[Fishlink] ~~>SUBLEGALS 28Feb03<~~
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~~>SUBLEGALS 28Feb03<~~
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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. 09 28 FEBRUARY 2003
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"The Human mind is a product of the Pleistocene age, shaped by
wildness that has all but disappeared. If we complete the destruction of
nature, we will have succeeded in cutting ourselves off from the source
of sanity itself."............................................David Orr
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IN THIS ISSUE.......
Administration Gets Failing Grades on Columbia and
Snake River Salmon Restoration. 7:09/01
Klamath Science Report Delayed, Another Fish Kill
Likely This Summer. 7:09/03
California Salmon Spawning Escapement at Record
Levels in 2002. 7:09/04
Maine Salmon Farms Finally Coming Under Scrutiny. 7:09/09
New Joint Fisheries Committee Chair, California Fisheries
Forum Set for 12 March. 7:09/12
AND MORE......
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7:09/01. ADMINISTRATION GETS FAILING GRADES ON
COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVER SALMON RESTORATION FOR
SECOND YEAR IN A ROW: On 26 February, the Save Our Wild
Salmon (SOS) Coalition issued its comprehensive report card on "Year
Two of the Federal Plan to Restore Salmon and Steelhead in the
Columbia and Snake River Basin," giving the Administration of U.S.
President George W. Bush a failing grade for the second year in a row.
The Columbia River salmon recovery plan was first adopted in
September 2000 (see Sublegals, 4:22/12; 2:25/01; 2:21/05; 2:04/04) and
was later made a cornerstone of the Bush Administration's efforts to save
salmon in the Columbia Basin without removing dams. SOS is a
nationwide coalition of commercial and recreational fishing groups
(including PCFFA and IFR), conservation organizations, businesses,
river groups and taxpayer advocates representing over 6 million
individual members "working collectively to restore healthy and
abundant wild salmon to the rivers and streams of the Pacific
Northwest." SOS gave the Administration failing grades last year as well
(see Sublegals, 5:09/04).
The report, which was released in Washington, DC the 26th, found
that the Administration has failed to implement over 70 percent of its
own plan to save endangered Columbia and Snake River wild salmon
and steelhead from extinction, and also failed to request the funding
necessary to implement key elements of the plan. The Columbia River
was once the largest producer of wild salmon in North America, with
runs up to 16 million strong, but wild salmon runs in the Columbia are
now at less than 2 percent of their historic average due to the numerous
dams, water diversions and habitat problems existing throughout that
overdeveloped river.
The report found "critical failures" in not pushing for enough money
to implement the plan, not taking measures to reduce water temperatures
or provide adequate flows to help young salmon reach the sea, and
relying too heavily on measures that have, at best, a poor track record of
success. Former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, who originally
approved the plan to keep the dams only after repeated assurances that
the Snake River structures could be kept because there was an aggressive
non-breaching alternative to achieve the same recovery levels, was
present at the DC release of the report card. Babbitt, noting the dire
consequences of the government's failure to deliver on the non-breach
alternative, flunking salmon restoration for the second consecutive year,
remarked, "after this type of failure, the Bush Administration will need
to prove to the American people that its commitment to salmon is
genuine."
The SOS report card criticized the practice of artificially collecting
juvenile salmon in tanks and trucking or barging them around dams that
block their path to the ocean, instead of flushing them through the dams
with additional flows of water that would imitate a healthy river system.
Juvenile salmon trucking and barging is a key component of the
restoration plan's attempt to allow fish to travel through the river without
removing dams, but the practice has never demonstrated its ability to
substitute for adequate river flows, particularly over the lower four
Snake River dams, which are major fish killers. The price tag of the
Administration's current "non-breach option" is likely greater than the
actual cost of decommissioning the lower four Snake River dams, which
provide relatively few economic benefits. It is, however, still the
Administration's preferred option. If the Administration fails to fully
fund and implement that option, or alternatively to shift to removal of
the four lower Snake River dams (the only two options legally available
for recovering Snake River salmon and steelhead), a legal "train wreck"
would result that could paralyze the region, tying up the Columbia
hydropower system in the courts for years. For more, see the 27 February
Seattle Post-Intelligencer at:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/110244_salmon27.shtml. For a
copy of the Report Card, go to: http://www.wildsalmon.org.
7:09/02. ANNUAL SALMONID RESTORATION CONFERENCE
SET FOR END OF MARCH IN SAN LUIS OBISPO. The 21st Annual
Salmonid Restoration & Urban Streams Conference is scheduled for
26-29 March this year in San Luis Obispo, along California's south
central coast. The conference is sponsored by the Salmonid Restoration
Federation (SRF) and co-sponsored by PCFFA and others. It will feature
workshops on a number of restoration issues, including fish passage,
agriculture and salmon streams, urban streams and salmon recovery,
exotic species, and water allocation rights. There is also a Saturday
evening banquet featuring wild salmon, a cabaret and dancing. IFR and
PCFFA will have a booth at the conference. For more information,
e-mail: srf@northcoast.com, or go to the SRF website at:
www.northcoastweb.com/srf. The deadline for discount lodging is 5
March.
7:09/03. KLAMATH SCIENCE REPORT DELAYED, ANOTHER
FISH KILL LIKELY THIS SUMMER: The Final Report of the
National Research Council (NRC) on the Klamath Basin water crisis
(see Sublegals, 6:20/04; 5:06/01), originally scheduled for release in
March, has been delayed until June or July of this year. The report is
intended to provide more scientific clarity about the Klamath water crisis
that caused a massive fish kill in 2002 (see Sublegals, 6:18/01; 6:18/02;
6:18/03; 6:17/06; 6:16/01; 6:15/01; 6:14/01; 6:13/01; 6:12/07; 6:02/09;
5:23/08; 5:21/03; 5:20/09; 5:18/01; 5:17/02). Its delay now means there
will be no official re-consultation on or changes to the current 10-year
Biological Opinion (BiOp) for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed
coho salmon in the Klamath River Thus, the same water plan that led to
last year's extensive lower river fish kill will be in effect until well
after
most of this year's irrigation season is over. The U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation (BOR), which operates the Klamath Irrigation Project, now
intends to implement water deliveries called for in the second year of
that 10-year water plan. With precipitation and snow pack still at
drought levels, the result will be that the amount of water released to the
lower basin will be the same or less than what flowed down the river
during last year's fish kill, in which more than 33,000 mostly fall
chinook salmon perished. That September 2002 fish kill, apparently the
worst in U.S. history, was blamed in a report by the California
Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) on insufficient water flow in the
lower river, primarily as a result of the upstream diversions (for a copy
of that report see:
http://www.pcffa.org/KlamFishKillFactorsDFGReport.pdf). Coupled
with the late summer die-off, it may be impossible, as well, to prevent a
repeat of last spring's less visible but significant die-off of juvenile
salmon. This occurred from March through May and was also attributed
to extreme low flows in the river which this year may be even less.
