imported and farm
<BR>raised fish. And we will try to develop a plan to allow our wild salmon
<BR>to be labeled organic to give it a share of the growing, lucrative, health
<BR>food market." To read his address, go to:
<BR>http://www.senate.gov/~stevens/legspeech012202.htm. For more
<BR>information on the Farm Bill and labeling, see Sublegals, 5:03/01;
<BR>4:25/01; 4:24/01; 4:17/01.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/11. COMMONER TAKES ON GENETIC ENGINEERING:
<BR>One of the issues surrounding the labeling of seafood is labeling to
<BR>distinguish wild from farmed fish. In addition to the antibiotics and
<BR>other chemicals used in the production of most farmed fish is the
<BR>concern about genetically-engineered or "transgenic" fish being proposed
<BR>for aquaculture broodstock. The European Union currently requires the
<BR>labeling of transgenic foods (e.g., soy), but the United States Department
<BR>of Agriculture is pressuring the EU to drop this labeling requirement,
<BR>thereby denying consumers information on whether the food they are
<BR>buying may be transgenic. The February issue of Harper's magazine
<BR>features an article by scientist Barry Commoner (Center for the Biology
<BR>of Natural Systems at Queens College, City University of New York)
<BR>entitled "Unraveling the DNA Myth - The Spurious Foundation of
<BR>Genetic Engineering" (pp.39-47). In it, Commoner questions the efficacy
<BR>of genetic engineering and the manufacture of transgenic foods.
<BR>
<BR> "There can be no doubt the emergence of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic
<BR>acid) was a crucial stage in the development of life, but we must avoid
<BR>the mistake of reducing life to a master molecule in order to satisfy our
<BR>emotional need for unambiguous simplicity," Commoner writes. The
<BR>experimental data, shorn of dogmatic theories, points to the irreducibility
<BR>of the living cell, the inherent complexity of which suggests that any
<BR>artificially altered genetic system, given the magnitude of our ignorance,
<BR>must sooner or later give rise to unintended, potentially disastrous,
<BR>consequences. We must be willing to recognize how little we truly
<BR>understand about the secrets of the cell, the fundamental unit of life."
<BR>
<BR> Commoner goes on to say, "money has distorted the scientific process
<BR>as a once purely academic pursuit has been commercialized to an
<BR>astonishing degree by the researchers themselves. Biology has become a
<BR>glittering target for venture capital; each new discovery brings new
<BR>partnerships, new corporate affiliations. But as the growing opposition to
<BR>transgenic crops clearly shows, there is persistent public concern not
<BR>only with the safety of genetically engineered foods but also with the
<BR>inherent dangers in arbitrarily overriding patterns of inheritance that are
<BR>imbedded in the natural world through long evolutionary experience.
<BR>Too often those concerns have been derided by industry scientists as the
<BR>"irrational" fears of an uneducated public. The irony, of course, is that
<BR>the biotechnology industry is based on science that is forty years old and
<BR>conveniently devoid of more recent results, which show that there are
<BR>strong reasons to fear the potential consequences of transferring a DNA
<BR>gene between species." For more, visit the magazine's website at:
<BR>www.harpers.org.
