[Fishlink] ~~>SUBLEGALS 7Feb03<~~
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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. 07, NO. 06 7 FEBRUARY 2003
##########################################################
"These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert to
fleece the people." ....... ..Abraham Lincoln
##########################################################
IN THIS ISSUE.......
B.C. Fisheries Ministers Past And Present Caught Up In
Fish Farm Scandals. 7:06/01
NMFS Refuses To List Green Sturgeon; Lamprey Petitioned. 7:06/03
Bush Administration Weakens National Wetlands Protections,
Putting Fisheries At Risk. 7:06/04
California Sues Grocery Stores Over Mercury Labeling
On Fish. 7:06/06
Mercury Pollution Reduction Bills Moving Through Washington
Legislature. 7:06/09
Recent Marine Reserves Research Gives Some Hope To Fishermen.
7:06/13
AND MORE......
##########################################################
7:06/01. ONE B.C. FISHERIES MINISTER CANNED OVER FISH
FARM SCANDAL, SUCCESSOR'S RESIGNATION DEMANDED
FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Following the forced resignation of
British Columbia Fisheries Minister John van Dongen, resulting from a
police investigation into allegations of favoritism in handing a fish farm
aquaculture permit, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is now faced with
demands to can van Dongen's replacement over a conflict of interest
involving the province's salmon farms. Stan Hagen, who succeeded van
Dongen, is facing conflict of interest charges after it was revealed that
the single largest contributor to Hagen's last political campaign was the
Omega Salmon Group. The Norwegian-owned Omega is a major
aquaculture company in B.C. and is currently embroiled in protests over
its construction of a massive hatchery system that would supply over 70
salmon farming net-pen operations (see Sublegals, 7:04/04). Other large
Hagen campaign contributors include Heritage Aquaculture and Akua
Feed Systems, both principal players in the B.C. farmed salmon industry.
Fishing, conservation and First Nation groups throughout B.C. are
demanding Hagen resign or that Campbell fire his latest fisheries
minister.
"It is troubling to think that some research into issues like campaign
contributions was not done before Mr. Hagen's appointment," said the
Georgia Strait Alliance's Erik Blueschke. "However it is even more
troubling if Premier Campbell knew about these contributions and
decided to appoint Hagen anyway." The Coastal Alliance for
Aquaculture Reform added that because of "the controversy in British
Columbia about the aquaculture industries, both finfish and shellfish, it
is vital that there be no appearance of conflict of interest concerning the
Minister." Phil Hogan of the Heiltsuk First Nation, meanwhile,
commented that all along B.C.'s coast groups "are working hard to force
the provincial and federal governments to enforce Canada's oceans and
fisheries acts so that wild fish stocks do not suffer from the negative
affects of fish farming." For more see:
http://www.farmedanddangerous.org.
7:06/02. NEWSPAPER INSERT PLANNED TO EDUCATE U.S.
WEST COAST CONSUMERS ON DANGERS OF FARMED
SALMON: A major effort at educating consumers regarding the dangers
of farmed salmon will begin Lincoln's Birthday, 12 February, when
inserts are placed in two of the west coast's major daily newspapers
along with some regional newspapers with the heading "What lurks
behind that farmed salmon steak? - The hidden costs of farmed salmon."
The 4-page "Section Z" insert will be first of many planned regionally
and nationally targeting seafood consumers.
7:06/03. NMFS REFUSES TO LIST GREEN STURGEON;
LAMPREY PETITIONED: In a long-overdue decision (see Sublegals,
6:05/14; 6:02/06; 5:23/12; 3:24/14), the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) on 29 January refused to list North American green
sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) under the federal Endangered Species
Act (ESA), in spite of the fact that populations of this ancient species are
at very low levels and much of their west coast habitat is threatened or
already lost. NMFS claimed that although the species is indeed at very
low population levels, there is no data to suggest that it is actually
declining over time and that it thus appears to be stable. The American
Fisheries Society, however, has indicated that the species has declined
88 percent since 1992. One of the problems is that there is little data of
any sort on the species as it is elusive and has not been widely studied.
Instead of federal protection, NMFS has put the species on a candidate
species watch list to assess the status of the species in five years and has
delineated two distinct genetic stocks. The decision appears in the 29
January Federal Register, Vol. 68, No. 19 (pp. 4433 - 4441).
Green sturgeon have many of the same habitat needs as Pacific
salmon, including cold water and deep pools, and have also suffered
habitat losses along with salmon. Anadromous green sturgeon, which
can grow over seven feet long, weigh up to 350 pounds and live as long
as 70 years, still spawn in the lower Trinity River and Klamath River of
Northern California, in the San Francisco Bay Delta and possibly in
Oregon's Rogue River Basin, but is extinct in much of the rest of its
historic range. For a copy of the original listing petition itself you can
go
to: www.sw-center.org/swcbd/species/grnsturgeon/petition.pdf. For
more information on the NMFS decision see the 30 January San
Francisco Chronicle article located on the web at:
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2003/01/30/M
N236488.DTL. The NMFS press release with links to the Federal
Register Notice and the NMFS Status Review are also available from
NMFS at: www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/GreenSturgeon.html.
In other ESA fish listing news, eleven conservation groups have
petitioned for ESA protection for the Pacific coast lamprey. The humble
lamprey is a very primitive jawless fish species which resembles an eel,
but is the basis of many marine and fresh water food chains. The species
is 'catadromous,' which means they are spawned in salt water and
migrate upstream to fresh water rivers as juveniles, returning to the sea
to spawn, just the opposite life-cycle of the anadromous salmon. The
petition covers four lamprey species: Pacific lamprey, river lamprey,
western brook lamprey and Kern brook lamprey, which together have
ranges covering most of the west coast. Lamprey populations have
plummeted all over the west coast due to a combination of many of the
same factors, including dams with no fish passage and poor river
conditions, that have plagued Pacific salmon. Lamprey are a food source
for salmon and protections for lamprey are also likely to benefit salmon.