Some have blamed a lack of water in the Trinity (the major tributary
of the Klamath) for low flows during the fish kill, but flows from the
Trinity River during September 2002 were actually the highest in more
than 20 years, i.e., at full "Record of Decision (ROD)" flows during that
month. Last year water flows below Iron Gate Dam were only about 75
percent of those required during the 2001 record-breaking drought and
deemed then as the "minimum to prevent extinction," but only 55
percent of those deemed necessary for ultimate salmon recovery
according to existing (but not yet released) Department of
Interior-sponsored flow studies.
The 2002-2012 BiOp also contains significantly lower initial flows
than deemed necessary to prevent extinction, and reaches those higher
"target flows" only in years 9 and 10. This "phase-in" of the minimum
flow required to prevent extinction, and various other exemptions in the
first several years of the BiOp, are being challenged in court by PCFFA
and other litigants, including the Yurok and Hupa Tribes along with U.S.
Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA). Unless litigation succeeds in
restoring essential downriver flows, it is now highly likely a second
severe fish kill will occur in 2003. A hearing date on the request for a
preliminary injunction in the coho BiOp lawsuit, aimed at assuring
adequate lower river flows, is now scheduled for 29 April. PCFFA,
meanwhile, has pushed the CDFG to demand NMFS initiate consultation
immediately with the Bureau to avert a similar catastrophe this year.
7:09/04. CALIFORNIA SALMON SPAWNING ESCAPEMENT AT
RECORD LEVELS IN 2002; GOOD PRODUCTION PREDICTED
FOR 2003 OCEAN FISHERY: The California Department of Fish &
Game (CDFG), at its 2003 Salmon Informational Meeting held in Santa
Rosa 24 February, released the final numbers for salmon spawning
escapement in 2002 indicating fall-run chinook in the Sacramento River
at record levels. The total California Central Valley system escapement
for all chinook runs was 977,500 fish. The lion's share of the fish,
936,687, went into the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Of that
880,336 were fall-run kings, which are the mainstay of the Pacific Coast
ocean salmon fishery. The spawning escapement goal of fall-run
chinook is between 120,000 to 180,000 fish, so this year's escapement
was far in excess of that needed for a sustainable resource. Late fall
chinook were at 31,500 fish, while the Endangered Species Act
(ESA)-listed spring-run were at 17,400 and the listed winter-run were
believed at 7,441 (the number may actually be higher due to the
difficulty in counting these fish) spawners for 2002. In addition to the
spawning escapement, an estimated 54,000 salmon were caught by sport
anglers in the Sacramento River in 2002.
On the San Joaquin River side of the Central Valley system, the total
run size was less than 25,000 fall-run, down from 40,000 last year. That
broke down to 6,800 spawners in the Stanislaus, 7,200 in the Tuolumne,
and 10,600 in the Merced. There were also reports of a residual
spring-run population in the Stanislaus. How big of a population this is
and whether these are strays from the Sacramento (e.g., Butte Creek,
Feather River) or a native population is not known. If this is a native
population to the San Joaquin it would be startling news, since it was
thought the spring-run, once the largest run in the Central Valley, were
extirpated in the San Joaquin following the construction and operation of
Friant Dam in 1948. The key to recovering San Joaquin runs will be
restoring flows below Friant Dam (near Fresno) to a 150 mile section of
the river (from the federal dam to the confluence of the Merced) that was
dried up by the Central Valley Project. The Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC), along with PCFFA and a handful of other
conservation and fishing groups, is currently in settlement negotiations
with the Friant Water Users Association, exploring the feasibility of
salmon restoration on this 150-mile stretch of the mainstem San Joaquin.
In the Klamath, the total in-river fall-run chinook size was 168,000
fish (159,000 adults), only the eighth largest since 1978 and by no means
a record run. However, that number does not include the estimated
33,000 spawners lost in the September fish kill (see 7:09/03 above). The
Trinity was the hardest hit by the fish kill and the tribal in-river fishery
was dramatically reduced by the die-off. The kill affected not only
fall-run chinook but Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed coho, as well
as steelhead. Even with the fish kill, the natural adult fall-run
escapement still came in at 65,700 fish, well above the 35,000 floor.
The hatchery take was 27,200 adults. The CDFG report did not include
numbers for coho populations that are federally protected (no fishing is
permitted) or for coastal (i.e., Eel, Mattole, Smith Rivers) fall chinook.
For 2002, California commercial ocean salmon landings came in at
just under 5 million pounds (see Sublegals, 6:20/07). Although the
catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) in the fleet was up, the catch was
nevertheless below the long-term 7 million pound season average and
only a third of California's 1988 commercial harvest of 14 million
pounds.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will begin its 2003
salmon season setting process at its 10-14 March meeting in Sacramento,
California. For information on the CDFG report, "2002 Fisheries and
Escapements and 2003 Ocean Abundances" go to the Department
website at: www.dfg.ca.gov. For a copy of the PFMC's 2003 salmon
statistical report, go to: www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr.html. For
information on the March PFMC meeting, go to: www.pcouncil.org.
7:09/05. WDFW BEGINS "NORTH-OF-FALCON" SALMON
SEASON PROCESS FOR 2003: The Washington Department of Fish &
Wildlife (WDFW) began its north of Cape Falcon (to the Canadian
border) salmon season setting process on 3 March with the release of its
preseason salmon forecast for 2003 at a meeting in Olympia. This
meeting kicked off the annual "North of Falcon" salmon season-setting
process in which state, tribal and federal fisheries managers meet to
establish salmon seasons for the Pacific Ocean, Washington coast, Puget
Sound and the Columbia River. "Our goal during this annual process is
to develop a complete, ocean-to-spawning grounds fisheries package that
protects weak salmon stocks while providing excellent recreational and
commercial fishing opportunities on plentiful hatchery and healthy wild
stocks," said WDFW Director Jeff Koenings. WDFW will soon have a
North of Falcon web page to be added to the regular WDFW website, at
http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/ on the Internet, which will include
background information, proposed ocean fishing options and the North
of Falcon/ PFMC meetings schedules. According to the Department, the
website will be updated as new information becomes available.
