[Fishlink] ~~>SUBLEGALS 13June03 (PART 2)<~~
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~~>SUBLEGALS 13June03 (PART 2)<~~
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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. 24 13 JUNE 2003
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CONTINUED FROM PART ONE
7:24/12. FARMED SALMON THREATEN SURVIVAL OF WILD
ATLANTIC SALMON: At the 11 June session of the World Salmon
Summit, held at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C. (see
Sublegals, 7:21/06), a bleak picture was painted of the prospects for
survival of wild runs of Atlantic salmon. In his paper, "Wild Atlantic
Salmon in North America: Status and Perspectives," Dr. Fred
Whoriskey, Vice-President of Research & Environment for the Atlantic
Salmon Federation (ASF), said that even though all commercial fishing
on North American Atlantic salmon stocks has ceased, populations
continue to decline and "returns to their rivers of origin have fallen to
some of the lowest recorded levels." Most salmon populations in the
southern third of their North American range (south of Cape Breton,
Nova Scotia) are now endangered. Although recovery programs are
being implemented where funding can be accessed, it will take millions
of dollars and a great deal of hard work and many years to repair the
rivers and overcome the damage caused as a result of human activity.
River blockings, acid rain and industrial practices are among the threats
to recovery, Whoriskey told Summit attendees.
Over the past two decades, millions of farmed salmon have escaped
from cages into the habitat of threatened wild salmon. Scientific reviews
and research prove that these escaped farmed fish pose threats of disease
and parasite transmission, competition for food and habitat, and of
interbreeding with wild salmon, decreasing the genetic fitness of
successive generations for survival in the wild. Farmed fish now
outnumber wild fish by a ratio of 48:1 in the North Atlantic. In late
May, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) and the World Wildlife
Fund (WWF) released a report documenting several governments'
progress in implementing legislation to reduce the negative impacts of
aquaculture on wild salmon populations. The U.S. scored a mere 0.5 out
of a possible score of 10, while Canada fared better at 2.85. Both grades
indicate failure to live up to international obligations developed by the
North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO). In the
report, ASF and WWF also recommended ways to protect wild salmon
from salmon aquaculture impacts. They include:
* adopting salmon aquaculture exclusion zones;
* requiring monitoring and enforcement of management systems to
minimize escapes, improve fish husbandry and benthic (bottom of the
sea) ecosystem quality;
* requiring consideration of cumulative environmental impacts of
multiple aquaculture sites in siting decisions;
* requiring more comprehensive reporting on measures implemented
and outcomes, and;
* obligating nations to make public all relevant data on the degree of
industry compliance with a selected set of regulatory requirements.
For more information on the Salmon Summit, go to:
www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/summit.htm. To see a copy of the Atlantic
Salmon Federation report, go to: www.asf.ca. For the 12 June
Associated Press article by Jeff Barnard, see:
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-12-09.asp#anchor6. The
July issue of National Geographic also contains an extensive article on
the threat to wild Atlantics from salmon farms; it is at:
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0307/feature5/index.html.
7:24/13. UBC STUDY FINDS SALMON FARMING A FAILURE:
A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has
found that "rather than being a sustainable replacement for wild salmon
stocks, the aquaculture industry is 'an ecological and economic failure'
that requires more energy than traditional fishing fleets and uses more
ocean resources than it produces," reported the 11June Vancouver Sun.
The study's conclusions were presented by Dr. William Rees in a paper
to the World Summit on Salmon, being held in Vancouver, B.C. (see
7:24/12 above). "It's simply not true we do these things to feed the
world's starving millions," says Rees. "We do it because it represents a
large infusion of foreign capital into the province and creates jobs in
areas that are suffering from bad management of our forests and wild
fish stocks."
According to the study's findings, the "data reveal that net-pen
salmon farming as presently practiced is considerably more energy and
material intensive per unit product than are conventional (already energy
and materially costly) harvest methods. Regardless of species raised, the
'ecological footprints' (ecosystem services demanded) per tonne of
product generated by salmon farms are therefore considerably larger than
those of the fleet fishery. The salmon-farming industry thus contributes
disproportionately to global climate change through its considerable
carbon dioxide emissions, further increasing humanity's already
dangerous food dependence on depleteable stocks of cheap fossil fuel.
More importantly, because salmon feed is produced using fish and fish
products imported from other parts of the world, the salmon farming
industry actually reduces the total amount of food available for human
consumption (particularly in the developing South). From this
perspective, net-pen salmon farming can be interpreted as both an
ecological and economic failure. Farming salmon is an inherently
unsustainable economic substitute for a service that nature once provided
free. Most tellingly, the industry exacerbates North-South inequity and
fails, even temporarily, in its promise to enhance global food supplies.
Meanwhile, salmon farming extends the human ecological footprint and
the inexorably increasing total human load on the ecosphere."
Professor William Rees can be contacted at the School & Community
Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Memorial Road,
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada. Tel: (604) 433-6333 or by e-mail at:
wrees@interchange.ubc.ca. The Vancouver Sun article, "Aquaculture
industry 'failure,' study claims," is at:
http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=577d3992-3e57-40a1-b1f4
-c034cde702c2. For the consumer angle, see the 28 May New York
Times article, "Farmed Salmon Looking Less Rosy," at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/28/dining/28WELL.html?ex=1055135
666&ei=1&en=90a215002e26681d
7:24/14. MAINE SALMON FARMERS APPEAL COURT
DECISION ON CONDITIONS FOR CONDUCTING SALMON
AQUACULTURE: On 5 June, Altantic Salmon of Maine and Stolt Sea
Farm, Inc. announced they would appeal U.S. District Judge Gene
Carter's ruling of 28 May requiring the foreign owned firms to fallow
their net pens for two years (to allow the ocean bottom to clean itself), to
comply with federal Clean Water Act discharge requirements, and to use
only Atlantic salmon native to North America in their stocking
operations (see Sublegals, 7:22/01; 7:20/04; 7:09/09; 5:08/09; 5:02/10;
4:14/04; 1:19/03).