For more see the 29 January Eugene Register-Guard article at:
www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/29/3b.cr.or.lamprey.0129.html.
The Petitioner's listing petition and various lamprey fact sheets are
available at: www.onrc.org/info/lamprey.
7:06/04. BUSH ADMINISTRATION WEAKENS NATIONAL
WETLANDS PROTECTIONS, PUTTING MORE FISHERIES AT
RISK: In a move widely criticized as substantially reducing U.S.
wetlands protections, on 10 January the Bush Administration issued a
new draft policy guidance that would eliminate current federal authority
over tens of millions of acres of valuable wetlands nationwide. The
federal Clean Water Act allows the federal government to regulate
"waters of the United States." Federal jurisdiction, for instance, means
that destroying or filling wetlands requires a U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers fill and removal permit, and the Clean Water Act's "no net
loss" policy requires replacement of wetlands destroyed. At issue,
however, is just what constitutes "waters of the United States."
Real estate developers have long sought in federal courts to limit that
definition solely to rivers that are navigable and flowing between states,
asserting that waters lying solely within states or which are not navigable
should be left solely to state control, which is often limited or
non-existent. Past administrations and most federal courts have also
construed the definition broadly, but the Bush Administration on 10
January proposed a restricted definition that would eliminate federal
control over wetlands lying solely within a single state or which are
isolated wetlands not directly connected to a navigable river.
For more on the implications of the change see the 10 January
Environment News Service at:
http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-10-06.asp. For the draft
policy itself you should go to:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/swanccnav.html. Written
comments on the draft policy are due by 3 March 2003.
Wetlands are critical not only to migratory waterfowl but to many
fisheries. Three quarters of the nation's marine fisheries are based on
species that are wetlands dependent for at least part of their life cycle,
including salmon, shrimp, pollock, Dungeness crab, menhaden, bluefish,
lobsters and many others. In the Gulf of Mexico, as much as 98 percent
of all landings are of species that are wetlands dependent. Coastal
wetlands nationwide have been among the most damaged and suffering
the greatest losses, with population within 50 miles of coastlines
growing at several times the rate of inland growth. For more about the
importance of wetlands to coastal fisheries see: "Fisheries, Wetlands and
Jobs: The Value of Wetlands to America's Fisheries," available at:
www.pcffa.org/wetlands.pdf.
7:06/05. MONITORING PLAN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR
CHANNEL ISLANDS MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: The
California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) is beginning to receive
public input about the plans for monitoring the Channel Islands Marine
Protected Area (see Sublegals, 6:17/01) The preliminary group
overseeing this process consists of representatives from CDFG, the
Channel Islands Sanctuary, the Channel Islands National Park, and
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science
Center. A questionnaire is available for individuals to provide input into
the process on the United Anglers website at:
http://www.unitedanglers.com. Fishermen can also access the
questionnaire by contacting John Ugoretz at jugoretz@dfg.ca.gov. The
questionnaire is also being used to help shape the agenda and
participants' list for a 14- 16 March workshop happening on 14 - 16
March to develop monitoring priorities. The workshop will be open to
the public but only invited participants will be able to participate.
Questionnaires must be completed by 14 February.
7:06/06. CALIFORNIA STATE SUES GROCERY STORES OVER
MERCURY LABLEING ON FISH: In January the California State
Attorney General sued 5 grocery stores that operate in California, in an
effort to get them to post warning labels on fish which may have levels
of mercury in them. The lawsuit was filed under Prop 65, the voter
initiative that requires businesses to alert the public they are being
exposed to dangerous chemicals. The suit names Safeway, Kroger Co.,
Albertson's, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods as in violation of the
Proposition. The highest levels of mercury have been found in
swordfish, shark and tuna, and in July of this past year the FDA
announced that pregnant women should not eat tuna swordfish, shark,
king mackerel or tilefish because of the presence of high levels of
mercury. A recent study found shockingly high levels of mercury in the
bloodstream of San Francisco Bay Area residents, which changed
dramatically when the participants lowered their fish intake. See the 18
January San Francisco Chronicle article at:
www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/01/18/B
A240717.DTL and also see: www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden.
7:06/07. DESPITE SOME CONCERNS, EXPERTS EMPHASIZE
THE HEALTH BENEIFTS OF FISH: Recent warnings of health and
environmental concerns associated with certain kinds of seafood may
have confused some people, but regulatory and advocacy groups want
them to know eating fish is still a good idea. In an article from the
Philadelphia Inquirer John Acheson of the Food and Drug
Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety confirms that most fish
and seafood sold in restaurants and grocery stores is both safe and
healthy. Recently concerns over the accumulation of mercury in species
including tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and some shellfish have been
the subject of national and local advisories. Other groups, such as the
Center for Food Safety and Canada's Pacific Fisheries Resources
Conservation Council, have warned that some aquaculture operations are
responsible for threats to human and environmental health. According to
these groups, farmed salmon, with elevated PCB levels and transmission
of diseases to wild stocks, are a prime example of a poor seafood choice
for consumers.
In contrast, wild troll-caught salmon are models for sustainably
harvested, healthy seafood. They are caught selectively, with little or no
by-catch of unwanted species, and the meat is a good source of protein
complete with all essential amino acids as well as vitamins A, D, B2 and
B6. Several other species have also been identified by the Monterey Bay
Aquarium's Seafood Watch program as wise choices for consumers.
These include Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, market squid and sardines.
For more see the 31 January Philadelphia Inquirer article at:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5070550.htm. For more on the
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program go to:
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp.
7:06/08. U.N. GROUP CALLS FOR WORLDWIDE EFFORTS TO
REDUCE MERCURY POLLUTION: World leaders urgently need to
take action to cut down on mercury emissions to protect human health,
according to a new report by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). Mercury is released into the atmosphere naturally
from rocks, soils, and volcanic eruptions, but mercury emissions have
dramatically increased from pre-industrial levels due to human activity.