7:09/06. OREGON NATURAL COHO ESCAPEMENT UP IN
2002: The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) reported an
estimated 242,000 wild coho (silver salmon) returned to the state's
coastal rivers, surprising biologists who predicted less than 72,000
spawners, according to a 6 February Oregonian article. Much of the
salmon fishery along the Pacific Coast, including that for chinook, is
managed on the health of these Oregon fish. The 2002 numbers are
good news for this Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed fish, whose
numbers were down to 14,068 five years ago, leading to federal
protection in 1998, though biologists caution that a single year 'upward
blip' could be reversed in future years. To see the "Coho Boom of 2002
May Herald Recovery" Oregonian article, go to:
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/new
s/1044536481238501.xml.
7:09/07. ALASKA SALMON HARVESTS PREDICTED UP FOR
2003; EX-VESSEL PRICES DOWN: The Alaska Department of Fish &
Game (ADFG) has released its preseason salmon forecast for 2003,
predicting a total catch of 151 million fish, up from the 131 million
harvested in 2002 (128 million had been predicted. ADFG predicts the
pink harvest will be slightly higher than 2002, with sockeye and chum
also up. The 2003 projections are as follows: Chinook - 457,000;
Sockeye - 30,400,000; Coho - 5,000,000; Pink - 92,000,000; and Chum -
23,000,000. The bad news in all of this is that ex-vessel prices are
expected to be down again in 2003. In 2002, the total ex-vessel price
paid for Alaskan salmon was $144 million (US), compared to $229
million in 2001, and $489 million in 1994. For a copy of the ADFG
salmon preseason report, go to:
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/rir/5j03-01.pdf.
To combat the falling prices, some representatives of the state's
salmon industry are considering petitioning the U.S. Government for
relief under the federal Trade Act of 1974 due to the effects of the
impacts of Chilean and other nations dumping farmed salmon on the
domestic market, according to a 15 February article in the Anchorage
Daily News. The proposed petition for relief to the U.S. International
Trade Commission comes as the state's salmon fishery is engaged in a
major court case, where a number of fish processors are accused of
price-fixing, by colluding to hold down prices paid to fishermen. Many
of the processors accused are Japanese-owned companies. Adding to all
of this is an application by Russian processors to buy Alaskan pink
salmon from U.S. fishermen for processing aboard Russian vessels for
sale in Russia and Europe. For more on the trade petition, see the
Anchorage Daily News article at:
http://www.adn.com/business/story/2624798p-2669785c.html. To see
the Anchorage Daily News article on the salmon price fixing court case,
go to: http://www.adn.com/business/story/2682473p-2722675c.html. To
see the Anchorage Daily News article on the Russian fish processors, go
to: http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/2635891p-2679677c.html.
7:09/08. B.C. RALLY AGAINST SALMON FARMS: On 28
February a rally was held in Vancouver, B.C. to protest the British
Columbia government's failure to control fish farms in provincial waters
that are spreading disease and a sea lice epidemic from the net pens of
Atlantic salmon to native Pacific salmon stocks (see Sublegals, 7:08/01).
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs organized the protest outside the
Department of Fisheries & Oceans' offices. This rally follows a similar
one that involved two-dozen fishing vessels anchored in the Archipelago
on 11 February. The public displeasure in B.C. with the salmon farms is
a result of frustration over seemingly inadequate actions taken by the
government to protect the wild smolts of pink salmon, which will soon
be starting their journey to the sea. The young fish will have to navigate
past 27 sea-lice infested salmon farms on the Broughton Archipelago. In
2002, B.C.'s pink salmon runs decreased by 98 percent; that collapse is
believed by DFO scientists to be linked to sea lice infestation in the net
pens. B.C. Fisheries Minister Stan Hagen, who has close ties to the
salmon farm industry, however, is only requiring that 11 of the farms
close for the pinks' migration. For more information see:
http://www.creativeresistance.ca/watch/2003-feb11-protestors-call-for-m
ore-fish-farm-closures-broughton-archipelago-cbc.htm or
http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2003/02/34142.php.
7:09/09. MAINE SALMON FARMS FINALLY COMING UNDER
SCRUTINY: The tide of good fortune may finally be turning for Maine's
salmon farms, according to a 23 February Portland Press-Herald article.
A federal lawsuit and controversial permitting rules are raising new
questions about the environmental costs of salmon farming that have
never been asked before. The salmon farming industry began in Maine
about 15 years ago, under the radar screen of most residents. The coast
of Maine seemed ideal for salmon net-pen aquaculture, and the
regulatory conditions were favorable in a state desperately trying to lure
business into impoverished Washington County. As a result, Maine now
produces the most farmed salmon in the U.S., and farmed salmon is now
Maine's second most valuable seafood product after lobster. Considering
the wealth of fish naturally occurring in Maine's water, this is no small
feat.
A 2001 anemia outbreak and the resulting slaughter of 1.5 million
farmed fish at taxpayer expense, as well as recent lawsuits convicting the
3 largest salmon farm operators of violating the federal Clean Water Act,
has shone a spotlight on the problems of fish farming and Maine seems
less tolerant of the industry (see Sublegals, 5:08/09; 5:02/10; 4:17/04;
1:19/03). Maine's environmental agency is now looking at new
restrictions for the industry. These new proposals would tighten
monitoring requirements and environmental safeguards, stop using
non-North American salmon for breeding, prevent the use of genetically
modified fish and tighten up escape prevention measures. The proposals
would also require Maine farms to be among the first in the world to tag
their fish so that escaped salmon could be traced back to the farm they
escaped from. Even with increased criticism, however, salmon farming
does not seem to be leaving Maine anytime soon. The state's salmon
industry provides 2,500 jobs and generates $140 million in personal
income to Mainers. Officials seem to hold out hope that there is a way to
balance the economic benefits with environmental conservation, so that
Maine does not have to sacrifice its environmental integrity for foreign
companies' profits. To see the "Salmon Farms Under Scrutiny" Portland
Press-Herald article, go to:
http://www.pressherald.com/news/state/030223salmon.shtml.