<BR>
<BR> To learn more about genetically-engineered fish go to:
<BR>www.stopgefish.org; also see the website for the Campaign to Label
<BR>Genetically Engineered Foods at: www.thecampaign.org.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/12. NO ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE FOR GROWERS FROM
<BR>USING TRANSGENIC SEEDS: A recent study by the Leopold Center
<BR>for Sustainable Agriculture has found the "use of genetically modified
<BR>seeds did not appear to impact a farmer's bottom line for either corn or
<BR>soybean production." Though genetically-engineered or "transgenic"
<BR>seeds are heavily marketed under the guise of increasing a farmer's
<BR>profits, the Leopold study, based on a cross-section of U.S. Department
<BR>of Agriculture (USDA) data on corn and soybean farms in Iowa, found
<BR>that farmers planting genetically modified soybeans spent, on average,
<BR>$6.17 per acre less on herbicides, but $5.69 per acre more on seeds. The
<BR>slight economic advantage was wiped out by the fact that yield for
<BR>genetically modified soybeans was 1.6 bushels per acre less than that for
<BR>traditional seeds. A similar trend occurred for Bt versus traditional
<BR>corn: the genetically modified seed cost $4.31 more per acre, required
<BR>$4.63 per acre more for fertilizer, and yielded three more bushels per
<BR>acre. For more information on the Leopold study, go to:
<BR>www.leopold.iastate.edu/newsletter/2001-4leoletter/gmo.html.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/13. EU COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS BAN OF CHINESE
<BR>AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS TAINTED WITH
<BR>CHLORAMPHENICOL: WorldCatch News Network reported 25
<BR>February that the European Commission's Standing Veterinary
<BR>Committee has voted to ban imports of Chinese animal origin, including
<BR>shrimp and prawns, due to concerns over the detection of
<BR>chloramphenicol in Chinese food products. The ban is in response to the
<BR>Commission's efforts over the past two weeks to obtain more
<BR>information from EU governments on animal feed and meat
<BR>contaminated with chloramphenicol, a banned antibiotic used in animal
<BR>feed (see Sublegals, 5:03/09). Four European countries earlier this month
<BR>had found trace animal feed laced with the chloramphenicol, which can
<BR>lead to aplastic anemia in humans, and were concerned more of the meal
<BR>may have started making its way into the food chain. Germany
<BR>impounded animal feed at a plant on 16 October, while authorities in
<BR>Denmark, Poland and Romania were probing whether tainted fishmeal
<BR>had been fed to livestock. On 24 February, the United Nations' Food &
<BR>Agricultural Organization (FAO) urged those countries which have not
<BR>yet banned the antibiotic to end its use. For the complete report, go to:
<BR>www.worldcatch.org.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/14. OREGON RENEWS GREEN CRAB ALERT: Oregon
<BR>State Biologists have renewed an alert for European green crabs
<BR>(Carcinus maenas) in that state, an invasive species that is becoming a
<BR>problem in several other places on the west coast, after discovering
<BR>juvenile green crabs at a number of locations in Oregon. The small
<BR>exotic crab can devour oysters, clams and other shellfish and compete
<BR>for food with native and commercially valuable Dungeness crabs and
<BR>fish. The first wave of green crabs, probably spreading from a California
<BR>outbreak through ballast water, arrived on the Washington coast with the
<BR>El Ninos of the late 1990's, according to the 22 January Oregonian.
<BR>Oregon is trying to step up its trapping and monitoring programs, and
<BR>asking anyone spotting green crabs in Oregon to report them. The main
<BR>number for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife is: (503)
<BR>872-5268. Washington State also has a web page with information on
<BR>green crab at: http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/ans/greencrab.htm.
<BR>
<BR> The U.S. federal government has established a special web site about
<BR>invasive species, with a data index of invasive species, at:
<BR>www.invasivespecies.gov. An information index on European green
<BR>crab is available there at:
<BR>http://www.invasivespecies.gov/profiles/greencrab.shtml.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/15. PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON PLACEMENT OF DREDGED
<BR>MATERIAL IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY: The Update on the
<BR>Long-Term Strategy (LTMS) for the Placement of Dredged Material in
<BR>the San Francisco Bay Region will be held on 31 January in San
<BR>Francisco, beginning at 0930 HRS. Topics include the components of
<BR>the Management Plan, and Deep Ocean Disposal Site monitoring results,
<BR>among others. The LTMS program began in 1988 following a successful
<BR>protest led by the Half Moon Bay Fishermen's Marketing Association,
<BR>PCFFA and other fishing groups stopping the U.S. Army Corps of
<BR>Engineers and the Port of Oakland from dumping dredge spoils in
<BR>nearshore crab fishing grounds off Half Moon Bay. Subsequently, the
<BR>LTMS adopted the nation's first deepwater dredge spoil disposal site,
<BR>recommended by the fishing industry, some 50 miles west of the Golden
<BR>Gate. Nevertheless significant dumping continues in San Francisco Bay.