Seventy percent of all artificial mercury emissions now stem from
coal-fired power plants. According to the report, mercury causes central
nervous system damage, including numbness, loss of balance, fatigue,
ringing in the ears, and problems with vision, hearing, and speech; it has
also been linked to cardiovascular, thyroid, and digestive troubles.
Pregnant women, infants, children, and those whose diet relies heavily
on fish are especially at risk. In urging governments to reduce mercury
emissions, the UNEP report noted that technologies to do so effectively
already exist. For more information see the 4 February 2003 BBC News
at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2722629.stm. The UNEP report
itself and related documents can be found at:
http://www.chem.unep.ch/mercury/default.htm.
To date the Bush Administration has blocked international efforts to
control mercury pollution, which is increasingly affecting the world's
oceans. For instance, environment minister delegates from all over the
world attending a February 4-7 international meeting on environmental
governance agreed to crack down on sources of mercury emissions
around the globe, but objections from the U.S. delegation prevented the
Governing Council of the UNEP from adopting binding limits on
emissions from power plants and other major industrial mercury sources.
For full text and graphics visit:
http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2003/2003-02-10-06.asp
7:06/09. MERCURY POLLUTION REDUCTION BILLS MOVING
THROUGH WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE: In absence of any
national leadership, individual states are taking more of a lead in
reducing mercury pollution. The Washington State Legislature is
considering two important companion bills to reduce mercury pollution
and protect that state's fisheries. HB 1002/SB 5124, the "Mercury
Reduction and Education Act," focuses on gradually phasing out one of
the major sources of mercury pollution in the state -- mercury in
products such as thermostats, thermometers, and automobile switches.
Mercury from human sources is increasingly polluting Washington
waterways and beginning to contaminate many of the state's fisheries.
Thirty areas in ten Washington waterways now exceed water quality
standards for mercury, and Washington has already had to issue a
number of fish consumption advisories warning consumers not to eat
fish caught from those areas. Increasingly mercury compounds are
showing up in the estuaries where it may soon seriously contaminate
marine commercial fisheries.
On February 11, a substitute version of HB 1002 (now called SHB
1002) passed out of the House Fisheries, Ecology, and Parks Committee.
The bill will likely be voted on by the full House as early as February 21.
The battle over the bill in the Senate will heat up in late February. The
bill is being sponsored by the Washington Toxics Coalition and many
other health and environmental protection organizations. Fishing groups
have also been asked to support it. The number to contact Washington
legislators is 1-800-562-6000 or visit www.watoxics.org to take action
on-line. Contact Gregg Small with Washington Toxics Coalition at
206-632-1545 x13 or Ivy Sager-Rosenthal with WashPIRG at
206-568-2850 for more information and current status of the bills.
7:06/10. PACIFIC COUNCIL'S 2003 SALMON STATISTICAL
REPORT NOW AVAILABLE: The Pacific Fisheries Management
Council (PFMC) 2003 Salmon Review and Pre-season Salmon Report is
now available online at: www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr.html. During
the PFMC's 2003 preseason salmon management process, hard copies of
the salmon review and preseason reports will only be available upon
request. If you desire a hardcopy, please download, complete, and mail
or fax the completed request form to the Council office, available from:
www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr/03noa.pdf. For further information on
the PFMC's 2003 preseason salmon management process, please contact
Chuck Tracy at 503-820-2280 ext. 415. If you need assistance
downloading the form or the report itself (which is extensive), please
contact: Sandra Krause at: 503-820-2419 or by email at:
sandra.krause@noaa.gov. The Pacific Council's web site is:
www.pcouncil.org.
7:06/11. WARMING OCEANS LINKED TO FOUR YEAR
DROUGHT: Droughts that spread across the United States, southern
Europe and southwest Asia over the past four years may have been
linked by a common thread: ocean conditions created by a warming
global climate. A new study by researchers at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has now linked the 1998-2002
drought to tropical ocean conditions during the same time period,
suggesting that cold sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical
Pacific and warm sea surface temperatures in the western tropical Pacific
and Indian Oceans worked together to cause widespread drying,
according to an article in the 4 February Environment News Service
(ENS) at: http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2003/2003-02-04-06.asp. The
study, "A Perfect Ocean for Drought," was published by researchers
Martin Hoerling and Arun Kumar in the 31 January issue of Science,
Vol. 299, pp. 691-694. Science magazine is available online at:
www.sciencemag.org. The study is one of many quantifying the impacts
of ongoing global warming on world climate, including a greater
incidence of severe droughts in the U.S. and elsewhere, and of other
extreme weather events.
7:06/12. NOAA COMMISSIONS NEW FISHERIES SURVEY
VESSEL: A former Navy ship will have a new role as it sails the waters
of the western and central Pacific. The Oscar Elton Sette will now be
working as a research vessel under the U.S. Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
homeported in Hawaii. The ship will conduct fisheries assessment
surveys, physical and chemical oceanography, coral reef research and
marine mammal projects to continue the work of the recently
decommissioned Townsend Cromwell in support of the Hawaii NOAA
laboratory. The 224-foot ship is crewed by five NOAA Corps officers,
three licensed engineers and 13 wage mariners, and carries a
complement of up to 12 scientists. For more information, please visit the
NOAA web site at: http://www.omao.noaa.gov.
