[Fishlink] ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 8/16/02<~~
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~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 8/16/02<~~
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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. 06, NO. 07 16 AUGUST 2002
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"The real work of planet-saving will be small, humble and humbling...
Its jobs will be too many to count, too many to report, too many to be
publicly noticed or rewarded, too small to make anyone rich or
famous."...............Wendell Berry
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IN THIS ISSUE.......
Whatcom County Votes to Oppose Salmon Farms in
Washington State Waters 6:07/01
Consent Decree Approved Against Maine Salmon Farm;
No More GMO Fish 6:07/03
NOAA/IFR Partnership for San Francisco Bay Restoration 6:07/06
Bush Administration Argues for Eliminating Ocean Protections 6:07/08
Comments Due for 2003 Management Proposals to PFMC 6:07/18
AND MORE......
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This week's issue of Sublegals is available in PDF format on the web at
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www.sublegals.net to donate to this effort. Thank you for your support
of community fisheries education.
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6:07/01. WHATCOM COUNTY VOTES TO OPPOSE SALMON
FARMS IN WASHINGTON STATE WATERS: On 13 August, the
Whatcom County Council approved a resolution opposing any salmon
net pen aquaculture operations ("salmon farms") in the waters of the
County or the State. Whatcom County is located in the northwest corner
of Washington State, bordering Canada and Puget Sound. Currently
Washington and Maine are the only states in the U.S. with large-scale
salmon farming operations. Whatcom County's ports of Bellingham and
Blaine were once home to a large salmon fleet, and still have some
salmon purse seine, gillnet and troll vessels, as well as treaty tribal
salmon fisheries. The County also has a wild salmon restoration
program and concerns have been raised with the invasion of escaped
farmed Atlantic salmon from other areas of the State or British
Columbia into the Nooksack River.
"We were told there was no chance these non-native fish would
escape, carry diseases to which native fish are susceptible, enter rivers
and spawn. We were assured that there was no chance that if all these
impossible things happened that the offspring would survive. Well all
these things have happened. There is compelling scientific evidence that
Atlantic Salmon pose a clear and immediate threat to the restoration of
native Pacific Salmon," said Jeremy Brown, a Board Member of the
Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association.
"The resolution before the Council acknowledged the significant
sacrifices by residents of the county to protect wild salmon, from
foregone fishing opportunities to restrictions on land and water use. It
further described some of the threats to wild salmon stocks from water
quality to the health of other marine organisms from fish farm
operations. It stated that federal, state and local salmon recovery efforts
are jeopardized by the negative impacts of fish farms," according to the
Institute for Agriculture & Trade, a supporter of the ban. "The resolution
was brought by citizens who are frustrated with U.S. and Canadian
regulatory agencies for ignoring, or discounting, the growing body of
scientific information about the threats posed to wild salmon by
industrial fish farms and the inadequate oversight of the industry. As the
B.C. government prepared to allow the doubling of fish farms within
their waters, the Whatcom County vote indicated the deepening level of
disagreement with that policy as well as with the proposed expansion of
aquaculture into the EEZ (exclusive economic zone), three to two
hundred miles off the US coastline." For more information or a copy of
the Council's resolution, contact Anne Mosness with the Institute for
Agriculture & Trade at: Eatwildfish@aol.com.
6:07/02. MAINE IMPOSES EMERGENCY RULES TO PROTECT
COBSTOCK BAY FROM VIRUS: The Bangor Daily News reported on
15 August that the State of Maine will impose emergency regulations to
prevent the spread of infectious salmon anemia (IFA), a deadly salmon
virus, from New Brunswick fish farms to the aquaculture netpen
operations in Cobstock Bay. The new rules take effect 21 August.
"Cobscook Bay was restocked with farmed salmon this spring after the
first outbreaks of infectious salmon anemia in Maine led to the slaughter
of more than 2 million farmed salmon last fall and early this winter,"
said the Daily News report by Mary Anne Clancy.
"Andrew Fisk, DMR [Maine Department of Marine Resources]
aquaculture coordinator, said Wednesday that there have been no new
outbreaks of ISA in Cobscook Bay, but that his department and USDA
[U.S. Department of Agriculture] have become aware of some threats.
