[Fishlink] ~~>SUBLEGALS 21Mar03<~~
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~~>SUBLEGALS 21Mar03<~~
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A WEEKLY QUOTA OF FISHERY SHORTS CAUGHT AND
LANDED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES=20
AND THE PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN'S
ASSOCIATIONS
VOL. 07, NO. 12 21 MARCH=20
2003
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"I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we
can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive
society is the free society, the open society. Who gave us permission to
live this way? Nobody did. We did. And that's the way it should be -
only more so. The best cure for the ills of democracy is more
democracy."..................Edward Abbey
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IN THIS ISSUE.......
Fate of British Columbia Coast Hinges on Canadian=20
Government Decision on Offshore Oil. 7:12/01
NMFS Sidesteps Rulemaking on Bycatch, Decides to=20
Update Reduction Strategy Instead. 7:12/04
Oregon Trawler Pleads Guilty to Two Felony Counts=20
for Destroying Dungeness Crab Traps. 7:12/07=20
U.S. Trade Representative Submits Paper to WTO on=20
Fishery Subsidies. 7:12/08
Call for B.C. Provincial Government to Enforce Pesticide=20
Laws for Fish Farms Treating Sea Lice. 7:12/12
AND MORE...... =20
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=20
7:12/01. B.C. AWAITS FEDERAL DECISION ON OIL DRILLING
OFFSHORE CANADA'S WEST COAST: While most of the news
regarding oil drilling this past week was on the U.S. Senate's approval of
language by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to prevent oil and gas
exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
fishermen and residents of British Columbia are waiting for a decision
by their Canadian federal government on whether the 32-year
moratorium on offshore oil drilling along that nation's west coast will be
lifted. Exploration for oil and gas offshore B.C. would not only affect
Canadian west coast fishermen, but could impact U.S. fishermen in
Alaska and the Pacific Northwest as a result of spills and pollution (e.g.,
methyl mercury in drill muds) associated with drilling and carried by
currents flowing either north or south. =20
The federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling was first imposed in
1971 by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and later matched by a B.C.
provincial moratorium. Oil drilling was later allowed along Canada's
east coast, but the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound put a halt
in 1989 to plans then for drilling off B.C. Since coming to power in
2001, B.C.'s Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell has shown a strong
interest in lifting the moratorium. Campbell's government initiated an
Offshore Oil & Gas Technology Update, a Scientific Panel Report, and
brief Public Consultations on offshore oil and gas. In May 2002, it
further committed $2 million in provincial funds for research to promote
offshore drilling. Commercial fishing and conservation groups, First
Nations and many B.C. citizens are opposed to the drilling and are
calling on Prime Minister Jean Chretien to uphold the moratorium,
which would be consistent with his government's signing of the Kyoto
protocol on global warming. Letters and faxes to the Prime Minister
urging him to uphold the moratorium are being requested. They should
be addressed to: The Honorable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of
Canada, Langevin Block 80 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A=20
0A2, or by fax at: (613) 941-6900. For more information, go to:
http://www.oilfreecoast.org.
Just last month, tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid
protesting another oil disaster, the Spanish government's handling of the
sinking of the tanker M/V Prestige off the Galacian coast that spilled
over 10 millions gallons of crude, fouling hundreds of miles of beaches
and ocean waters, and shutting down the area's fishing industry (see
Sublegals, 7:01/02; 6:23/03; 6:21/01). Cleanup costs are now estimated
at $1 billion and the losses to the fishing industry are in the millions of
dollars.
During the week prior to the weekend protests of 22-23 February in
Madrid, Greenpeace asked the European Commission to prosecute Spain
for its handling of the tanker disaster. According to a Reuters' report,
"the environmental group said the heavy fuel oil, which continues to leak
from the ship as it lies on the sea bed off Spain after sinking in
November, is waste which, under EU law, governments must ensure is
properly disposed of." For more information, go to the 21 February
Reuters' Planet Ark article at:
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/19904/story.htm,
and the 23 February London Guardian article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-2427717,00.html.
7:12/02. BERING SEA CONFERENCE SET FOR 1-4 APRIL:
"Sustaining the Bering Sea: An International Conference for
Collaboration" will be held Tuesday-Friday, 1-4 April, at the Alyeska
Prince Hotel in Girdwood, Alaska. Sponsored by Pacific Environment,
the conference is a follow on to the April 2001 session held in
Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia (see Sublegals, 3:16/07). According
to Pacific Environment, the Bering Sea, shared by Russia and the U.S.
"and fished by many other countries..... poses as much of a diplomatic
challenge as it does an ecological one. Pollution, overfishing, and
climate change have led to the decline of species ranging from pollock
and salmon to polar bears and Steller sea lions. Today, 50 percent of the
fish consumed in the United States comes from the Bering. Without
strong, cooperative international efforts now, there will be no fish left fo=
r
our grandchildren." Agenda items include: Review of the overall state
of the Bering Sea Governance and management by the U.S. and Russia *
Illegal fishing and enforcement issues * Species decline * Pollution and
global warming * Local community perspectives, including fishermen
and indigenous community members * Challenges and opportunities for
international efforts * Targeted discussions of salmon, pollock, marine
mammals and seabirds. For more information, go to:
http://www.pacificenvironment.org/marine/beringconference.htm.
7:12/03. FEDERAL REPORT FINDS EXTENSIVE DUMPING BY
WEST COAST TRAWL FLEET: The Seattle Times reported on 10
March that a recent federally-funded study of the 250-vessel trawl fleet
operating in the federally-managed Pacific groundfish fishery found that
44 percent of the catch was being shoveled overboard, either because of
lack of markets or prohibitions on the take of various species. The study
was based on observer data during a 12-month period that ended last
August. Some have blamed the high rate of bycatch in this fishery on
the nets themselves that cannot always be deployed in a manner to assure
only target species in an exact amount will be taken. Many fishermen,
however, say the nature of the regulations forces them to discard
otherwise perfectly good fish. To see the complete Seattle Times article,
"Federal Limits Have Trawlers Dumping Tons of Excess Fish," go to:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134649825_discard10
m.html.=20
7:12/04. NMFS ANNOUNCES PLAN TO UPDATE BYCATCH
REDUCTION STRATEGY: On 11 March the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) issued a notice in the Federal Register (Vol. 68, No. 47,
pp. 11501-11518) of its decision on a petition for rulemaking on
fisheries bycatch filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA). The petition sought to immediately promulgate a rule to
establish a program to count, cap, and control bycatch in U.S. fisheries.