7:06/13. RECENT MARINE RESERVES RESEARCH GIVES
SOME HOPE TO FISHERMEN: As the debate over marine reserves
and marine protected areas continues, at least some of the claims that
such protections may actually increase fishing opportunities, at least in
the long run, are beginning to be borne out. A recently published
modeling study of how marine reserves should work, "Modelling the
effects of establishing a marine reserve for mobile fish species,"
Apostolaki, P., Milner-Gulland, E.J., McAllister, M.K., and Kirkwood,
G.P. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 59: 405-415
(March 2002), indicates that if a reserve area is configured to protect a
nursery area for species that are also highly mobile, that more
harvestable adults will later migrate out of the protected area, and both
the biomass and the long term yield would greatly increase. This means
that fisheries on that species would become sustainable at a higher yield
than without those nursery bed protections. However, the author's note
that there are short-term versus long-term tradeoffs and fishing
reductions may initially occur that may be made up later at higher
sustainable yields. The fishing benefits obtained from a marine reserve,
however, would depend on degree of fish movement and on the
interaction between fishing selectivity and the placement of the reserve
area. Not surprisingly, the greater the species mobility the greater the
fishery benefit. For the article itself see:
http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_tocs_e?cjfas_cjfas3-02_59.
7:06/14. COHO DYING IN RECORD NUMBERS IN RESTORED
SEATTLE AREA CREEKS: While coho salmon are doing relatively
well elsewhere, the 6 February Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that
polluted storm water runoff in Seattle-area creeks is killing threatened
coho salmon in record numbers, according to a new study. Despite
millions of dollars being spent on restoring urban streams, fish that enter
the streams after heavy rainfalls to spawn still face a barrage of urban
pollutants, scientists say, and are still dying before they can lay their
eggs. Most west coast coho salmon are federally protected under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launched a six-week
study last fall comparing an urban stream to a rural one, finding massive
mortality in the urban stream but little or none in the rural one. Coho
salmon depend on rainwater to signal them to head upstream and spawn.
They are usually the first salmon species to enter the streams. But with
the rainwater comes storm water pollutants from many urban areas
contaminants. Scientists will use the new study to continue investigating
storm water runoff and its effects on fish. For the article see:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/107460_coho06.shtml. The
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, part of the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), has also published four short movies on the
Internet vividly showing the impacts of runoff on coho salmon in the
urban sample stream, at:
http://research.nwfsc.noaa.gov/ec/ecotox/movies/cohoPSM.html.
**********
Paying Attention? The U.S. government's position on international
efforts to reduce worldwide mercury pollution under the Bush
Administration is:
A) to move toward international reduction efforts within 5 years;
B) to entirely block international efforts to specify reduction targets and
mandatory actions;
C) to phase out certain mercury sources, such as smoke stack pollution,
but not others;
D) to support international efforts to specify reduction targets.
E-Mail your answer by Friday, 21 February, to: "Editor" at:
sublegals@ifrfish.org.
And the Winner is...... Sibyl Diver is the winner of last week's
"Paying Attention?" with the correct answer of "A", "The additive can
cause vision problems from an accumulation of pigments in the retina,"
for the answer to why the European Union has recommended reductions
in the amounts of the pigment canthaxanthim used to color ordinarily
grey farmed salmon flesh pink enough to imitate wild salmon. She
receives an "Order of the Fringehead" certificate and a handsome gray
shirt with the cuddly Sarcastic Fringehead Sublegals logo.
NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,
comments or any corrections to Editor at: sublegals@ifrfish.org, 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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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>
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
ASSOCIATIONS<BR>
VOL. 07, NO. 06 =
&nbs=
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bsp; 7 FEBRUARY 2003<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
"These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert to <BR>
fleece the people." .......=20=
..Abraham Lincoln<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
IN THIS ISSUE.......<BR>
<BR>
B.C. Fisheries Ministers Past And Present Caught Up In <BR>
Fish Farm Scandals. 7:06/01<BR>
<BR>
NMFS Refuses To List Green Sturgeon; Lamprey Petitioned. 7:06/03<BR>
<BR>
Bush Administration Weakens National Wetlands Protections, <BR>
Putting Fisheries At Risk. 7:06/04<BR>
<BR>
California Sues Grocery Stores Over Mercury Labeling <BR>
On Fish. 7:06/06<BR>
<BR>
Mercury Pollution Reduction Bills Moving Through Washington<BR>
Legislature. 7:06/09<BR>
<BR>
Recent Marine Reserves Research Gives Some Hope To Fishermen. <BR>
7:06/13<BR>
<BR>
AND MORE......<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
7:06/01. ONE B.C. FISHERIES MINISTER CANNED OVER FI=
SH<BR>
FARM SCANDAL, SUCCESSOR'S RESIGNATION DEMANDED<BR>
FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Following the forced resignation of<BR>
British Columbia Fisheries Minister John van Dongen, resulting from a<BR>
police investigation into allegations of favoritism in handing a fish farm<B=
R>
aquaculture permit, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is now faced with<BR>
demands to can van Dongen's replacement over a conflict of interest<BR>
involving the province's salmon farms. Stan Hagen, who succeeded van<B=
R>
Dongen, is facing conflict of interest charges after it was revealed that<BR=
>
the single largest contributor to Hagen's last political campaign was the<BR=
>
Omega Salmon Group. The Norwegian-owned Omega is a major<BR>
aquaculture company in B.C. and is currently embroiled in protests over<BR>
its construction of a massive hatchery system that would supply over 70<BR>
salmon farming net-pen operations (see Sublegals, 7:04/04). Other larg=