7:09/10. FREEDOM FOOD FARMED SALMON: The Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in the United
Kingdom has developed the world's first welfare-focused certified
farmed salmon product. Farmed salmon that has been certified will have
a "Freedom Food" label. Freedom Food salmon, is currently being
produced by Sutherland based Loch Duart Ltd and processed by Argyll
based Loch Fyne Oysters, and is available at stores and restaurants in the
UK. Freedom Food is the RSPCA's farm assurance and food labeling
scheme. The aim of the program is to improve the lives of as many farm
animals as possible. The welfare-focused certification involves all
aspects of salmon rearing. This includes provisions for rest breaks for
the fish during grading or moving stocks; and also strict control over the
number of times fish are handled during their lives. This certification
does not assess any environmental or human health factors involved in
the rearing of these salmon. For information, go to:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=RSPCA/Free
domFood/FreedomFoodHomepage.
7:09/11. SEVERE WEATHER CAUSES HAVOC FOR
NORTHEAST SALMON FARMS: Intrafish reports severe weather cost
the salmon farming industry $8-11 million (Canadian) in Eastern
Canada. New Brunswick salmon farmers are reporting $6 million in
damages, and in Nova Scotia damage caused by ice drifts has caused
about $5 million in losses. The New Brunswick Salmon Growers
Association reported that 200,000 farmed salmon died in the region. The
ice on the Bay of Fundy was so thick that the diver was able to walk
from site to site. In Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia, 2 sites were wiped out
completely, a loss of about 470,000 fish, while other operations were
damaged by ice drifts that smashed cages. Across the border in Maine,
the damage to the farms by severe weather is substantial, but the costs
are not yet known. For more information:
http://www.intrafish.com/articlea.php?articleID=32228.
7:09/12. NEW JOINT FISHERIES COMMITTEE CHAIR;
CALIFORNIA FISHERIES FORUM SET FOR 12 MARCH:
Assemblywoman Patty Berg (D-Eureka) has been named the new Chair
of the California Legislature's Joint Committee on Fisheries &
Aquaculture. Berg succeeds former Assembly-member Virginia
Strom-Martin (D-Duncan Mills) who was termed out. State Senator
Dede Alpert (D-San Diego) was named Vice-chair of the Committee that
was established in 1981. Mary Morgan will continue as the Joint
Committee's consultant. With the naming of Berg as Chair, it was
announced that the 31st Annual California Legislative Fisheries Forum
will be held 12 March at the State Capitol to dovetail with the Pacific
Fishery Management Council meeting in Sacramento that week. For
more information:
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127%257E2896%257E1
159646,00.html?search=filter.
Paying Attention? The Bush Administration has been given a failing
grade for a second consecutive year for its plan to recover Columbia and
Snake River salmon. What actions or failure to act resulted in the
President flunking on salmon restoration two years in a row?
A) Promoting a plan advanced by BC Fishery Minister Stan Hagen to
restock the Columbia with Atlantic salmon.
B) Proposing the use of water slides to get the juvenile salmon around
the dams without barging.
C) Relying too heavily on measures that have, at best, a poor track
record of success.
D) Relying on a plan to genetically modify Columbia/Snake River stocks
to spawn in the lower estuary below the dams, so the dams would not
have to be breached.
E-Mail your answer to "Editor" at: sublegals@ifrfish.org.
And the Winner is......last week's winner was Mike McCorkle, who
correctly answered that "D) emissions from coal-fired power plants and
other industrial sources" was the source of the increasing danger of
mercury to small children according to a U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency report. He 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 Sara Randall, 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>
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ASSOCIATIONS<BR>
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VOL. 07, NO. 09 =
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"The Human mind is a product of the Pleistocene age, shaped by<BR>
wildness that has all but disappeared. If we complete the destruction=20=
of<BR>
nature, we will have succeeded in cutting ourselves off from the source<BR>
of sanity itself."............................................David Orr<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
IN THIS ISSUE.......<BR>
Administration Gets Failing Grades on Columbia and <BR>
Snake River Salmon Restoration. 7:09/01<BR>
<BR>
Klamath Science Report Delayed, Another Fish Kill <BR>
Likely This Summer. 7:09/03<BR>
<BR>
California Salmon Spawning Escapement at Record <BR>
Levels in 2002. 7:09/04<BR>
<BR>
Maine Salmon Farms Finally Coming Under Scrutiny. 7:09/09<BR>
<BR>
New Joint Fisheries Committee Chair, California Fisheries <BR>
Forum Set for 12 March. 7:09/12<BR>
<BR>
AND MORE......<BR>
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7:09/01. ADMINISTRATION GETS FAILING GRADES ON<BR>
COLUMBIA AND SNAKE RIVER SALMON RESTORATION FOR<BR>
SECOND YEAR IN A ROW: On 26 February, the Save Our Wild<BR>
Salmon (SOS) Coalition issued its comprehensive report card on "Year<BR>
Two of the Federal Plan to Restore Salmon and Steelhead in the<BR>
Columbia and Snake River Basin," giving the Administration of U.S.<BR>
President George W. Bush a failing grade for the second year in a row. <BR>
The Columbia River salmon recovery plan was first adopted in<BR>
September 2000 (see Sublegals, 4:22/12; 2:25/01; 2:21/05; 2:04/04) and<BR>
was later made a cornerstone of the Bush Administration's efforts to save<BR=
>
salmon in the Columbia Basin without removing dams. SOS is a<BR>
nationwide coalition of commercial and recreational fishing groups<BR>
(including PCFFA and IFR), conservation organizations, businesses,<BR>
river groups and taxpayer advocates representing over 6 million<BR>
individual members "working collectively to restore healthy and<BR>
abundant wild salmon to the rivers and streams of the Pacific<BR>
Northwest." SOS gave the Administration failing grades last year as well<BR>
(see Sublegals, 5:09/04). <BR>
<BR>
The report, which was released in Washington, DC th=
e 26th, found<BR>
that the Administration has failed to implement over 70 percent of its<BR>