<BR>
<BR> PCFFA has called for a concerted multi-agency effort to protect and
<BR>restore San Francisco Bay and has identified dredging and in-bay
<BR>disposal as one of the major threats to the west coast's most important
<BR>estuary (see Sublegals, 4:26/01). At the LTMS meeting PCFFA will call
<BR>for the cessation of all in-bay dumping. For information on the 31st
<BR>LTMS meeting, contact Cinamon Vann at cinamonv@bcdc.ca.gov.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/16. ZERO BASED RESTORATION: The 25 January San
<BR>Francisco Chronicle reports the San Francisco International Airport
<BR>(SFO) expansion project, currently proposing to fill 900 acres of San
<BR>Francisco Bay for new runways, will seek to mitigate the destruction of
<BR>Bay habitat utilized by species like herring, native oysters and crab by
<BR>initiating restoration projects in other parts of the Bay. One restoration
<BR>proposal is an agreement between SFO and Jim Haire, owner of slightly
<BR>over 1000 acres in the North Bay. If sold as a hay farm, Haire's property
<BR>would sell at a value of approximately 1.65 million. SFO has offered
<BR>almost $16 million if Haire agrees to farm his property until SFO
<BR>receives all of its necessary permits to proceed with the expansion
<BR>project. Under the agreement, Haire will receive about $28,000 a month
<BR>for an option on the property but he must either farm or disc it to assure
<BR>no natural restoration begins prior to an SFO take-over. This is to assure
<BR>the property is in the worst possible shape so the airport could then claim
<BR>maximum restoration credits.
<BR>
<BR> SFO is also in negotiations with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service
<BR>(USFWS) for the purchase of the former Navy communications center
<BR>on Skaggs Island. Together the two acquisitions could add over 4,000
<BR>acres to the San Pablo Bay Wildlife Refuge. However, many
<BR>environmental groups question the validity of mitigation sites so far
<BR>away from the site of the expansion. PCFFA in its 4 January letter to the
<BR>National Marine Fisheries Service (NFS) classified proposed expansion
<BR>of SFO, the largest fill project proposed since 1965, a major threat to San
<BR>Francisco Bay and its fisheries. For the text of the Chronicle article go
<BR>to:
<BR>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/0
<BR>1/25/NB237172.DTL.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/17. COMMISSION ON OCEAN POLICY TO MEET IN LOS
<BR>ANGELES: The federal Commission on Ocean Policy is holding
<BR>regional meetings throughout the country this spring. A meeting in Los
<BR>Angeles, California is scheduled for 17-19 April. For information, go to:
<BR>http://oceancommission.gov. In the meantime, the Pew Oceans
<BR>Commission finished two days of meetings in Monterey (21-22 January)
<BR>discussing ocean governance. It will meet next in New Orleans, on
<BR>14-16 March. For more information, go to: www.pewoceans.org.
<BR>
<BR> 5:04/18. IT'S JANUARY AND IT'S SUBLEGALS PLEDGE
<BR>MONTH: Sublegals, which is published weekly by PCFFA and IFR
<BR>staff, operates on a shoestring at best. Producing it, however, costs staff
<BR>time and money. To keep these weekly fishery briefing "shorts" coming
<BR>to you, we are asking readers for a small donation. In return, your
<BR>support will help keep Sublegals coming and you will also get a great
<BR>gift in appreciation. At the $25.00 level, readers get a coffee mug, with
<BR>our Sarcastic Fringehead logo; at the $50.00 level there's the mug, the
<BR>gray (because the news isn't just black or white) 100% organic cotton
<BR>t-shirt (Patagonia) with our logo; and at the $100.00 level, there's the
<BR>mug, the t-shirt and the 2002 Cape Cod Fishermen's "fishcake" calendar.
<BR>To pledge or learn more, go to: www.sublegals.net/fundraiser.htm.
<BR>
<BR>NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,
<BR>comments or any corrections to Allison Vogt, Editor at:
<BR>ifrfish@pacbell.net or call the IFR/PCFFA office with the news and a
<BR>source at either: (415) 561-FISH (Southwest Office) or (541) 689-2000
<BR>(Northwest Office).
<BR>##########################################################
<BR>"Fishlink" is a registered trademark of the Institute for Fisheries
<BR>Resources. All rights to the use of this trademark are reserved to IFR.
<BR>This publication, however, may be freely reproduced and circulated
<BR>without copyright restriction. If you are receiving this as a subscriber,
<BR>please feel free to pass this on to your colleagues. Subscribers who wish
<BR>to post or circulate hard copy of Sublegals or have no access to the
<BR>Internet may receive fax subscriptions by faxing their request, with their
<BR>fax number to: (415) 561-5464. You may also go to our web site at:
<BR>www.sublegals.net for archives of back issues and instructions on how
<BR>to donate to these efforts. Thanks!
<BR>##########################################################</FONT></HTML>
--part1_de.2175b025.298793b4_boundary--