They include the fact that feed barges have traveled to Maine farms from
infected sites in New Brunswick and a recent USDA study that detected
evidence of the virus that causes ISA below the waterline on vessels for
up to three days after the vessel left an infected site.....Two of the
companies that operate in Cobscook Bay -- Stolt Sea Farms Inc. and
Heritage Salmon -- also have farm sites in New Brunswick, where ISA
continues to be a problem," reported Clancy. Maine's remnant wild
Altlantic salmon populations are listed under the U.S. Endangered
Species Act (ESA). For a copy of the new regulations to control ISA go
to the MDMR website at:
www.state.me.us/ifw/fish/fishlab/vol3issue3.htm. To read the complete
Bangor Daily News article, go to: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bangor.
6:07/03. CONSENT DECREE APPROVED AGAINST MAINE
SALMON FARM - PROHIBITS ANTIBIOTICS AND GENETICALLY
ALTERED BROODSTOCK: Two weeks before the State of Maine
announced new rules to prevent the spread of disease from fish farms,
U.S. District Judge Gene Carter on 29 July formally approved the
settlement of a Clean Water Act lawsuit brought by the United States
Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) and two Maine residents
against Heritage Salmon, Inc. (see Sublegals, 5:23/05). The consent
decree, which was first entered with the Court on 4 June sets a precedent
for pending cases against Atlantic Salmon of Maine and Stolt Sea Farm.
U.S. PIRG sued Heritage, Stolt and Atlantic Salmon of Maine in July
2000 for illegally discharging pollutants into the ocean without Clean
Water Act discharge permits. The Stolt and Atlantic Salmon of Maine
cases are set
for trial on 7 October. In approving the settlement, Judge Carter rejected
an attempt by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a lobbying
group, to delete the provision of the settlement which prohibits Heritage
from growing genetically modified salmon in Maine. Judge Carter ruled
that the biotech industry's special interest in the growing of transgenic
fish does not "justify further delay in the resolution of this case of
extreme significance to the public interest."
Key terms of the settlement agreement include:
ú A ban on Growing European and Genetically Modified Salmon Strains
ú Limits on Stocking Density, to Minimize Disease Outbreaks
ú Measures to Protect Wild Salmon from Interaction with Farmed Fish
ú Mandatory Fallowing, to Reduce Pollution Impacts
ú A ban on Experimental Drugs Without Environmental Review
ú Moratorium on Expansion of Heritage Operations Into Penobscot Bay
For more information, go to:
www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/frankenfishban.cfm.
6:07/04. OREGON LISTS "TOP 100" MOST DANGEROUS
INVADERS, INCLUDES ATLANTIC SALMON: On 9 August, the
Newport News-Times reported the release of the Oregon Department of
Agriculture's "top 100 list of the most dangerous invaders threatening the
state in 2002." At the top of the list, which includes species that are
"threatening to invade," are such marine species as Chinese mitten crab
and zebra mussel. "While not at the top, Atlantic salmon were included
on the list because of their potential to 'compete with native salmon and
harm already fragile populations of West Coast species,'" reported the
News-Times.
To see the list of 100 top invasives, go to the Oregon Invasive
Species Council website: http://oda.state.or.us/Plant/inv_spp. To see the
complete News-Times article, go to: http://newportnewstimes.com/
2002/nt_news0809/general/nt_news-05.html#TopOfPage.
6:07/05. NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM SOLICITING
RESEARCH PROPOSALS ON AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES,
OYSTER RESTORATION AND DISEASE CONTROL: The U.S.
National Sea Grant College Program is soliciting proposals for three
competitive research programs for fiscal year (FY) 2003. The formal
announcement for the Request For Proposals (RFPs) was made in the 9
August Federal Register. Matching funds equal to a minimum of 50
percent must be provided.
The first RFP is for Sea Grant's Aquatic Nuisance Program
(approximately $5.6 million available in grants), which seeks to fund
research and outreach projects for the prevention and control of
introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species. This RFP does not
include ballast water technology development as an eligible topic area,
due to a separate competition established by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and
the Maritime Administration (MARAD) (see Sublegals, 5:23/04). The
second RFP (approximately $4 million) seeks to fund research that
provides technology and management strategies to combat oyster disease
and bring about the restoration of oysters and the oyster industry in U.S.
coastal areas. The third (approximately $2 million) is a long term,
research-based program aimed at assisting the oyster industry in states
adjoining the Gulf of Mexico to achieve full economic recovery and
sustainable oyster production. Pre-proposals are due 17 September. The
full text of the RFPs is on the National Sea Grant website at:
www.nsgo.seagrant.org/research/rfp/index.html. Preliminary proposals
will be available on the California Sea Grant website beginning 21
August at: www-csgc.ucsd.edu.