"The petition asserted NMFS is not complying with its statutory
obligations to monitor and minimize bycatch under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act (MSA),
the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act
of 1972 (MMPA), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).=20
The petition sought a regulatory program that includes a workplan for
observer coverage sufficient to provide statistically reliable bycatch
estimates in all fisheries, the incorporation of bycatch estimates into
restrictions on fishing, the placing of limits on directed catch and
bycatch in each fishery with provision for closure upon attainment of
either limit, and bycatch assessment and reduction plans as a
requirement for all commercial and recreational fisheries. NMFS has
decided not to initiate rulemaking immediately, but instead to update and
renew its commitment to a National Bycatch Strategy, which may
eventually result in rulemaking for some fisheries" (see Sublegals,
7:10/06). For more information, contact Jack Dunnigan, Director, NMFS
Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
MD 20910; telephone: (301) 713-2334, or go to:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/bycatch.htm.
7:12/05. AMCC RELEASES UPDATED REPORT ON STATUS OF
BYCATCH IN NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES: On 13 March, the
Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) released an update of its
report on the status of North Pacific bycatch, "Discards in the North
Pacific Groundfish Fisheries 2001." The source for data used in the
AMCC report came from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
and was compiled by Fisheries Information Services of Juneau, Alaska.=20
Discards of the North Pacific 2001 is the continuation of a series of
bycatch reports, since 1992, documenting groundfish and prohibited
species discards in North Pacific groundfish fisheries. The report
documents over 261 million pounds of groundfish in 2001. In that year,
for example, over 12 million pounds of sharphcin and northern rockfish
were caught in the Atka mackerel fishery and 97.3 percent of those fish
were discarded.=20
The report also highlights salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea, Aleutian
Island and Gulf of Alaska trawl fisheries. Salmon are considered a
prohibited species, meaning that it is not legal for groundfish vessels to
retain and sell any salmon species caught while targeting groundfish. In
2001, groundfish fisheries intercepted 40,000 chinook and 60,000 chum
and other salmon. In comparison to vessels using longlines or pots,
vessels using trawls accounted for 99 percent of salmon bycatch. In
1999, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC)
amended regulations to reduce bycatch of chinook salmon in the Bering
Sea by establishing the Chinook Salmon Savings Areas. The Bering Sea
pollock fishery is limited to a set number of chinook bycatch each year
and if the bycatch cap is reached, the fishery closes. To this date, the
pollock fishery has not hit the cap, but the cap has been lowered each
year until 2003 where it is now set at 29,000 chinook salmon. In 2001,
the bycatch cap was exceeded but not by the pollock fishery alone.=20
Since the pollock fishery is the only one accountable for the bycatch
caps, the other trawl fisheries have no incentive to avoid catching
chinook. Unlike for the Bering Sea, there are currently no caps on
salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska. Similarly, there are no caps on
red king crab or Tanner crab bycatch, even though the collapsed crab
populations in the central and western Gulf of Alaska are showing zero
to only moderate signs of recovery.
"This level of bycatch is excessive and we're concerned not only
about the ecological damage, but also the impact on coastal fishing
families who rely upon a healthy ecosystem for their livelihoods," said
the AMCC's Ben Enticknap. A copy of "Discards in the North Pacific
2001" and additional information on bycatch is available by contacting
the Alaska Marine Conservation Council at (907) 277-5357 or by e-mail
from Dorothy Childers at: dorothy@akmarine.org.=20
7:12/06. NMFS TO RENEW EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS FOR
WHITING FISHERY TO STUDY SALMON AND GROUNDFISH
BYCATCH: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced
21 March in a Federal Register notice (Vol. 68, No. 55, p. 13891) its
plans to renew exempted fishing permits (EFPs) for monitoring bycatch
in the Pacific whiting (hake) fishery offshore California, Oregon and
Washington. NMFS intends to renew EFPs for vessels participating in
an observation program to monitor incidental take of salmon and
groundfish in the shore-based component of the whiting fishery.
According to NMFS, "the EFPs are necessary to allow trawl vessels
fishing for Pacific whiting to delay sorting their catch, and thus to retain
prohibited species and groundfish in excess of cumulative trip limits
until the point of offloading. These activities are otherwise prohibited by
Federal regulations." Comments are due 7 April. For more information,
call (206) 526-6140.
7:12/07. OREGON TRAWLER PLEADS GUILTY FOR DAMAGE
TO CRAB TRAPS IN GULF OF THE FARALLONES: Oregon trawl
fisherman Jerry Hurt, F/V Nita H, pled guilty Monday, 17 March, in a
Marin County, California courtroom to two felonies and a misdemeanor
for damage and loss of crab traps in the Gulf of the Farallones as a result
of his dragging in the Dungeness grounds offshore the San Francisco and
Marin County coasts (see Sublegals, 7:10/07). The misdemeanor was for
unlawfully fishing in state waters. According to a report in the 19 March
San Francisco Chronicle, Hurt will face a maximum prison term of 3
years and 8 months when he is sentenced on 20 June, in addition to
$13,245 he must pay in restitution. For the complete San Francisco
Chronicle article, go to:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2003/0
3/19/BA263014.DTL.