own plan to save endangered Columbia and Snake River wild salmon<BR>
and steelhead from extinction, and also failed to request the funding<BR>
necessary to implement key elements of the plan. The Columbia River<BR>
was once the largest producer of wild salmon in North America, with<BR>
runs up to 16 million strong, but wild salmon runs in the Columbia are<BR>
now at less than 2 percent of their historic average due to the numerous<BR>
dams, water diversions and habitat problems existing throughout that<BR>
overdeveloped river. <BR>
<BR>
The report found "critical failures" in not pushing=
for enough money<BR>
to implement the plan, not taking measures to reduce water temperatures<BR>
or provide adequate flows to help young salmon reach the sea, and<BR>
relying too heavily on measures that have, at best, a poor track record of<B=
R>
success. Former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, who originally<BR>
approved the plan to keep the dams only after repeated assurances that<BR>
the Snake River structures could be kept because there was an aggressive<BR>
non-breaching alternative to achieve the same recovery levels, was<BR>
present at the DC release of the report card. Babbitt, noting the dire=
<BR>
consequences of the government's failure to deliver on the non-breach<BR>
alternative, flunking salmon restoration for the second consecutive year,<BR=
>
remarked, "after this type of failure, the Bush Administration will need<BR>
to prove to the American people that its commitment to salmon is<BR>
genuine."<BR>
<BR>
The SOS report card criticized the practice of arti=
ficially collecting<BR>
juvenile salmon in tanks and trucking or barging them around dams that<BR>
block their path to the ocean, instead of flushing them through the dams<BR>
with additional flows of water that would imitate a healthy river system.<BR=
>
Juvenile salmon trucking and barging is a key component of the<BR>
restoration plan's attempt to allow fish to travel through the river without=
<BR>
removing dams, but the practice has never demonstrated its ability to<BR>
substitute for adequate river flows, particularly over the lower four<BR>
Snake River dams, which are major fish killers. The price tag of the<B=
R>
Administration's current "non-breach option" is likely greater than the<BR>
actual cost of decommissioning the lower four Snake River dams, which<BR>
provide relatively few economic benefits. It is, however, still the<BR=
>
Administration's preferred option. If the Administration fails to full=
y<BR>
fund and implement that option, or alternatively to shift to removal of<BR>
the four lower Snake River dams (the only two options legally available<BR>
for recovering Snake River salmon and steelhead), a legal "train wreck"<BR>
would result that could paralyze the region, tying up the Columbia<BR>
hydropower system in the courts for years. For more, see the 27 February<BR>
Seattle Post-Intelligencer at:<BR>
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/110244_salmon27.shtml. For a<BR=
>
copy of the Report Card, go to: http://www.wildsalmon.org. <BR>
<BR>
7:09/02. ANNUAL SALMONID RESTORATION CONFERENCE<BR>
SET FOR END OF MARCH IN SAN LUIS OBISPO. The 21st Annual<BR>
Salmonid Restoration & Urban Streams Conference is scheduled for<BR>
26-29 March this year in San Luis Obispo, along California's south<BR>
central coast. The conference is sponsored by the Salmonid Restoration=
<BR>
Federation (SRF) and co-sponsored by PCFFA and others. It will feature<BR>
workshops on a number of restoration issues, including fish passage,<BR>
agriculture and salmon streams, urban streams and salmon recovery,<BR>
exotic species, and water allocation rights. There is also a Saturday<=
BR>
evening banquet featuring wild salmon, a cabaret and dancing. IFR and<BR>
PCFFA will have a booth at the conference. For more information,<BR>
e-mail: srf@northcoast.com, or go to the SRF website at:<BR>
www.northcoastweb.com/srf. The deadline for discount lodging is 5<BR>
March.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/03. KLAMATH SCIENCE REPORT D=
ELAYED, ANOTHER<BR>
FISH KILL LIKELY THIS SUMMER: The Final Report of the<BR>
National Research Council (NRC) on the Klamath Basin water crisis<BR>
(see Sublegals, 6:20/04; 5:06/01), originally scheduled for release in<BR>
March, has been delayed until June or July of this year. The report is<BR>
intended to provide more scientific clarity about the Klamath water crisis<B=
R>
that caused a massive fish kill in 2002 (see Sublegals, 6:18/01; 6:18/02;<BR=
>
6:18/03; 6:17/06; 6:16/01; 6:15/01; 6:14/01; 6:13/01; 6:12/07; 6:02/09;<BR>
5:23/08; 5:21/03; 5:20/09; 5:18/01; 5:17/02). Its delay now means there<BR>
will be no official re-consultation on or changes to the current 10-year<BR>
Biological Opinion (BiOp) for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed<BR>
coho salmon in the Klamath River Thus, the same water plan that=20=
led to<BR>
last year's extensive lower river fish kill will be in effect until well aft=
er<BR>
most of this year's irrigation season is over. The U.S. Bureau of<BR>
Reclamation (BOR), which operates the Klamath Irrigation Project, now<BR>
intends to implement water deliveries called for in the second year of<BR>
that 10-year water plan. With precipitation and snow pack still at<BR>
drought levels, the result will be that the amount of water released to the<=
BR>
lower basin will be the same or less than what flowed down the river<BR>
during last year's fish kill, in which more than 33,000 mostly fall<BR>
chinook salmon perished. That September 2002 fish kill, apparently the<BR>
worst in U.S. history, was blamed in a report by the California<BR>
Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) on insufficient water flow in the<BR>
lower river, primarily as a result of the upstream diversions (for a copy<BR=
>
of that report see:<BR>
http://www.pcffa.org/KlamFishKillFactorsDFGReport.pdf). Coupled<BR>
with the late summer die-off, it may be impossible, as well, to prevent a<BR=
>
repeat of last spring's less visible but significant die-off of juvenile<BR>
salmon. This occurred from March through May and was also attributed<B=
R>
to extreme low flows in the river which this year may be even less.<BR>
<BR>
Some have blamed a lack of water in the Trinity (th=
e major tributary<BR>
of the Klamath) for low flows during the fish kill, but flows from the<BR>
Trinity River during September 2002 were actually the highest in more<BR>
than 20 years, i.e., at full "Record of Decision (ROD)" flows during that<BR=