6:07/06. NOAA/IFR PARTNERSHIP FOR SAN FRANCISCO BAY
RESTORATION: The National Oceanic & Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Restoration Center has recommended
approval of a three-year partnership with the Institute for Fisheries
Resources (IFR) for up to $650,000 to help citizens and communities
restore San Francisco Bay. Final approval will be confirmed in the fall.
PCFFA had raised concerns with the plight of the west coast's most
important estuary in a January letter to the National Marine Fisheries
Service (see Sublegals, 4:26/01; the letter is on PCFFA's website). In
January 2003, IFR proposes to embark on a partnership with the NOAA
Restoration Center to cooperatively administer funds for hands-on
habitat restoration projects that benefit marine, estuarine and riparian
habitats that sustain the San Francisco Bay's remarkable diversity of life
forms (e.g., oyster, eel grass restoration). IFR and NOAA would work
together to develop the grants program, the criteria for grant selection
and overall partnership vision. More information on the NOAA
Restoration Center can be viewed at:
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration.
6:07/07. NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ESTUARINE
RESTORATION: The inaugural Conference on Coastal & Estuarine
Habitat Restoration has been scheduled for 13-16 April 2003 in
Baltimore, Maryland. It will be the first nationwide forum focused
solely on the goals and practices of coastal and estuarine habitat
restoration and will be hosted by Restore America's Estuaries. The
conference is intended to bring together non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), government, business and academic sectors, "to focus on
setting priorities for, planning and executing, and monitoring progress of
coastal and estuarine habitat restoration. Program focus will include
restoration best practices, information and resource needs, community
outreach, national and regional policy strategies, funding opportunities,
partnerships, and restoration science and practice - including monitoring,
evaluation and adaptive management. The Conference will address
habitat restoration in coastal and estuarine areas of the United States,
including the Great Lakes region, as well as trans-boundary initiatives
and issues." The conference should be of interest to the fishing
community given the import role estuaries play in providing habitat for
many fish and shellfish species (see Sublegals, 6:07/06 above). The
conference deadline dates are as follows: 13 September - Proposals due;
November - Potential speakers are notified of proposal status; 20
January 2003 - Finalized biographical information and presentation
descriptions due; 14 February 2003 - Speaker materials due.
For more information on making a presentation, contact Heather
Bradley, Restore America's Estuaries at: hbradley@estuaries.org. For
more information on the conference, go to Restore America's Estuaries
website at: www.estuaries.org.
6:07/08. U.S. ADMINISTRATION ARGUES FOR ELIMINATING
OCEAN PROTECTIONS: The U.S Justice Department, in the
Administration of President George W. Bush, is arguing in a lawsuit
challenging U.S. Navy sonar practices that one of the nation's most
important environmental protection laws, the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), does not apply outside of 6 miles of the shoreline.
NEPA requires an environmental impacts analysis for all federal actions,
and is the cornerstone of the public participation and comment process
in federal projects. NEPA applies to the territorial waters of the United
States, and was adopted in 1972, several years before the
Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation & Management Act of 1976
established the 3-200 mile Fishery Management Zone (FMZ), later
changed by an Executive Order of President Ronald Reagan to the
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). If NEPA does not apply to the entire
EEZ, this could have serious implications for future efforts to protect
marine resources or prevent ocean dumping, and would eliminate
opportunities for public input on future offshore oil development. It
would likely not, however, affect the regulation of fishing, since the
Magnuson-Stevens Act would still apply, but would affect the ability to
protect fish habitat from non-fishery related activities. For more, see the
9 August San Francisco Chronicle article at: www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/
article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/08/09/national1922EDT0763.DTL
6:07/09. "PREVENTION FIRST" 2002 SYMPOSIUM TO BE
HELD 10-11 SEPTEMBER: The California State Lands Commission
will sponsor this Onshore and Offshore Pollution Prevention Symposium
and Technology Exhibition at the Westin Hotel in Long Beach,
California. Topics to be covered include: ballast water management
strategies and equipment; marine oil terminal engineering and
maintenance standards; harbor management issues; and homeland
security. For more information, go to www.slc.ca.gov.