e<BR>
Hagen campaign contributors include Heritage Aquaculture and Akua<BR>
Feed Systems, both principal players in the B.C. farmed salmon industry.<BR>
Fishing, conservation and First Nation groups throughout B.C. are<BR>
demanding Hagen resign or that Campbell fire his latest fisheries<BR>
minister.<BR>
<BR>
"It is troubling to think that some research into i=
ssues like campaign<BR>
contributions was not done before Mr. Hagen's appointment," said the<BR>
Georgia Strait Alliance's Erik Blueschke. "However it is even more<BR>
troubling if Premier Campbell knew about these contributions and<BR>
decided to appoint Hagen anyway." The Coastal Alliance for<BR>
Aquaculture Reform added that because of "the controversy in British<BR>
Columbia about the aquaculture industries, both finfish and shellfish, it<BR=
>
is vital that there be no appearance of conflict of interest concerning the<=
BR>
Minister." Phil Hogan of the Heiltsuk First Nation, meanwhile,<BR>
commented that all along B.C.'s coast groups "are working hard to force<BR>
the provincial and federal governments to enforce Canada's oceans and<BR>
fisheries acts so that wild fish stocks do not suffer from the negative<BR>
affects of fish farming." For more see:<BR>
http://www.farmedanddangerous.org.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/02. NEWSPAPER INSERT PLANNED TO EDUCATE U.S.<B=
R>
WEST COAST CONSUMERS ON DANGERS OF FARMED<BR>
SALMON: A major effort at educating consumers regarding the dangers<BR=
>
of farmed salmon will begin Lincoln's Birthday, 12 February, when<BR>
inserts are placed in two of the west coast's major daily newspapers<BR>
along with some regional newspapers with the heading "What lurks<BR>
behind that farmed salmon steak? - The hidden costs of farmed salmon." <BR>
The 4-page "Section Z" insert will be first of many planned regionally<BR>
and nationally targeting seafood consumers.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/03. NMFS REFUSES TO LIST GREEN STURGEON;=
<BR>
LAMPREY PETITIONED: In a long-overdue decision (see Sublegals,<BR>
6:05/14; 6:02/06; 5:23/12; 3:24/14), the National Marine Fisheries<BR>
Service (NMFS) on 29 January refused to list North American green<BR>
sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) under the federal Endangered Species<BR>
Act (ESA), in spite of the fact that populations of this ancient species are=
<BR>
at very low levels and much of their west coast habitat is threatened or<BR>
already lost. NMFS claimed that although the species is indeed at very=
<BR>
low population levels, there is no data to suggest that it is actually<BR>
declining over time and that it thus appears to be stable. The American<BR>
Fisheries Society, however, has indicated that the species has declined<BR>
88 percent since 1992. One of the problems is that there is little data of<B=
R>
any sort on the species as it is elusive and has not been widely studied. <B=
R>
Instead of federal protection, NMFS has put the species on a candidate<BR>
species watch list to assess the status of the species in five years and has=
<BR>
delineated two distinct genetic stocks. The decision appears in the 29=
<BR>
January Federal Register, Vol. 68, No. 19 (pp. 4433 - 4441).<BR>
<BR>
Green sturgeon have many of the same habitat needs=20=
as Pacific<BR>
salmon, including cold water and deep pools, and have also suffered<BR>
habitat losses along with salmon. Anadromous green sturgeon, which<BR>
can grow over seven feet long, weigh up to 350 pounds and live as long<BR>
as 70 years, still spawn in the lower Trinity River and Klamath River of<BR>
Northern California, in the San Francisco Bay Delta and possibly in<BR>
Oregon's Rogue River Basin, but is extinct in much of the rest of its<BR>
historic range. For a copy of the original listing petition itself you=
can go<BR>
to: www.sw-center.org/swcbd/species/grnsturgeon/petition.pdf. For<BR>
more information on the NMFS decision see the 30 January San<BR>
Francisco Chronicle article located on the web at:<BR>
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=3D/chronicle/archive/2003/01/30/M<BR>
N236488.DTL. The NMFS press release with links to the Federal<BR>
Register Notice and the NMFS Status Review are also available from<BR>
NMFS at: www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/GreenSturgeon.html.<BR>
<BR>
In other ESA fish listing news, eleven conservation=
groups have<BR>
petitioned for ESA protection for the Pacific coast lamprey. The humbl=
e<BR>
lamprey is a very primitive jawless fish species which resembles an eel,<BR>
but is the basis of many marine and fresh water food chains. The speci=
es<BR>
is 'catadromous,' which means they are spawned in salt water and<BR>
migrate upstream to fresh water rivers as juveniles, returning to the sea<BR=
>
to spawn, just the opposite life-cycle of the anadromous salmon. The<BR>
petition covers four lamprey species: Pacific lamprey, river lamprey,<BR>
western brook lamprey and Kern brook lamprey, which together have<BR>
ranges covering most of the west coast. Lamprey populations have<BR>
plummeted all over the west coast due to a combination of many of the<BR>
same factors, including dams with no fish passage and poor river<BR>
conditions, that have plagued Pacific salmon. Lamprey are a food sourc=
e<BR>
for salmon and protections for lamprey are also likely to benefit salmon. <B=
R>
For more see the 29 January Eugene Register-Guard article at:<BR>
www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/29/3b.cr.or.lamprey.0129.html.<BR>
The Petitioner's listing petition and various lamprey fact sheets are<BR>
available at: www.onrc.org/info/lamprey.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/04. BUSH ADMINISTRATION WEAKENS NATIONAL=
<BR>
WETLANDS PROTECTIONS, PUTTING MORE FISHERIES AT<BR>
RISK: In a move widely criticized as substantially reducing U.S.<BR>
wetlands protections, on 10 January the Bush Administration issued a<BR>
new draft policy guidance that would eliminate current federal authority<BR>
over tens of millions of acres of valuable wetlands nationwide. The<BR=
>
federal Clean Water Act allows the federal government to regulate<BR>
"waters of the United States." Federal jurisdiction, for instance, mea=
ns<BR>
that destroying or filling wetlands requires a U.S. Army Corps of<BR>
Engineers fill and removal permit, and the Clean Water Act's "no net<BR>
loss" policy requires replacement of wetlands destroyed. At issue,<BR>
however, is just what constitutes "waters of the United States." <BR>
<BR>
Real estate developers have long sought in federal=20=