7:12/08. U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE SUBMITS PAPER TO
WTO ON FISHERY SUBSIDIES: On 19 March the Office of the United
States Trade Representative (USTR) submitted to the World Trade
Organization's (WTO) Negotiating Group on Rules a paper advocating
"stronger global trade rules governing subsidies for the fisheries
industry, to remedy the economic and environmental damage from
overfishing" (see Sublegals, 6:16/11). According to the USTR office, the
U.S. "is working closely on the fisheries subsidies initiative with a broad
coalition of developed and developing countries, including Australia,
Chile, Ecuador, Iceland, New Zealand, Peru, and the Philippines.=20
Environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund have made
fisheries subsidies reform a high priority and strongly support action in
the WTO." The U.S. fisheries subsidies paper will be presented as "part
of ongoing WTO talks in the Doha Development Agenda...........and is
intended to identify some key issues and to begin a constructive dialogue
on ways to make progress in carrying out the mandate. The paper
presents several ideas for initial discussion, including:=20
* A possible expansion of the category of subsidies prohibited under the
WTO rules to include fisheries subsidies that directly promote
overcapacity and overfishing, or have other direct trade-distorting
effects;=20
* consideration of creating a category of fisheries subsidies that would
be presumed to be harmful, and therefore actionable under WTO rules,
unless the subsidizing government could affirmatively demonstrate that
no overcapacity or overfishing or other adverse trade effects resulted
from the subsidy;
* improvements to the quality of fisheries subsidy notifications under
WTO rules;
* ways to draw upon relevant expertise in other international
organizations and obtain the views of non-governmental groups,
including the fisheries industry and environmental conservation=20
groups."
According to the USTR office, the WTO Agreement on Subsidies &
Countervailing Measures already prohibits certain subsidies (particularly
those directly designed to promote exports) and establishes some
controls over most others. "However, the existing rules have not been
effective in limiting trade distorting fishery subsidies and are not
designed to address subsidies that can contribute to the actual depletion
of a mobile natural resource that moves across jurisdictional borders.
The negotiations now underway seek to identify the 'gaps' in WTO rules
and suggest possible solutions," says the USTR office. A number of
questions have been expressed by PCFFA regarding the new rules on
subsidies and, indeed, how subsidies will be defined. They include:=20
* Will government sponsored vessel buyback programs intended to
actually reduce fishing effort be considered subsidies?=20
* Will programs to assist the fishing fleet develop more selective fishing
gear, or fishing gear having less impact on habitat, be considered
subsidies?
* Will tax exemptions or other assistance intended to make fishing
vessels safer or to improve the quality/value of fish (e.g., better freezing
equipment) they deliver be considered subsidies?
* Will government sponsored programs for fishermen's training,
professionalization, or continuing education be considered subsidies?=20
* Will tax deferrals or programs aimed at allowing fishing men and
women to participate in "income averaging" taxation provisions be
considered subsidies?
* Will government programs aimed at mitigating habitat losses or
restoring fish populations be considered subsidies?=20
* How will the USTR and WTO deal with aquaculture operations that
either receive direct government assistance, or that have been allowed to
externalize their costs, when fishery subsidies are considered?
* Finally, how will the USTR and WTO deal with those industries
whose activities, sometimes government sponsored or authorized,
destroy fish resources/habitat?
To date, the only fishing industry input to the USTR is from the
National Fisheries Institute (NFI), representing fish importers and
exporters and shoreside fishing businesses in the U.S; no fishermen's
groups have been consulted by USTR. The USTR paper is at
www.ustr.gov and www.wto.org.=20
7:12/09. FISHERMEN'S NEWS ARTICLE ON FISHERY TRADE:
In line with the recently submitted paper by the U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR) on fishery subsidies (see 7:12/08 above), the
upcoming Congressional debate on the U.S.-Chile Free Trade
Agreement, and the September 2003 World Trade Organization
Ministerial Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, the April issue of the U.S. west
coast trade publication, Fishermen's News, will feature an article on
trade. "Trade Decisions Could Transform Fisheries," is the title of the
article prepared by Victor Menotti, Pietro Parravano, Natasha Benjamin
and Zeke Grader. For more information on how to subscribe, go to:
www.fishermensnews.com. A copy of the article itself is available on
the PCFFA website at: www.pcffa.org/fn-apr03.htm.
7:12/10. FAIR TRADE EXPO AND SYMPOSIUM PLANNED FOR
WTO MINISTERIAL IN CANCUN: An International Fair Trade Expo
and Symposium has been scheduled to coincide with the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting set for 9-12 September in
Cancun, Mexico. Fishing men and women from throughout the globe are
among those being invited to attend this event aimed at: 1) increasing
awareness of Fair Trade to create momentum for wider adoption of Fair
Trade and eco-label (e.g., Marine Stewardship Council certification)
purchasing by public and private institutions, companies, NGOs, and
individuals; 2) expanding coverage of Fair Trade initiatives (e.g., coffee,
fish) in international and national media, with a focus on North
American and European media markets; 3) raising visibility about the
needs and interests of small-scale producers in the global trading system
and linking them with markets, technical resources, and other producer
organizations; 4) increasing cooperation among producers, socially
responsible businesses, labor unions, certification, marketing,
development, human rights, policy analysis, advocacy and women's
organizations, and; 5) informing WTO negotiators and other government
officials about Fair Trade's contribution to sustainable development,
indigenous rights, poverty alleviation, food security, and women's
empowerment. For information, e-mail Jer=A2nimo Pruijn at:
jeronimo@laneta.apc.org or Mark Ritchie at: mark@iatp.org, or go to:
www.comerciojusto.com.mx. =20
7:12/11. FISH FARMERS OF THE WORLD UNITE - CHILEAN
GROWERS SEEK TO BOND WITH CANADIAN AND U.S.