>
month. Last year water flows below Iron Gate Dam were only about 75<BR=
>
percent of those required during the 2001 record-breaking drought and<BR>
deemed then as the "minimum to prevent extinction," but only 55<BR>
percent of those deemed necessary for ultimate salmon recovery<BR>
according to existing (but not yet released) Department of<BR>
Interior-sponsored flow studies. &n=
bsp; =
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
<BR>
<BR>
The 2002-2012 BiOp also contains significantly lowe=
r initial flows<BR>
than deemed necessary to prevent extinction, and reaches those higher<BR>
"target flows" only in years 9 and 10. This "phase-in" of the minimum<=
BR>
flow required to prevent extinction, and various other exemptions in the<BR>
first several years of the BiOp, are being challenged in court by PCFFA<BR>
and other litigants, including the Yurok and Hupa Tribes along with U.S.<BR>
Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA). Unless litigation succeeds in<BR>
restoring essential downriver flows, it is now highly likely a second<BR>
severe fish kill will occur in 2003. A hearing date on the request for=
a<BR>
preliminary injunction in the coho BiOp lawsuit, aimed at assuring<BR>
adequate lower river flows, is now scheduled for 29 April. PCFFA,<BR>
meanwhile, has pushed the CDFG to demand NMFS initiate consultation<BR>
immediately with the Bureau to avert a similar catastrophe this year.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/04. CALIFORNIA SALMON SPAWNING ESCAPEMENT AT<B=
R>
RECORD LEVELS IN 2002; GOOD PRODUCTION PREDICTED<BR>
FOR 2003 OCEAN FISHERY: The California Department of Fish &<BR>
Game (CDFG), at its 2003 Salmon Informational Meeting held in Santa<BR>
Rosa 24 February, released the final numbers for salmon spawning<BR>
escapement in 2002 indicating fall-run chinook in the Sacramento River<BR>
at record levels. The total California Central Valley system escapemen=
t<BR>
for all chinook runs was 977,500 fish. The lion's share of the fish,<B=
R>
936,687, went into the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Of that<BR>
880,336 were fall-run kings, which are the mainstay of the Pacific Coast<BR>
ocean salmon fishery. The spawning escapement goal of fall-run<BR>
chinook is between 120,000 to 180,000 fish, so this year's escapement<BR>
was far in excess of that needed for a sustainable resource. Late fall=
<BR>
chinook were at 31,500 fish, while the Endangered Species Act<BR>
(ESA)-listed spring-run were at 17,400 and the listed winter-run were<BR>
believed at 7,441 (the number may actually be higher due to the<BR>
difficulty in counting these fish) spawners for 2002. In addition to t=
he<BR>
spawning escapement, an estimated 54,000 salmon were caught by sport<BR>
anglers in the Sacramento River in 2002.<BR>
<BR>
On the San Joaquin River side of the Central Valley=
system, the total<BR>
run size was less than 25,000 fall-run, down from 40,000 last year. Th=
at<BR>
broke down to 6,800 spawners in the Stanislaus, 7,200 in the Tuolumne,<BR>
and 10,600 in the Merced. There were also reports of a residual<BR>
spring-run population in the Stanislaus. How big of a population this is<BR>
and whether these are strays from the Sacramento (e.g., Butte Creek,<BR>
Feather River) or a native population is not known. If this is a native<BR>
population to the San Joaquin it would be startling news, since it was<BR>
thought the spring-run, once the largest run in the Central Valley, were<BR>
extirpated in the San Joaquin following the construction and operation of<BR=
>
Friant Dam in 1948. The key to recovering San Joaquin runs will be<BR>
restoring flows below Friant Dam (near Fresno) to a 150 mile section of<BR>
the river (from the federal dam to the confluence of the Merced) that was<BR=
>
dried up by the Central Valley Project. The Natural Resources Defense<=
BR>
Council (NRDC), along with PCFFA and a handful of other<BR>
conservation and fishing groups, is currently in settlement negotiations<BR>
with the Friant Water Users Association, exploring the feasibility of<BR>
salmon restoration on this 150-mile stretch of the mainstem San Joaquin.<BR>
<BR>
In the Klamath, the total in-river fall-run chinook=
size was 168,000<BR>
fish (159,000 adults), only the eighth largest since 1978 and by no means<BR=
>
a record run. However, that number does not include the estimated<BR>
33,000 spawners lost in the September fish kill (see 7:09/03 above). T=
he<BR>
Trinity was the hardest hit by the fish kill and the tribal in-river fishery=
<BR>
was dramatically reduced by the die-off. The kill affected not only<BR=
>
fall-run chinook but Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed coho, as well<BR>
as steelhead. Even with the fish kill, the natural adult fall-run<BR>
escapement still came in at 65,700 fish, well above the 35,000 floor. <BR>
The hatchery take was 27,200 adults. The CDFG report did not include<BR>
numbers for coho populations that are federally protected (no fishing is<BR>
permitted) or for coastal (i.e., Eel, Mattole, Smith Rivers) fall chinook.&n=
bsp; <BR>
<BR>
For 2002, California commercial ocean salmon landin=
gs came in at<BR>
just under 5 million pounds (see Sublegals, 6:20/07). Although the<BR>
catch-per-unit-of-effort (CPUE) in the fleet was up, the catch was<BR>
nevertheless below the long-term 7 million pound season average and<BR>
only a third of California's 1988 commercial harvest of 14 million<BR>
pounds.<BR>
<BR>
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will=20=
begin its 2003<BR>
salmon season setting process at its 10-14 March meeting in Sacramento,<BR>
California. For information on the CDFG report, "2002 Fisheries and<BR=
>
Escapements and 2003 Ocean Abundances" go to the Department<BR>
website at: www.dfg.ca.gov. For a copy of the PFMC's 2003 salmon<BR>
statistical report, go to: www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr.html. For<BR>
information on the March PFMC meeting, go to: www.pcouncil.org.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/05. WDFW BEGINS "NORTH-OF-FALCON" SALMON<BR>
SEASON PROCESS FOR 2003: The Washington Department of Fish &<BR>
Wildlife (WDFW) began its north of Cape Falcon (to the Canadian<BR>
border) salmon season setting process on 3 March with the release of its<BR>
preseason salmon forecast for 2003 at a meeting in Olympia. This<BR>
meeting kicked off the annual "North of Falcon" salmon season-setting<BR>
process in which state, tribal and federal fisheries managers meet to<BR>