courts to limit that<BR>
definition solely to rivers that are navigable and flowing between states,<B=
R>
asserting that waters lying solely within states or which are not navigable<=
BR>
should be left solely to state control, which is often limited or<BR>
non-existent. Past administrations and most federal courts have also<B=
R>
construed the definition broadly, but the Bush Administration on 10<BR>
January proposed a restricted definition that would eliminate federal<BR>
control over wetlands lying solely within a single state or which are<BR>
isolated wetlands not directly connected to a navigable river. <BR>
<BR>
For more on the implications of the change see the=20=
10 January<BR>
Environment News Service at:<BR>
http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2003/2003-01-10-06.asp. For the draft<BR>
policy itself you should go to:<BR>
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/swanccnav.html. Written<BR>
comments on the draft policy are due by 3 March 2003.<BR>
<BR>
Wetlands are critical not only to migratory waterfo=
wl but to many<BR>
fisheries. Three quarters of the nation's marine fisheries are based o=
n<BR>
species that are wetlands dependent for at least part of their life cycle,<B=
R>
including salmon, shrimp, pollock, Dungeness crab, menhaden, bluefish,<BR>
lobsters and many others. In the Gulf of Mexico, as much as 98 percent=
<BR>
of all landings are of species that are wetlands dependent. Coastal<BR=
>
wetlands nationwide have been among the most damaged and suffering<BR>
the greatest losses, with population within 50 miles of coastlines<BR>
growing at several times the rate of inland growth. For more about the=
<BR>
importance of wetlands to coastal fisheries see: "Fisheries, Wetlands and<BR=
>
Jobs: The Value of Wetlands to America's Fisheries," available at:<BR>
www.pcffa.org/wetlands.pdf.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/05. MONITORING PLAN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR<BR=
>
CHANNEL ISLANDS MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: The<BR>
California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) is beginning to receive<BR>
public input about the plans for monitoring the Channel Islands Marine<BR>
Protected Area (see Sublegals, 6:17/01) The preliminary group<BR>
overseeing this process consists of representatives from CDFG, the<BR>
Channel Islands Sanctuary, the Channel Islands National Park, and<BR>
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science<BR>
Center. A questionnaire is available for individuals to provide input into<B=
R>
the process on the United Anglers website at:<BR>
http://www.unitedanglers.com. Fishermen can also access the<BR>
questionnaire by contacting John Ugoretz at jugoretz@dfg.ca.gov. The<BR>
questionnaire is also being used to help shape the agenda and<BR>
participants' list for a 14- 16 March workshop happening on 14 - 16<BR>
March to develop monitoring priorities. The workshop will be open to<BR>
the public but only invited participants will be able to participate.<BR>
Questionnaires must be completed by 14 February.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/06. CALIFORNIA STATE SUES GROCERY STORES=
OVER<BR>
MERCURY LABLEING ON FISH: In January the California State<BR>
Attorney General sued 5 grocery stores that operate in California, in an<BR>
effort to get them to post warning labels on fish which may have levels<BR>
of mercury in them. The lawsuit was filed under Prop 65, the voter<BR>
initiative that requires businesses to alert the public they are being<BR>
exposed to dangerous chemicals. The suit names Safeway, Kroger Co.,<BR>
Albertson's, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods as in violation of the<BR>
Proposition. The highest levels of mercury have been found in<BR>
swordfish, shark and tuna, and in July of this past year the FDA<BR>
announced that pregnant women should not eat tuna swordfish, shark,<BR>
king mackerel or tilefish because of the presence of high levels of<BR>
mercury. A recent study found shockingly high levels of mercury in the<BR>
bloodstream of San Francisco Bay Area residents, which changed<BR>
dramatically when the participants lowered their fish intake. See the=20=
18<BR>
January San Francisco Chronicle article at:<BR>
www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2003/01/18/B<BR>
A240717.DTL and also see: www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/07. DESPITE SOME CONCERNS, EXPERTS EMPHA=
SIZE<BR>
THE HEALTH BENEIFTS OF FISH: Recent warnings of health and<BR>
environmental concerns associated with certain kinds of seafood may<BR>
have confused some people, but regulatory and advocacy groups want<BR>
them to know eating fish is still a good idea. In an article from the<=
BR>
Philadelphia Inquirer John Acheson of the Food and Drug<BR>
Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety confirms that most fish<BR>
and seafood sold in restaurants and grocery stores is both safe and<BR>
healthy. Recently concerns over the accumulation of mercury in species=
<BR>
including tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and some shellfish have been<BR>
the subject of national and local advisories. Other groups, such as the<BR>
Center for Food Safety and Canada's Pacific Fisheries Resources<BR>
Conservation Council, have warned that some aquaculture operations are<BR>
responsible for threats to human and environmental health. According t=
o<BR>
these groups, farmed salmon, with elevated PCB levels and transmission<BR>
of diseases to wild stocks, are a prime example of a poor seafood choice<BR>
for consumers. <BR>
<BR>
In contrast, wild troll-caught salmon are models fo=
r sustainably<BR>
harvested, healthy seafood. They are caught selectively, with little o=
r no<BR>
by-catch of unwanted species, and the meat is a good source of protein<BR>
complete with all essential amino acids as well as vitamins A, D, B2 and<BR>
B6. Several other species have also been identified by the Monterey Ba=
y<BR>
Aquarium's Seafood Watch program as wise choices for consumers. <BR>
These include Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, market squid and sardines.<BR>
For more see the 31 January Philadelphia Inquirer article at:<BR>
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5070550.htm. For more on the<BR>
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program go to:<BR>
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/08. U.N. GROUP CALLS FOR WORLDWIDE EFFORTS TO<=
BR>
REDUCE MERCURY POLLUTION: World leaders urgently need to<BR>