BRETHREN: It's not exactly the IWW [International Workers of the
World] seeking to unite the downtrodden of the Earth - indeed, it's more
like a few large multi-national fish farm corporations encouraging their
divisions in different countries to get along - but Chile's association of
salmon and trout farmers has decided to change its stance toward
Canadian and U.S. producers. According to a 21 March report from
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS, Chilean fish growers which have "fought a
number of legal battles over the last 10 years" with their North American
counterparts will "try to reach an agreement to raise sales in North
America." The report went on to say, "Chile's producers have decided to
assume a position more in line with its status as the world's second
largest salmon producer, after Norway........the idea is to form a new
body, which is to be named Salmon of the Americas (SOTA), and to
stop the legal battles aimed at protecting local markets.........the Chilean
producers are also planning to begin similar talks with European and
Japanese producers." Now does anyone remember the words to the
"Internationale"? For more information, go to: http://www.iatp.org/fish.=20
7:12/12. PSE CALLS FOR B.C. GOVERNMENT TO FORCE FISH
FARMS TO COMPLY WITH PROVINICE'S PESTICIDE LAWS: The
Public Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (PSE) is calling on
British Columbia's provincial government to enforce its own pesticide
laws when dealing with sea lice problems in fish farms (see Sublegals,
7:09/08; 7:08/01; 6:25/12). The sea lice infestation from B.C. fish farms
growing Atlantic salmon is blamed for the 98 percent decline in the
province's native wild pink salmon populations. According to a
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) report, the issue is around
the use of the pesticide "Slice" being used to treat sea lice at the fish
farms. The active ingredient in Slice is emamectin benzoate, which is
also found in a pesticide called Proclaim, used on farms. Proclaim comes
with a warning that it is toxic to fish, mammals and aquatic organisms
and that it should not be directly applied to water. PSE spokesperson
Mike Romaine says if emamectin is dangerous in Proclaim, it must also
be considered dangerous in Slice, and shouldn't be used on any B.C. fish
farm until it has received a permit under the Pesticide Control Act, a
provincial law that could force a public review of Slice. He accuses the
government of ignoring the dangers in its zeal to keep the aquaculture
industry afloat. For more:
www.vancouver.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=3Dbc_slice200303
07.
7:12/13. SEA GRANT RELEASES INFORMATION PAMPHLET
ON NON-TOXIC BOTTOM PAINTS: The University of California's
Sea Grant Marine Extension Program has released a 9-page pamphlet,
"What You Need to Know About Nontoxic Antifouling Strategies for
Boats." The information in the pamphlet may be useful for fishermen
currently hauling out their vessels for repair and painting prior to the
upcoming fishing season. The toxicity of bottom paints has been a
concern of commercial fishermen on the west coast for some time,
particularly following the reports that came out of Europe on the kill of
marine life, including commercial fish stocks, attributed to the use of
bottom paints containing tributyltin (TBT). The Pacific Fisheries
Legislative Task Force spearheaded the ban of TBT bottom paints on the
west coast. PCFFA was the sponsor of the California legislation, carried
by former Assemblyman Dan Hauser (D-Arcata), which banned those
paints. For a copy of the report, e-mail Leigh Taylor Johnson at:
ltjohnson@ucdavis.edu, or go to: http://seagrant.ucdavis.edu.=20
7:12/14. CORRECTION IT'S MARYLSE, NOT MARY LEE: In last
week's issue reporting on California's Annual Legislative Forum (see
Sublegals, 7:11/02), Marylse Battistella's name was misspelled. Our
apologies to a great woman, who did a great job putting together a great
reception.=20
Paying Attention? The United States Trade Representative submitted a
paper on fishery subsidies to the World Trade Organization for
discussion. What issue below was in the USTR paper for discussion by
the Negotiating Group on Rules?
A) Inclusion of government-funded research and development of open
ocean aquaculture and genetically modified fish, for use by private
companies, as a form of fishery subsidy.=20
B) Expanding the definition of subsidies to include assistance fishing
groups receive from left-leaning private foundations and NGOs.
C) Creation of a category of fisheries subsidies presumed to be harmful,
and therefore actionable under WTO rules, unless the subsidizing
government affirmatively demonstrates no overcapacity or overfishing or
other adverse trade effects resulted from the subsidy.
D) Categorizing fishing operations, such as fish farms, that externalize
costs (e.g., pollution, habitat destruction, escaped fish) as "subsidized
fisheries" actionable under WTO rules.=20
E-Mail your answer to "Editor" at: sublegals@ifrfish.org.=20
And the Winner is......last week's winner was Marlene Bellman, who
correctly answered "D) Lupus sufferers who took large doses of fish oil
regularly have seen a reduction in fatigue and a reduction of disease
activity," in response to the question of which of the following is one of
the benefits found by researchers in three recent studies on fish in the
human diet. 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 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).=20
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&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; ~~>SUBLEGALS 21Mar03<~~<BR>
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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=
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ASSOCIATIONS<BR>
<BR>
VOL. 07, NO. 12 =
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21 MARCH 2003<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
"I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we<BR>
can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive<BR>
society is the free society, the open society. Who gave us permission to<BR>
live this way? Nobody did. We did. And that's the way it should be -<B=
R>
only more so. The best cure for the ills of democracy is more<BR>
democracy."..................Edward Abbey<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
IN THIS ISSUE.......<BR>
<BR>
Fate of British Columbia Coast Hinges on Canadian <BR>
Government Decision on Offshore Oil. 7:12/01<BR>
<BR>
NMFS Sidesteps Rulemaking on Bycatch, Decides to <BR>
Update Reduction Strategy Instead. 7:12/04<BR>
<BR>
Oregon Trawler Pleads Guilty to Two Felony Counts <BR>
for Destroying Dungeness Crab Traps. 7:12/07 <BR>
<BR>
U.S. Trade Representative Submits Paper to WTO on <BR>