6:07/10. FISH ARE GOOD FOR THE HEART: Another study on
diets high in fish oil in relation to coronary health has added to the
medical findings that omega-3 fatty acids help to keep arteries more
elastic. A recent article in HealthScout reported on the study where
author Dr. Paul Nestel, head of cardiovascular nutrition at the Baker
Heart Research Institute in Australia, looked at 38 men and women with
high blood pressure. Members of the experimental group were given
daily supplements of the two fish oil fatty acids - eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Arterial elasticity increased by
36 percent in the EPA group and 27 percent in the DHA group. Such
elasticity in arteries is important because, according to Dr. Nestel, stiff
arteries may lead to hypertension and coronary heart disease. To read
the HealthScout article in full, go to: http://www.healthscout.com/
template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=1&id=508277
6:07/11. WILD HABITAT LOSS VALUED AT $250 BILLION PER
YEAR: The economic value to humanity of the wild habitat that is lost
each year (such as habitat for fisheries and wetlands that generates
seafood) far outweighs the much smaller value of converting these areas
to cropland, housing or other human uses, say researchers in the 9
August issue of Science. The new study, "Economic Reasons for
Conserving Wild Nature," Vol. 297, pp. 950-953 presents the results of a
team of economists that looked at before and after pictures of wild areas
recently converted for development, and totaled up the economic values
of all the amenities provided in both situations. "The economies are
absolutely stark. We thought that the numbers would favor
conservation, but not by this much," commented the lead author Dr.
Andrew Balmford of the University of Cambridge.
The total value of the wild ecosystems ranged from 14 percent to 75
percent higher then the total value of its development. The researchers
also estimated that the total economic loss of wild habitat now amounts
to about $250 billion per year. For more see:
http://ens-news.com/ens/aug2002/2002-08-09-07.asp. For the original
article go to the 9 August issue of Science at: www.sciencemag.org.
6:07/12. 63 DAMS IN 16 STATES TO BE REMOVED IN 2002:
According to a count by American Rivers, river restoration projects in
which dam removal plays a key role are picking up steam nationwide.
Sixty-three dams in 16 states are scheduled for decommissioning and
removal in 2002. The report that came out 18 July indicates that this is
the highest number since the organization began keeping a tally in 1999.
Many of the U.S.'s approximately 75,000 dams are now past their
engineered lifespan, and many more are no longer cost effective to keep.
About 40 dams have been removed since 1999 when the breaching of
the Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River captured national
attention. "Many dams have outlived their intended purpose and no
longer provide economic benefits," said Leon Szeptycki, Eastern
Conservation Director for Trout Unlimited. "Communities that do look
at dam removal soon learn that a healthy river can enhance quality of life
and be a tremendous economic asset." For the full report see:
www.americanrivers.org/damremoval.
6:07/13. HATCHERIES AND SALMON CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGS AVAILABLE: The proceedings of the workshop
"Hatcheries and the Protection of Wild Salmon," organized 6-7 June
2001 by British Columbia's Simon Fraser University are now available
online at the Speaking for the Salmon website at:
www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/salmon.htm. The document is
approximately 2 MB (150 pages) in length. Printed copies are available
for $25. For purchase information contact Jennifer Penikett, Centre for
Coastal Studies, at: penikett@sfu.ca.
6:07/14. CALIFORNIA TOLD TO CUT COLORADO WATER
USE, MORE PRESSURE ON NORTHERN RIVERS?: California has
until 31 December to figure out how to reduce its annual take from the
Colorado River from 5.2 million to 4.4 million acre-feet. According to
the Chico Press-Enterprise, the federal Department of Interior recently
decided to uphold the 1964 Supreme Court Ruling ordering the
reduction. Speakers at a conference on water issues warned that unless
Californians change their habits, water may be the source of the next big
crisis. Various suggestions included conservation, additional storage
tanks, recycling and desalination. Without solutions soon, pressure will
increase to divert even more water from Northern California rivers,
threatening salmon and estuarine-dependent fisheries such as Dungeness
crab and herring. To read the full article, go to:
www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_NEWS_nawater02.a1187.html.
6:07/15. WHOSE WATER IS IT? A new report on the global trend
towards privatizing water is now available from the Council of
Canadians' Blue Planet Project. "Thirst for Control: New Rules in the
Global Water Grab" is written by trade and environment lawyer Steven
Shrybman. The report examines how international trade rules and
International Monetary Fund policies work to force water privatization.