take action to cut down on mercury emissions to protect human health,<BR>
according to a new report by the United Nations Environment<BR>
Programme (UNEP). Mercury is released into the atmosphere naturally<BR>
from rocks, soils, and volcanic eruptions, but mercury emissions have<BR>
dramatically increased from pre-industrial levels due to human activity. <BR=
>
Seventy percent of all artificial mercury emissions now stem from<BR>
coal-fired power plants. According to the report, mercury causes centr=
al<BR>
nervous system damage, including numbness, loss of balance, fatigue,<BR>
ringing in the ears, and problems with vision, hearing, and speech; it has<B=
R>
also been linked to cardiovascular, thyroid, and digestive troubles. <BR>
Pregnant women, infants, children, and those whose diet relies heavily<BR>
on fish are especially at risk. In urging governments to reduce mercur=
y<BR>
emissions, the UNEP report noted that technologies to do so effectively<BR>
already exist. For more information see the 4 February 2003 BBC News<BR>
at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2722629.stm. The UNEP report<B=
R>
itself and related documents can be found at:<BR>
http://www.chem.unep.ch/mercury/default.htm.<BR>
<BR>
To date the Bush Administration has blocked interna=
tional efforts to<BR>
control mercury pollution, which is increasingly affecting the world's<BR>
oceans. For instance, environment minister delegates from all over the<BR>
world attending a February 4-7 international meeting on environmental<BR>
governance agreed to crack down on sources of mercury emissions<BR>
around the globe, but objections from the U.S. delegation prevented the<BR>
Governing Council of the UNEP from adopting binding limits on<BR>
emissions from power plants and other major industrial mercury sources.<BR>
For full text and graphics visit:<BR>
http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2003/2003-02-10-06.asp<BR>
<BR>
7:06/09. MERCURY POLLUTION REDUCTION BILLS MOVING<B=
R>
THROUGH WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE: In absence of any<BR>
national leadership, individual states are taking more of a lead in<BR>
reducing mercury pollution. The Washington State Legislature is<BR>
considering two important companion bills to reduce mercury pollution<BR>
and protect that state's fisheries. HB 1002/SB 5124, the "Mercury<BR>
Reduction and Education Act," focuses on gradually phasing out one of<BR>
the major sources of mercury pollution in the state -- mercury in<BR>
products such as thermostats, thermometers, and automobile switches.<BR>
Mercury from human sources is increasingly polluting Washington<BR>
waterways and beginning to contaminate many of the state's fisheries.<BR>
Thirty areas in ten Washington waterways now exceed water quality<BR>
standards for mercury, and Washington has already had to issue a<BR>
number of fish consumption advisories warning consumers not to eat<BR>
fish caught from those areas. Increasingly mercury compounds are<BR>
showing up in the estuaries where it may soon seriously contaminate<BR>
marine commercial fisheries.<BR>
<BR>
On February 11, a substitute version of HB 1002 (no=
w called SHB<BR>
1002) passed out of the House Fisheries, Ecology, and Parks Committee.<BR>
The bill will likely be voted on by the full House as early as February 21.<=
BR>
The battle over the bill in the Senate will heat up in late February. The<BR=
>
bill is being sponsored by the Washington Toxics Coalition and many<BR>
other health and environmental protection organizations. Fishing group=
s<BR>
have also been asked to support it. The number to contact Washington<BR>
legislators is 1-800-562-6000 or visit www.watoxics.org to take action=
<BR>
on-line. Contact Gregg Small with Washington Toxics Coalition at<BR>
206-632-1545 x13 or Ivy Sager-Rosenthal with WashPIRG at<BR>
206-568-2850 for more information and current status of the bills.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/10. PACIFIC COUNCIL'S 2003 SALMON STATISTICAL<=
BR>
REPORT NOW AVAILABLE: The Pacific Fisheries Management<BR>
Council (PFMC) 2003 Salmon Review and Pre-season Salmon Report is<BR>
now available online at: www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr.html. During<BR>
the PFMC's 2003 preseason salmon management process, hard copies of<BR>
the salmon review and preseason reports will only be available upon<BR>
request. If you desire a hardcopy, please download, complete, and mail<BR>
or fax the completed request form to the Council office, available from:<BR>
www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr/03noa.pdf. For further information on<BR>
the PFMC's 2003 preseason salmon management process, please contact<BR>
Chuck Tracy at 503-820-2280 ext. 415. If you need assistance<BR>
downloading the form or the report itself (which is extensive), please<BR>
contact: Sandra Krause at: 503-820-2419 or by email at:<BR>
sandra.krause@noaa.gov. The Pacific Council's web site is:<BR>
www.pcouncil.org.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/11. WARMING OCEANS LINKED TO FOUR YEAR<BR>
DROUGHT: Droughts that spread across the United States, southern<BR>
Europe and southwest Asia over the past four years may have been<BR>
linked by a common thread: ocean conditions created by a warming<BR>
global climate. A new study by researchers at the National Oceanic and<BR>
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has now linked the 1998-2002<BR>
drought to tropical ocean conditions during the same time period,<BR>
suggesting that cold sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical<BR>
Pacific and warm sea surface temperatures in the western tropical Pacific<BR=
>
and Indian Oceans worked together to cause widespread drying,<BR>
according to an article in the 4 February Environment News Service<BR>
(ENS) at: http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2003/2003-02-04-06.asp. The<BR>
study, "A Perfect Ocean for Drought," was published by researchers<BR>
Martin Hoerling and Arun Kumar in the 31 January issue of Science,<BR>
Vol. 299, pp. 691-694. Science magazine is available online at:<BR>
www.sciencemag.org. The study is one of many quantifying the impacts<B=
R>
of ongoing global warming on world climate, including a greater<BR>
incidence of severe droughts in the U.S. and elsewhere, and of other<BR>
extreme weather events.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/12. NOAA COMMISSIONS NEW FISHERIES SURVEY<BR>
VESSEL: A former Navy ship will have a new role as it sails the waters=
<BR>