Fishery Subsidies. 7:12/08<BR>
<BR>
Call for B.C. Provincial Government to Enforce Pesticide <BR>
Laws for Fish Farms Treating Sea Lice. 7:12/12<BR>
<BR>
AND MORE...... <BR>
########################################################## <BR>
<BR>
7:12/01. B.C. AWAITS FEDERAL DECISION ON OIL DRILLI=
NG<BR>
OFFSHORE CANADA'S WEST COAST: While most of the news<BR>
regarding oil drilling this past week was on the U.S. Senate's approval of<B=
R>
language by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to prevent oil and gas<BR>
exploration and development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,<BR>
fishermen and residents of British Columbia are waiting for a decision<BR>
by their Canadian federal government on whether the 32-year<BR>
moratorium on offshore oil drilling along that nation's west coast will be<B=
R>
lifted. Exploration for oil and gas offshore B.C. would not only affect<BR>
Canadian west coast fishermen, but could impact U.S. fishermen in<BR>
Alaska and the Pacific Northwest as a result of spills and pollution (e.g.,<=
BR>
methyl mercury in drill muds) associated with drilling and carried by<BR>
currents flowing either north or south. <BR>
<BR>
The federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling was=
first imposed in<BR>
1971 by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and later matched by a B.C.<BR>
provincial moratorium. Oil drilling was later allowed along Canada's<B=
R>
east coast, but the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound put a halt<BR=
>
in 1989 to plans then for drilling off B.C. Since coming to power in<B=
R>
2001, B.C.'s Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell has shown a strong<BR>
interest in lifting the moratorium. Campbell's government initiated an<BR>
Offshore Oil & Gas Technology Update, a Scientific Panel Report, and<BR>
brief Public Consultations on offshore oil and gas. In May 2002, it<BR=
>
further committed $2 million in provincial funds for research to promote<BR>
offshore drilling. Commercial fishing and conservation groups, First<B=
R>
Nations and many B.C. citizens are opposed to the drilling and are<BR>
calling on Prime Minister Jean Chretien to uphold the moratorium,<BR>
which would be consistent with his government's signing of the Kyoto<BR>
protocol on global warming. Letters and faxes to the=
Prime Minister<BR>
urging him to uphold the moratorium are being requested. They should<B=
R>
be addressed to: The Honorable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of<BR>
Canada, Langevin Block 80 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A=
<BR>
0A2, or by fax at: (613) 941-6900. For more information, go to:<BR>
http://www.oilfreecoast.org.<BR>
<BR>
Just last month, tens of thousands of people marche=
d through Madrid<BR>
protesting another oil disaster, the Spanish government's handling of the<BR=
>
sinking of the tanker M/V Prestige off the Galacian coast that spilled<BR>
over 10 millions gallons of crude, fouling hundreds of miles of beaches<BR>
and ocean waters, and shutting down the area's fishing industry (see<BR>
Sublegals, 7:01/02; 6:23/03; 6:21/01). Cleanup costs are now estimated<BR>
at $1 billion and the losses to the fishing industry are in the millions of<=
BR>
dollars.<BR>
<BR>
During the week prior to the weekend protests of 22=
-23 February in<BR>
Madrid, Greenpeace asked the European Commission to prosecute Spain<BR>
for its handling of the tanker disaster. According to a Reuters' repor=
t,<BR>
"the environmental group said the heavy fuel oil, which continues to leak<BR=
>
from the ship as it lies on the sea bed off Spain after sinking in<BR>
November, is waste which, under EU law, governments must ensure is<BR>
properly disposed of." For more information, go to the 21 February<BR>
Reuters' Planet Ark article at:<BR>
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/19904/story.htm,<BR>
and the 23 February London Guardian article at:<BR>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-2427717,00.html.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/02. BERING SEA CONFERENCE SET FOR 1-4 APRIL:<B=
R>
"Sustaining the Bering Sea: An International Conference for<BR>
Collaboration" will be held Tuesday-Friday, 1-4 April, at the Alyeska<BR>
Prince Hotel in Girdwood, Alaska. Sponsored by Pacific Environment,<BR=
>
the conference is a follow on to the April 2001 session held in<BR>
Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia (see Sublegals, 3:16/07). According<BR>
to Pacific Environment, the Bering Sea, shared by Russia and the U.S.<BR>
"and fished by many other countries..... poses as much of a diplomatic<BR>
challenge as it does an ecological one. Pollution, overfishing, and<BR=
>
climate change have led to the decline of species ranging from pollock<BR>
and salmon to polar bears and Steller sea lions. Today, 50 percent of the<BR=
>
fish consumed in the United States comes from the Bering. Without<BR>
strong, cooperative international efforts now, there will be no fish left fo=
r<BR>
our grandchildren." Agenda items include: Review of the overall state<=
BR>
of the Bering Sea Governance and management by the U.S. and Russia *<BR>
Illegal fishing and enforcement issues * Species decline * Pollution and<BR>
global warming * Local community perspectives, including fishermen<BR>
and indigenous community members * Challenges and opportunities for<BR>
international efforts * Targeted discussions of salmon, pollock, marine<BR>
mammals and seabirds. For more information, go to:<BR>
http://www.pacificenvironment.org/marine/beringconference.htm.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/03. FEDERAL REPORT FINDS EXTENSIVE DUMPING BY<=
BR>
WEST COAST TRAWL FLEET: The Seattle Times reported on 10<BR>
March that a recent federally-funded study of the 250-vessel trawl fleet<BR>
operating in the federally-managed Pacific groundfish fishery found that<BR>
44 percent of the catch was being shoveled overboard, either because of<BR>
lack of markets or prohibitions on the take of various species. The st=
udy<BR>
was based on observer data during a 12-month period that ended last<BR>
August. Some have blamed the high rate of bycatch in this fishery on<B=
R>
the nets themselves that cannot always be deployed in a manner to assure<BR>
only target species in an exact amount will be taken. Many fishermen,<=
BR>
however, say the nature of the regulations forces them to discard<BR>
otherwise perfectly good fish. To see the complete Seattle Times article,<BR=
>
"Federal Limits Have Trawlers Dumping Tons of Excess Fish," go to:<BR>
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134649825_discard10<BR>
m.html. <BR>
<BR>
7:12/04. NMFS ANNOUNCES PLAN TO UPDATE BYCATCH<BR>
REDUCTION STRATEGY: On 11 March the National Marine Fisheries<BR>
Service (NMFS) issued a notice in the Federal Register (Vol. 68, No. 47,<BR>