establish salmon seasons for the Pacific Ocean, Washington coast, Puget<BR>
Sound and the Columbia River. "Our goal during this annual process is<BR>
to develop a complete, ocean-to-spawning grounds fisheries package that<BR>
protects weak salmon stocks while providing excellent recreational and<BR>
commercial fishing opportunities on plentiful hatchery and healthy wild<BR>
stocks," said WDFW Director Jeff Koenings. WDFW will soon have a<BR>
North of Falcon web page to be added to the regular WDFW website, at<BR>
http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/ on the Internet, which will include<BR>
background information, proposed ocean fishing options and the North<BR>
of Falcon/ PFMC meetings schedules. According to the Department, the<BR>
website will be updated as new information becomes available.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/06. OREGON NATURAL COHO ESCAPEMENT UP IN=
<BR>
2002: The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) reported an<BR>
estimated 242,000 wild coho (silver salmon) returned to the state's<BR>
coastal rivers, surprising biologists who predicted less than 72,000<BR>
spawners, according to a 6 February Oregonian article. Much of the<BR>
salmon fishery along the Pacific Coast, including that for chinook, is<BR>
managed on the health of these Oregon fish. The 2002 numbers are<BR>
good news for this Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed fish, whose<BR>
numbers were down to 14,068 five years ago, leading to federal<BR>
protection in 1998, though biologists caution that a single year 'upward<BR>
blip' could be reversed in future years. To see the "Coho Boom of 2002<BR>
May Herald Recovery" Oregonian article, go to:<BR>
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/new<BR>
s/1044536481238501.xml.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/07. ALASKA SALMON HARVESTS PREDICTED UP=20=
FOR<BR>
2003; EX-VESSEL PRICES DOWN: The Alaska Department of Fish &<BR>
Game (ADFG) has released its preseason salmon forecast for 2003,<BR>
predicting a total catch of 151 million fish, up from the 131 million<BR>
harvested in 2002 (128 million had been predicted. ADFG predicts the<B=
R>
pink harvest will be slightly higher than 2002, with sockeye and chum<BR>
also up. The 2003 projections are as follows: Chinook - 457,000;<BR>
Sockeye - 30,400,000; Coho - 5,000,000; Pink - 92,000,000; and Chum -<BR>
23,000,000. The bad news in all of this is that ex-vessel prices are<B=
R>
expected to be down again in 2003. In 2002, the total ex-vessel price<=
BR>
paid for Alaskan salmon was $144 million (US), compared to $229<BR>
million in 2001, and $489 million in 1994. For a copy of the ADFG<BR>
salmon preseason report, go to:<BR>
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/geninfo/pubs/rir/5j03-01.pdf. <BR>
<BR>
To combat the falling prices, some representatives=20=
of the state's<BR>
salmon industry are considering petitioning the U.S. Government for<BR>
relief under the federal Trade Act of 1974 due to the effects of the<BR>
impacts of Chilean and other nations dumping farmed salmon on the<BR>
domestic market, according to a 15 February article in the Anchorage<BR>
Daily News. The proposed petition for relief to the U.S. International<BR>
Trade Commission comes as the state's salmon fishery is engaged in a<BR>
major court case, where a number of fish processors are accused of<BR>
price-fixing, by colluding to hold down prices paid to fishermen. Many=
<BR>
of the processors accused are Japanese-owned companies. Adding to all<=
BR>
of this is an application by Russian processors to buy Alaskan pink<BR>
salmon from U.S. fishermen for processing aboard Russian vessels for<BR>
sale in Russia and Europe. For more on the trade petition, see the<BR>
Anchorage Daily News article at:<BR>
http://www.adn.com/business/story/2624798p-2669785c.html. To see<BR>
the Anchorage Daily News article on the salmon price fixing court case,<BR>
go to: http://www.adn.com/business/story/2682473p-2722675c.html. To<BR>
see the Anchorage Daily News article on the Russian fish processors, go<BR>
to: http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/2635891p-2679677c.html.  =
; <B=
R>
<BR>
7:09/08. B.C. RALLY AGAINST SALMON FARMS: On=20=
28<BR>
February a rally was held in Vancouver, B.C. to protest the British<BR>
Columbia government's failure to control fish farms in provincial waters<BR>
that are spreading disease and a sea lice epidemic from the net pens of<BR>
Atlantic salmon to native Pacific salmon stocks (see Sublegals, 7:08/01).<BR=
>
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs organized the protest outside the<BR>
Department of Fisheries & Oceans' offices. This rally follows a similar<=
BR>
one that involved two-dozen fishing vessels anchored in the Archipelago<BR>
on 11 February. The public displeasure in B.C. with the salmon farms is<BR>
a result of frustration over seemingly inadequate actions taken by the<BR>
government to protect the wild smolts of pink salmon, which will soon<BR>
be starting their journey to the sea. The young fish will have to navigate<B=
R>
past 27 sea-lice infested salmon farms on the Broughton Archipelago. In<BR>
2002, B.C.'s pink salmon runs decreased by 98 percent; that collapse is<BR>
believed by DFO scientists to be linked to sea lice infestation in the net<B=
R>
pens. B.C. Fisheries Minister Stan Hagen, who has close ties to the<BR>
salmon farm industry, however, is only requiring that 11 of the farms<BR>
close for the pinks' migration. For more information see:<BR>
http://www.creativeresistance.ca/watch/2003-feb11-protestors-call-for-m<BR>
ore-fish-farm-closures-broughton-archipelago-cbc.htm or<BR>
http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2003/02/34142.php. <BR>
<BR>
7:09/09. MAINE SALMON FARMS FINALLY COMING UN=
DER<BR>
SCRUTINY: The tide of good fortune may finally be turning for Maine's<BR>
salmon farms, according to a 23 February Portland Press-Herald article.<BR>
A federal lawsuit and controversial permitting rules are raising new<BR>
questions about the environmental costs of salmon farming that have<BR>
never been asked before. The salmon farming industry began in Maine<BR>
about 15 years ago, under the radar screen of most residents. The coast<BR>
of Maine seemed ideal for salmon net-pen aquaculture, and the<BR>
regulatory conditions were favorable in a state desperately trying to lure<B=
R>
business into impoverished Washington County. As a result, Maine now<BR>