of the western and central Pacific. The Oscar Elton Sette will now be<BR>
working as a research vessel under the U.S. Commerce Department's<BR>
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),<BR>
homeported in Hawaii. The ship will conduct fisheries assessment<BR>
surveys, physical and chemical oceanography, coral reef research and<BR>
marine mammal projects to continue the work of the recently<BR>
decommissioned Townsend Cromwell in support of the Hawaii NOAA<BR>
laboratory. The 224-foot ship is crewed by five NOAA Corps officers,<BR>
three licensed engineers and 13 wage mariners, and carries a<BR>
complement of up to 12 scientists. For more information, please visit the<BR=
>
NOAA web site at: http://www.omao.noaa.gov.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/13. RECENT MARINE RESERVES RESEARCH GIVES<BR>
SOME HOPE TO FISHERMEN: As the debate over marine reserves<BR>
and marine protected areas continues, at least some of the claims that<BR>
such protections may actually increase fishing opportunities, at least in<BR=
>
the long run, are beginning to be borne out. A recently published<BR>
modeling study of how marine reserves should work, "Modelling the<BR>
effects of establishing a marine reserve for mobile fish species,"<BR>
Apostolaki, P., Milner-Gulland, E.J., McAllister, M.K., and Kirkwood,<BR>
G.P. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 59: 405-415<BR>
(March 2002), indicates that if a reserve area is configured to protect a<BR=
>
nursery area for species that are also highly mobile, that more<BR>
harvestable adults will later migrate out of the protected area, and both<BR=
>
the biomass and the long term yield would greatly increase. This means=
<BR>
that fisheries on that species would become sustainable at a higher yield<BR=
>
than without those nursery bed protections. However, the author's note=
<BR>
that there are short-term versus long-term tradeoffs and fishing<BR>
reductions may initially occur that may be made up later at higher<BR>
sustainable yields. The fishing benefits obtained from a marine reserv=
e,<BR>
however, would depend on degree of fish movement and on the<BR>
interaction between fishing selectivity and the placement of the reserve<BR>
area. Not surprisingly, the greater the species mobility the greater t=
he<BR>
fishery benefit. For the article itself see:<BR>
http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/cgi-bin/rp/rp2_tocs_e?cjfas_cjfas3-02_59.<BR>
<BR>
7:06/14. COHO DYING IN RECORD NUMBERS IN RESTORED<B=
R>
SEATTLE AREA CREEKS: While coho salmon are doing relatively<BR>
well elsewhere, the 6 February Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that<BR>
polluted storm water runoff in Seattle-area creeks is killing threatened<BR>
coho salmon in record numbers, according to a new study. Despite<BR>
millions of dollars being spent on restoring urban streams, fish that enter<=
BR>
the streams after heavy rainfalls to spawn still face a barrage of urban<BR>
pollutants, scientists say, and are still dying before they can lay their<BR=
>
eggs. Most west coast coho salmon are federally protected under the<BR>
Endangered Species Act (ESA).<BR>
<BR>
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launch=
ed a six-week<BR>
study last fall comparing an urban stream to a rural one, finding massive<BR=
>
mortality in the urban stream but little or none in the rural one. Coho<BR>
salmon depend on rainwater to signal them to head upstream and spawn.<BR>
They are usually the first salmon species to enter the streams. But with<BR>
the rainwater comes storm water pollutants from many urban areas<BR>
contaminants. Scientists will use the new study to continue investigating<BR=
>
storm water runoff and its effects on fish. For the article see:<BR>
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/107460_coho06.shtml. The<BR>
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, part of the National Marine<BR>
Fisheries Service (NMFS), has also published four short movies on the<BR>
Internet vividly showing the impacts of runoff on coho salmon in the<BR>
urban sample stream, at:<BR>
http://research.nwfsc.noaa.gov/ec/ecotox/movies/cohoPSM.html.<BR>
<BR>
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
**********<BR>
Paying Attention? The U.S. government's posit=
ion on international<BR>
efforts to reduce worldwide mercury pollution under the Bush<BR>
Administration is:<BR>
A) to move toward international reduction efforts within 5 years;<BR>
B) to entirely block international efforts to specify reduction targets and<=
BR>
mandatory actions;<BR>
C) to phase out certain mercury sources, such as smoke stack pollution,<BR>
but not others;<BR>
D) to support international efforts to specify reduction targets.<BR>
<BR>
E-Mail your answer by Friday, 21 February, to: "Editor" at:<BR>
sublegals@ifrfish.org. <BR>
<BR>
And the Winner is...... Sibyl Diver is the winner o=
f last week's<BR>
"Paying Attention?" with the correct answer of "A", "The additive can<BR>
cause vision problems from an accumulation of pigments in the retina,"<BR>
for the answer to why the European Union has recommended reductions<BR>
in the amounts of the pigment canthaxanthim used to color ordinarily<BR>
grey farmed salmon flesh pink enough to imitate wild salmon. She<BR>
receives an "Order of the Fringehead" certificate and a handsome gray<BR>
shirt with the cuddly Sarcastic Fringehead Sublegals logo.<BR>
<BR>
NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,<BR>
comments or any corrections to Editor at: sublegals@ifrfish.org, or call<BR>
the IFR/PCFFA office with the news and a source at either: (415)<BR>
561-FISH (Southwest Office) or (541) 689-2000 (Northwest Office). <BR>
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<BR>
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<BR>
If you have any trouble subscribing or unsubscribing, contact<BR>
PCFFA/IFR directly at: <fish1ifr@aol.com>.<BR>
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"Fishlink" and "Sublegals" are registered trademarks of the Institute for <B=
R>
Fisheries Resources. All rights to the use of these trademarks are <BR>
reserved to IFR. This publication, however, may be freely reproduced <BR>
and circulated without copyright restriction. If you are receiving thi=
s <BR>
as a subscriber, please feel free to pass this on to your colleagues. =20=
<BR>
Subscribers who wish to post or circulate hard copy of Sublegals or <BR>
have no access to the Internet may receive fax subscriptions by faxing <BR>
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