pp. 11501-11518) of its decision on a petition for rulemaking on<BR>
fisheries bycatch filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act<BR>
(APA). The petition sought to immediately promulgate a rule to<BR>
establish a program to count, cap, and control bycatch in U.S. fisheries.<BR=
>
"The petition asserted NMFS is not complying with its statutory<BR>
obligations to monitor and minimize bycatch under the<BR>
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act (MSA),<BR>
the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act<BR>
of 1972 (MMPA), and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). <BR>
<BR>
The petition sought a regulatory program that inclu=
des a workplan for<BR>
observer coverage sufficient to provide statistically reliable bycatch<BR>
estimates in all fisheries, the incorporation of bycatch estimates into<BR>
restrictions on fishing, the placing of limits on directed catch and<BR>
bycatch in each fishery with provision for closure upon attainment of<BR>
either limit, and bycatch assessment and reduction plans as a<BR>
requirement for all commercial and recreational fisheries. NMFS has<BR>
decided not to initiate rulemaking immediately, but instead to update and<BR=
>
renew its commitment to a National Bycatch Strategy, which may<BR>
eventually result in rulemaking for some fisheries" (see Sublegals,<BR>
7:10/06). For more information, contact Jack Dunnigan, Director, NMFS<BR>
Office of Sustainable Fisheries, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,<BR>
MD 20910; telephone: (301) 713-2334, or go to:<BR>
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/bycatch.htm.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/05. AMCC RELEASES UPDATED REPORT ON STATUS OF<=
BR>
BYCATCH IN NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES: On 13 March, the<BR>
Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) released an update of its<BR>
report on the status of North Pacific bycatch, "Discards in the North<BR>
Pacific Groundfish Fisheries 2001." The source for data used in the<BR>
AMCC report came from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)<BR>
and was compiled by Fisheries Information Services of Juneau, Alaska. <BR>
Discards of the North Pacific 2001 is the continuation of a series of<BR>
bycatch reports, since 1992, documenting groundfish and prohibited<BR>
species discards in North Pacific groundfish fisheries. The report<BR>
documents over 261 million pounds of groundfish in 2001. In that year,<BR>
for example, over 12 million pounds of sharphcin and northern rockfish<BR>
were caught in the Atka mackerel fishery and 97.3 percent of those fish<BR>
were discarded. <BR>
<BR>
The report also highlights salmon bycatch in the Be=
ring Sea, Aleutian<BR>
Island and Gulf of Alaska trawl fisheries. Salmon are considered a<BR>
prohibited species, meaning that it is not legal for groundfish vessels to<B=
R>
retain and sell any salmon species caught while targeting groundfish. =20=
In<BR>
2001, groundfish fisheries intercepted 40,000 chinook and 60,000 chum<BR>
and other salmon. In comparison to vessels using longlines or pots,<BR=
>
vessels using trawls accounted for 99 percent of salmon bycatch. In<BR=
>
1999, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC)<BR>
amended regulations to reduce bycatch of chinook salmon in the Bering<BR>
Sea by establishing the Chinook Salmon Savings Areas. The Bering Sea<B=
R>
pollock fishery is limited to a set number of chinook bycatch each year<BR>
and if the bycatch cap is reached, the fishery closes. To this date, t=
he<BR>
pollock fishery has not hit the cap, but the cap has been lowered each<BR>
year until 2003 where it is now set at 29,000 chinook salmon. In 2001,=
<BR>
the bycatch cap was exceeded but not by the pollock fishery alone. <BR>
Since the pollock fishery is the only one accountable for the bycatch<BR>
caps, the other trawl fisheries have no incentive to avoid catching<BR>
chinook. Unlike for the Bering Sea, there are currently no caps on<BR>
salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska. Similarly, there are no caps on<=
BR>
red king crab or Tanner crab bycatch, even though the collapsed crab<BR>
populations in the central and western Gulf of Alaska are showing zero<BR>
to only moderate signs of recovery.<BR>
<BR>
"This level of bycatch is excessive and we're conce=
rned not only<BR>
about the ecological damage, but also the impact on coastal fishing<BR>
families who rely upon a healthy ecosystem for their livelihoods," said<BR>
the AMCC's Ben Enticknap. A copy of "Discards in the North Pacific<BR>
2001" and additional information on bycatch is available by contacting<BR>
the Alaska Marine Conservation Council at (907) 277-5357 or by e-mail<BR>
from Dorothy Childers at: dorothy@akmarine.org. <BR>
<BR>
7:12/06. NMFS TO RENEW EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS FOR<BR>
WHITING FISHERY TO STUDY SALMON AND GROUNDFISH<BR>
BYCATCH: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced<BR>
21 March in a Federal Register notice (Vol. 68, No. 55, p. 13891) its<BR>
plans to renew exempted fishing permits (EFPs) for monitoring bycatch<BR>
in the Pacific whiting (hake) fishery offshore California, Oregon and<BR>
Washington. NMFS intends to renew EFPs for vessels participating in<BR>
an observation program to monitor incidental take of salmon and<BR>
groundfish in the shore-based component of the whiting fishery.<BR>
According to NMFS, "the EFPs are necessary to allow trawl vessels<BR>
fishing for Pacific whiting to delay sorting their catch, and thus to retain=
<BR>
prohibited species and groundfish in excess of cumulative trip limits<BR>
until the point of offloading. These activities are otherwise prohibited by<=
BR>
Federal regulations." Comments are due 7 April. For more information,<=
BR>
call (206) 526-6140.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/07. OREGON TRAWLER PLEADS GUILTY FOR DAMAGE<BR=
>
TO CRAB TRAPS IN GULF OF THE FARALLONES: Oregon trawl<BR>
fisherman Jerry Hurt, F/V Nita H, pled guilty Monday, 17 March, in a<BR>
Marin County, California courtroom to two felonies and a misdemeanor<BR>
for damage and loss of crab traps in the Gulf of the Farallones as a result<=
BR>
of his dragging in the Dungeness grounds offshore the San Francisco and<BR>
Marin County coasts (see Sublegals, 7:10/07). The misdemeanor was for<BR>
unlawfully fishing in state waters. According to a report in the 19 Ma=
rch<BR>
San Francisco Chronicle, Hurt will face a maximum prison term of 3<BR>
years and 8 months when he is sentenced on 20 June, in addition to<BR>
$13,245 he must pay in restitution. For the complete San Francisco<BR>
Chronicle article, go to:<BR>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2003/0<B=
R>