produces the most farmed salmon in the U.S., and farmed salmon is now<BR>
Maine's second most valuable seafood product after lobster. Considering<BR>
the wealth of fish naturally occurring in Maine's water, this is no small<BR=
>
feat. <BR>
<BR>
A 2001 anemia outbreak and the resulting slaughter=20=
of 1.5 million<BR>
farmed fish at taxpayer expense, as well as recent lawsuits convicting the<B=
R>
3 largest salmon farm operators of violating the federal Clean Water Act,<BR=
>
has shone a spotlight on the problems of fish farming and Maine seems<BR>
less tolerant of the industry (see Sublegals, 5:08/09; 5:02/10; 4:17/04;<BR>
1:19/03). Maine's environmental agency is now looking at new<BR>
restrictions for the industry. These new proposals would tighten<BR>
monitoring requirements and environmental safeguards, stop using<BR>
non-North American salmon for breeding, prevent the use of genetically<BR>
modified fish and tighten up escape prevention measures. The proposals<BR>
would also require Maine farms to be among the first in the world to tag<BR>
their fish so that escaped salmon could be traced back to the farm they<BR>
escaped from. Even with increased criticism, however, salmon farming<BR>
does not seem to be leaving Maine anytime soon. The state's salmon<BR>
industry provides 2,500 jobs and generates $140 million in personal<BR>
income to Mainers. Officials seem to hold out hope that there is a way to<BR=
>
balance the economic benefits with environmental conservation, so that<BR>
Maine does not have to sacrifice its environmental integrity for foreign<BR>
companies' profits. To see the "Salmon Farms Under Scrutiny" Portland<BR>
Press-Herald article, go to:<BR>
http://www.pressherald.com/news/state/030223salmon.shtml.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/10. FREEDOM FOOD FARMED SALMON: The Royal<BR>
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in the United<BR>
Kingdom has developed the world's first welfare-focused certified<BR>
farmed salmon product. Farmed salmon that has been certified will have<BR>
a "Freedom Food" label. Freedom Food salmon, is currently being<BR>
produced by Sutherland based Loch Duart Ltd and processed by Argyll<BR>
based Loch Fyne Oysters, and is available at stores and restaurants in the<B=
R>
UK. Freedom Food is the RSPCA's farm assurance and food labeling<BR>
scheme. The aim of the program is to improve the lives of as many farm<BR>
animals as possible. The welfare-focused certification involves all<BR>
aspects of salmon rearing. This includes provisions for rest breaks for<BR>
the fish during grading or moving stocks; and also strict control over the<B=
R>
number of times fish are handled during their lives. This certification<BR>
does not assess any environmental or human health factors involved in<BR>
the rearing of these salmon. For information, go to:<BR>
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=3DRSPCA/Free<BR>
domFood/FreedomFoodHomepage. =
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
&nbs=
p; <BR>
<BR>
7:09/11. SEVERE WEATHER CAUSES HAVOC FOR<BR>
NORTHEAST SALMON FARMS: Intrafish reports severe weather cost<BR>
the salmon farming industry $8-11 million (Canadian) in Eastern<BR>
Canada. New Brunswick salmon farmers are reporting $6 million in<BR>
damages, and in Nova Scotia damage caused by ice drifts has caused<BR>
about $5 million in losses. The New Brunswick Salmon Growers<BR>
Association reported that 200,000 farmed salmon died in the region. The<BR>
ice on the Bay of Fundy was so thick that the diver was able to walk<BR>
from site to site. In Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia, 2 sites were wiped out<BR>
completely, a loss of about 470,000 fish, while other operations were<BR>
damaged by ice drifts that smashed cages. Across the border in Maine,<BR>
the damage to the farms by severe weather is substantial, but the costs<BR>
are not yet known. For more information:<BR>
http://www.intrafish.com/articlea.php?articleID=3D32228.<BR>
<BR>
7:09/12. NEW JOINT FISHERIES COMMITTEE CHAIR;<BR>
CALIFORNIA FISHERIES FORUM SET FOR 12 MARCH:<BR>
Assemblywoman Patty Berg (D-Eureka) has been named the new Chair<BR>
of the California Legislature's Joint Committee on Fisheries &<BR>
Aquaculture. Berg succeeds former Assembly-member Virginia<BR>
Strom-Martin (D-Duncan Mills) who was termed out. State Senator<BR>
Dede Alpert (D-San Diego) was named Vice-chair of the Committee that<BR>
was established in 1981. Mary Morgan will continue as the Joint<BR>
Committee's consultant. With the naming of Berg as Chair, it was<BR>
announced that the 31st Annual California Legislative Fisheries Forum<BR>
will be held 12 March at the State Capitol to dovetail with the Pacific<BR>
Fishery Management Council meeting in Sacramento that week. For<BR>
more information:<BR>
http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127%257E2896%257E1<BR>
159646,00.html?search=3Dfilter.<BR>
<BR>
Paying Attention? The Bush Administration has=
been given a failing<BR>
grade for a second consecutive year for its plan to recover Columbia and<BR>
Snake River salmon. What actions or failure to act resulted in the<BR>
President flunking on salmon restoration two years in a row? <BR>
<BR>
A) Promoting a plan advanced by BC Fishery Minister Stan Hagen to<BR>
restock the Columbia with Atlantic salmon.<BR>
B) Proposing the use of water slides to get the juvenile salmon around<BR>
the dams without barging.<BR>
C) Relying too heavily on measures that have, at best, a poor track<BR>
record of success.<BR>
D) Relying on a plan to genetically modify Columbia/Snake River stocks<BR>
to spawn in the lower estuary below the dams, so the dams would not<BR>
have to be breached.<BR>
<BR>
E-Mail your answer to "Editor" at: sublegals@ifrfish.org. <BR>
<BR>
And the Winner is......last week's winner was Mike=20=
McCorkle, who<BR>
correctly answered that "D) emissions from coal-fired power plants and<BR>
other industrial sources" was the source of the increasing danger of<BR>
mercury to small children according to a U.S. Environmental Protection<BR>
Agency report. He receives an "Order of the Fringehead" certificate and<BR>
a handsome gray shirt with the cuddly Sarcastic Fringehead Sublegals<BR>
logo.<BR>
<BR>
NEWS, COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS: Submit your news items,<BR>
comments or any corrections to Sara Randall, editor at:<BR>
sublegals@ifrfish.org, or call the IFR/PCFFA office with the news and a<BR>
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