It also addresses the threat to Indigenous People's right to water. The
full report with 14 page executive summary is available on the Blue
Planet Website under publications at: www.canadians.org/blueplanet.
Hard copies can be ordered by e-mail: blueplanet@canadians.org.
6:07/16. KIER, HUFFMAN RUN UNOPPOSED FOR SEATS ON
CALIFORNIA'S OLDEST WATER DISTRICT, BOTH CAMPAIGNS
EMPHASIZE DESALINIZATION: Fisheries scientist Bill Kier and the
Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Jared Huffman are
running unopposed for two of three vacant seats on the Marin Municipal
Water District (MMWD), California's oldest water agency. Kier has
worked closely with PCFFA and IFR over the years, and heads-up its
KRIS watershed resources information system program. Huffman, who
is seeking a second term on the MMWD Board, has also worked closely
with PCFFA on settlement negotiations with the Friant Water Users
Association on restoring fish flows for the San Joaquin River. The
MMWD serves Marin County, just north of San Francisco, and has been
largely self-sufficient, except in recent years when it has purchased some
of its supply from the Sonoma County Water Agency -- water that is
diverted from the Russian and Eel Rivers.
One of the key issues before the MMWD is whether to expand its
pipeline with Sonoma or seek alternative supplies. Both Kier and
Huffman are pushing research on desalinization. MMWD is holding a
desalinization workshop on 27 August at its Corte Madera headquarters.
For more information, call (415) 945-1455.
6:06/17. FEDERAL OCEANS COMMISSION ISSUES MIDTERM
REPORT: The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy has issued its
midterm report and is inviting public comment. For a copy of the report
and to comment, go to: www.oceancommission.gov.
6:07/18. COMMENTS DUE FOR 2003 MANAGEMENT
PROPOSALS TO PFMC: The Pacific Fisheries Management Council
(PFMC) is accepting comments on its proposed harvest levels for the
2003 West Coast groundfish fishery. The Council adopted a range of
options that are available at the Council's website:
www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/gfcurr/gfpropsd03.html. Rebuilding
populations of boccacio, canary rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish will
form the basis for 2003 groundfish management. The options include
depth-based fishing restrictions and gear modifications to avoid
incidental bycatch. In addition, other fisheries that do not target
groundfish, and even those not listed in the Council's proposed options
(including salmon) may be analyzed for their bycatch of boccacio,
canary, and yellow eye. To have comments included in the briefing
books sent to Council members before the meeting they must be
received by 1630 HRS on 23 August. Otherwise, comments will be
accepted until 3 September and will be handed out at the beginning of
the meeting. Comments can be mailed to PFMC, 7700 NE Ambassador
Placed, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97220-1384 or they can be faxed to
(530) 820-2299 and e-mailed to pfmc.comments@noaa.gov
6:07/19. MANAGEMENT MEETINGS HAPPENING SOON: The
Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) is meeting 10 - 13
September in Portland, OR where it will adopt a recommendation for the
2003 groundfish harvest levels. The Council will also take action on
Pacific halibut management, marine reserves, salmon management and
other items. To learn more about the meeting or to see the agenda, go to
www.pcouncil.org/events/2002/pfmc0802.html
The advisory panels and subcommittees to the PFMC are also having
meetings to prepare for the Council meeting. These include the
Groundfish Management Team and Ad Hoc Allocation Committee
Meeting 27-29 August in Portland, a Highly Migratory Species Plan
Development Team Meeting in San Diego 4-5 September, a conference
call for the Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel on 5
September and a conference call for the Coastal Pelagic Species
Subpanel on 6 September. A complete list of all related meetings with
details on times and locations can be seen at
www.pcouncil.org/events/csevents.html
Finally, the California Fish & Game Commission will meet in
Oakland, California on 29-30 August. Topics include the Nearshore
Fisheries Management Plan, the petition to list coho as an endangered
species, and a request by PCFFA, Natural Resources Defense Council,
Ocean Conservancy, and IFR to put a moratorium on the importation,
possession or transportation of transgenic fish. Details can be found at
www.dfg.ca.gov/fg_comm/2002mtgs.html
NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,
comments or any corrections to Michelle Wallar, Editor at:
mw_ifr@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).
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