3/19/BA263014.DTL.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/08. U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE SUBMITS PAPER TO=
<BR>
WTO ON FISHERY SUBSIDIES: On 19 March the Office of the United<BR>
States Trade Representative (USTR) submitted to the World Trade<BR>
Organization's (WTO) Negotiating Group on Rules a paper advocating<BR>
"stronger global trade rules governing subsidies for the fisheries<BR>
industry, to remedy the economic and environmental damage from<BR>
overfishing" (see Sublegals, 6:16/11). According to the USTR office, the<BR>
U.S. "is working closely on the fisheries subsidies initiative with a broad<=
BR>
coalition of developed and developing countries, including Australia,<BR>
Chile, Ecuador, Iceland, New Zealand, Peru, and the Philippines. <BR>
Environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund have made<BR>
fisheries subsidies reform a high priority and strongly support action in<BR=
>
the WTO." The U.S. fisheries subsidies paper will be presented as "par=
t<BR>
of ongoing WTO talks in the Doha Development Agenda...........and is<BR>
intended to identify some key issues and to begin a constructive dialogue<BR=
>
on ways to make progress in carrying out the mandate. The paper<BR>
presents several ideas for initial discussion, including: <BR>
<BR>
* A possible expansion of the category of subsidies prohibited under the<BR>
WTO rules to include fisheries subsidies that directly promote<BR>
overcapacity and overfishing, or have other direct trade-distorting<BR>
effects; <BR>
* consideration of creating a category of fisheries subsidies that would<BR>
be presumed to be harmful, and therefore actionable under WTO rules,<BR>
unless the subsidizing government could affirmatively demonstrate that<BR>
no overcapacity or overfishing or other adverse trade effects resulted<BR>
from the subsidy;<BR>
* improvements to the quality of fisheries subsidy notifications under<BR>
WTO rules;<BR>
* ways to draw upon relevant expertise in other international<BR>
organizations and obtain the views of non-governmental groups,<BR>
including the fisheries industry and environmental conservation <BR>
groups."<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
According to the USTR office, the WTO Agreement on=20=
Subsidies &<BR>
Countervailing Measures already prohibits certain subsidies (particularly<BR=
>
those directly designed to promote exports) and establishes some<BR>
controls over most others. "However, the existing rules have not been<BR>
effective in limiting trade distorting fishery subsidies and are not<BR>
designed to address subsidies that can contribute to the actual depletion<BR=
>
of a mobile natural resource that moves across jurisdictional borders.<BR>
The negotiations now underway seek to identify the 'gaps' in WTO rules<BR>
and suggest possible solutions," says the USTR office. A number of<BR>
questions have been expressed by PCFFA regarding the new rules on<BR>
subsidies and, indeed, how subsidies will be defined. They include: <BR>
<BR>
* Will government sponsored vessel buyback programs intended to<BR>
actually reduce fishing effort be considered subsidies? <BR>
* Will programs to assist the fishing fleet develop more selective fishing<B=
R>
gear, or fishing gear having less impact on habitat, be considered<BR>
subsidies?<BR>
* Will tax exemptions or other assistance intended to make fishing<BR>
vessels safer or to improve the quality/value of fish (e.g., better freezing=
<BR>
equipment) they deliver be considered subsidies?<BR>
* Will government sponsored programs for fishermen's training,<BR>
professionalization, or continuing education be considered subsidies? <BR>
* Will tax deferrals or programs aimed at allowing fishing men and<BR>
women to participate in "income averaging" taxation provisions be<BR>
considered subsidies?<BR>
* Will government programs aimed at mitigating habitat losses or<BR>
restoring fish populations be considered subsidies? <BR>
* How will the USTR and WTO deal with aquaculture operations that<BR>
either receive direct government assistance, or that have been allowed to<BR=
>
externalize their costs, when fishery subsidies are considered?<BR>
* Finally, how will the USTR and WTO deal with those industries<BR>
whose activities, sometimes government sponsored or authorized,<BR>
destroy fish resources/habitat?<BR>
<BR>
To date, the only fishing industry input to the UST=
R is from the<BR>
National Fisheries Institute (NFI), representing fish importers and<BR>
exporters and shoreside fishing businesses in the U.S; no fishermen's<BR>
groups have been consulted by USTR. The USTR paper is at<BR>
www.ustr.gov and www.wto.org. <BR>
<BR>
7:12/09. FISHERMEN'S NEWS ARTICLE ON FISHERY TRADE:=
<BR>
In line with the recently submitted paper by the U.S. Trade<BR>
Representative (USTR) on fishery subsidies (see 7:12/08 above), the<BR>
upcoming Congressional debate on the U.S.-Chile Free Trade<BR>
Agreement, and the September 2003 World Trade Organization<BR>
Ministerial Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, the April issue of the U.S. west<BR>
coast trade publication, Fishermen's News, will feature an article on<BR>
trade. "Trade Decisions Could Transform Fisheries," is the title of th=
e<BR>
article prepared by Victor Menotti, Pietro Parravano, Natasha Benjamin<BR>
and Zeke Grader. For more information on how to subscribe, go to:<BR>
www.fishermensnews.com. A copy of the article itself is available on<B=
R>
the PCFFA website at: www.pcffa.org/fn-apr03.htm.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/10. FAIR TRADE EXPO AND SYMPOSIUM PLANNED FOR<=
BR>
WTO MINISTERIAL IN CANCUN: An International Fair Trade Expo<BR>
and Symposium has been scheduled to coincide with the World Trade<BR>
Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting set for 9-12 September in<BR>
Cancun, Mexico. Fishing men and women from throughout the globe are<BR>
among those being invited to attend this event aimed at: 1) increasing<BR>
awareness of Fair Trade to create momentum for wider adoption of Fair<BR>
Trade and eco-label (e.g., Marine Stewardship Council certification)<BR>
purchasing by public and private institutions, companies, NGOs, and<BR>
individuals; 2) expanding coverage of Fair Trade initiatives (e.g., coffee,<=
BR>
fish) in international and national media, with a focus on North<BR>
American and European media markets; 3) raising visibility about the<BR>
needs and interests of small-scale producers in the global trading system<BR=
>
and linking them with markets, technical resources, and other producer<BR>
organizations; 4) increasing cooperation among producers, socially<BR>
responsible businesses, labor unions, certification, marketing,<BR>
development, human rights, policy analysis, advocacy and women's<BR>
organizations, and; 5) informing WTO negotiators and other government<BR>
officials about Fair Trade's contribution to sustainable development,<BR>
indigenous rights, poverty alleviation, food security, and women's<BR>
empowerment. For information, e-mail Jer=A2nimo Pruijn at:<BR>
jeronimo@laneta.apc.org or Mark Ritchie at: mark@iatp.org, or go to:<BR>
www.comerciojusto.com.mx. <BR>
<BR>
7:12/11. FISH FARMERS OF THE WORLD UNITE - CHILEAN<=
BR>
GROWERS SEEK TO BOND WITH CANADIAN AND U.S.<BR>
BRETHREN: It's not exactly the IWW [International Workers of the<BR>
World] seeking to unite the downtrodden of the Earth - indeed, it's more<BR>
like a few large multi-national fish farm corporations encouraging their<BR>
divisions in different countries to get along - but Chile's association of<B=
R>
salmon and trout farmers has decided to change its stance toward<BR>
Canadian and U.S. producers. According to a 21 March report from<BR>
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS, Chilean fish growers which have "fought a<BR>
number of legal battles over the last 10 years" with their North American<BR=
>
counterparts will "try to reach an agreement to raise sales in North<BR>
America." The report went on to say, "Chile's producers have decided t=
o<BR>
assume a position more in line with its status as the world's second<BR>
largest salmon producer, after Norway........the idea is to form a new<BR>
body, which is to be named Salmon of the Americas (SOTA), and to<BR>
stop the legal battles aimed at protecting local markets.........the Chilean=
<BR>
producers are also planning to begin similar talks with European and<BR>
Japanese producers." Now does anyone remember the words to the<BR>
"Internationale"? For more information, go to: http://www.iatp.org/fis=
h. <BR>
<BR>
7:12/12. PSE CALLS FOR B.C. GOVERNMENT TO FORCE FIS=
H<BR>
FARMS TO COMPLY WITH PROVINICE'S PESTICIDE LAWS: The<BR>
Public Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (PSE) is calling on<BR>
British Columbia's provincial government to enforce its own pesticide<BR>
laws when dealing with sea lice problems in fish farms (see Sublegals,<BR>
7:09/08; 7:08/01; 6:25/12). The sea lice infestation from B.C. fish fa=
rms<BR>
growing Atlantic salmon is blamed for the 98 percent decline in the<BR>
province's native wild pink salmon populations. According to a<BR>
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) report, the issue is around<BR>
the use of the pesticide "Slice" being used to treat sea lice at the fish<BR=
>
farms. The active ingredient in Slice is emamectin benzoate, which is<BR>
also found in a pesticide called Proclaim, used on farms. Proclaim comes<BR>
with a warning that it is toxic to fish, mammals and aquatic organisms<BR>
and that it should not be directly applied to water. PSE spokesperson<BR>
Mike Romaine says if emamectin is dangerous in Proclaim, it must also<BR>
be considered dangerous in Slice, and shouldn't be used on any B.C. fish<BR>
farm until it has received a permit under the Pesticide Control Act, a<BR>
provincial law that could force a public review of Slice. He accuses the<BR>
government of ignoring the dangers in its zeal to keep the aquaculture<BR>
industry afloat. For more:<BR>
www.vancouver.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=3Dbc_slice200303<BR>
07.<BR>
<BR>
7:12/13. SEA GRANT RELEASES INFORMATION PAMPHLET<BR=
>
ON NON-TOXIC BOTTOM PAINTS: The University of California's<BR>
Sea Grant Marine Extension Program has released a 9-page pamphlet,<BR>
"What You Need to Know About Nontoxic Antifouling Strategies for<BR>
Boats." The information in the pamphlet may be useful for fishermen<BR=
>
currently hauling out their vessels for repair and painting prior to the<BR>
upcoming fishing season. The toxicity of bottom paints has been a<BR>
concern of commercial fishermen on the west coast for some time,<BR>
particularly following the reports that came out of Europe on the kill of<BR=
>
marine life, including commercial fish stocks, attributed to the use of<BR>
bottom paints containing tributyltin (TBT). The Pacific Fisheries<BR>
Legislative Task Force spearheaded the ban of TBT bottom paints on the<BR>
west coast. PCFFA was the sponsor of the California legislation, carried<BR>
by former Assemblyman Dan Hauser (D-Arcata), which banned those<BR>
paints. For a copy of the report, e-mail Leigh Taylor Johnson at:<BR>
ltjohnson@ucdavis.edu, or go to: http://seagrant.ucdavis.edu. <BR>
<BR>
7:12/14. CORRECTION IT'S MARYLSE, NOT MARY LEE: In=20=
last<BR>
week's issue reporting on California's Annual Legislative Forum (see<BR>
Sublegals, 7:11/02), Marylse Battistella's name was misspelled. Our<BR=
>
apologies to a great woman, who did a great job putting together a great<BR>
reception. <BR>
<BR>
Paying Attention? The United States Trade Representative submitted a<B=
R>
paper on fishery subsidies to the World Trade Organization for<BR>
discussion. What issue below was in the USTR paper for discussion by<BR>
the Negotiating Group on Rules?<BR>
<BR>
A) Inclusion of government-funded research and development of open<BR>
ocean aquaculture and genetically modified fish, for use by private<BR>
companies, as a form of fishery subsidy. <BR>
B) Expanding the definition of subsidies to include assistance fishing<BR>
groups receive from left-leaning private foundations and NGOs.<BR>
C) Creation of a category of fisheries subsidies presumed to be harmful,<BR>
and therefore actionable under WTO rules, unless the subsidizing<BR>
government affirmatively demonstrates no overcapacity or overfishing or<BR>
other adverse trade effects resulted from the subsidy.<BR>
D) Categorizing fishing operations, such as fish farms, that externalize<BR>
costs (e.g., pollution, habitat destruction, escaped fish) as "subsidized<BR=
>
fisheries" actionable under WTO rules. <BR>
<BR>
E-Mail your answer to "Editor" at: sublegals@ifrfish.org. <BR>
<BR>
And the Winner is......last week's winner was Marle=
ne Bellman, who<BR>
correctly answered "D) Lupus sufferers who took large doses of fish oil<BR>
regularly have seen a reduction in fatigue and a reduction of disease<BR>
activity," in response to the question of which of the following is one of<B=
R>
the benefits found by researchers in three recent studies on fish in the<BR>
human diet. She receives an "Order of the Fringehead" certificate and a<BR>
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>
source at either: (415) 561-FISH (Southwest Office) or (541) 689-2000<BR>
(Northwest Office). <BR>
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>
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<BR>
http://straylight.primelogic.com/mailman/listinfo/fishlink <BR>
<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>
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SHIRT? GO TO: www.ifrfish.org <BR>
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