The Bangor Daily News reported that, on 19 June, Maine's Board of
Environmental Protection is expected to consider a draft permit that
would cover nearly all of Maine's salmon aquaculture sites. The draft
permit proposes a gradual phasing out of non-North American genes in
the salmon. It also includes standards for salmon feeding and
water-quality monitoring, which state biologists believe will resolve
most pollution problems without requiring the pens to go unused for two
years. The question is whether this permit conditions will be sufficient to
protect water quality along Maine's coast and protect the state's wild
Atlantic salmon, listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA),
from the affects of salmon net pen operations. For more, see the 8 June
Bangor Daily News article at: http://www.bangornews.com.
7:24/15. CHILE, U.S. SIGN FREE TRADE PACT AFTER CHILE
CHARGED WITH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: The US - Chile
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed 6 June in Miami by U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick and Chilean Foreign Minister
Soledad Alvear (see Sublegals, 7:22/04; 4:17/03). The agreement
eliminates tariffs in the trade of farmed salmon products.
The signing of the pact had been delayed because Chile opposed the
U.S. invasion of Iraq; the text of the FTA was completed on 11
December 2002. Under the terms of The Trade Act of 2002, the
Administration had to notify Congress at least 90 days prior to signing.
Under the terms of "fast track," Congress last year waived its authority to
make any changes in a trade agreement and can only vote it up or down.
On 11 April, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) wrote the USTR
requesting a renegotiation on tariffs on Chilean farmed imports, but that
appeal apparently fell on Zoellick's deaf ears (see Sublegals, 7:18/02).
Pacific coast salmon fishermen have been economically damaged by the
influx of cheap Chilean farmed salmon into the U.S. market, and Chilean
fishermen have been displaced in many of their traditional fishing areas
by the salmon farms, mostly owned by multi-national corporations.
Three days prior to the signing of the US-Chile FTA, a complaint was
filed in Washington DC before the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights against the Chilean government for violating the "right to
information and freedom of expression." The claim by the Diego
Portales University Public Interest Clinic and the Chilean Organization
of Consumers & Users (ODECU) before the Inter-American
Commission is related to restrictions to the right of information and
public participation regarding issues of biotechnology, biosafety and the
release of transgenics. Petitioners claim that despite the existence of
three consecutive democratic regimes, the design and implementation of
public policy has been characterized by a high degree of centralization,
scarce participation and restrictions to freedom of information. The issue
of transgenics, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is likely to
become heated in Chile where it is expected Aqua Bounty Farms will
first market its transgenic Atlantic salmon to that nation's aquaculture
operators after getting U.S. Food & Drug Administration (USDA)
approval.
7:24/16. USDA HOSTS PRE-CANCUN WTO GET TOGETHER
IN SACRAMENTO, PROMOTION OF AQUACULTURE AND
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS EXPECTED: The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting government ministers
from over 180 nations and transnational corporations at the World Food
Summit: Five Years Later, in Sacramento, California, 20-25 June (see
Sublegals, 7:18/03). U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman
announced that the United States proposed to focus on three priorities in
partnership with other donors and developing countries: reducing hunger
by increasing agricultural productivity; ending famine, and; improving
nutrition. The focus of the conference will be on genetically engineered
crops and food supplies. The Technology Expo will run concurrently
with the Conference, which will display new technologies for large-scale
farms and biotechnologies. This ministerial is one of the key stepping
stones for the Bush Administration to push their agenda for the next
World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Cancun in September.
Millions of small farmers and fishermen around the world have called
for protests at the Sacramento ministerial to denounce the corporate take
over of the global food supply. There will be many events throughout the
week, including a 21 June Teach-In on "Globalization Impacts on
Forests and Fish," where Natasha Benjamin from the Institute for
Fisheries Resources will be speaking on impacts on fishing communities
and the threat of genetically engineered fish. For more information, go to
http://www.sacmobilization.org and for information from the USDA go
to http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/stconf/conf_main.html. Also see the
article, "Globalization and GMOs" by Tom Hayden in the 23 June issue
of The Nation (pp.23-24) at: www.thenation.com.
7:24/17. AQUACULTURE CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR
NOVEMBER IN SEATTLE: While this month may bring "Seattle to
Sacramento" with the behind closed doors agribusiness and biotech
promotion being hosted by USDA in the lead up to the WTO Cancun
meeting, fishermen will get a chance in Seattle to discuss the impacts of
aquaculture on their industry. "Marine Aquaculture: Effects on the West
Coast and Alaska Fishing Industry" is the title of a conference scheduled
for 17-19 November at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center
in Seattle. The 3-day conference, hosted by the Pacific States Marine
Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) will focus on the environmental and
economic impacts of aquaculture. The conference dovetails with FISH
EXPO that will be held 20-22 November this year at the Seattle
Convention Center. For more information on the aquaculture
conference, go to: www.psmfc.org. For more information on FISH
EXPO, go to: www.fishexposeattle.com.
7:24/18. UN TREATY ON BIOSAFETY RATIFIED, US REFUSES
TO SIGN: On 13 June, Palau became the 50th nation to ratify the United
Nations' Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, or the Biosafety Protocol,
which makes the treaty official. Reported Environmental News Service
(ENS), "it is the first treaty that formally protects biological diversity
from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms." It
will take effect 90 days from signing, on 11 September. The treaty could
be extremely important to the fishing industry since genetically
modified, or transgenic, fish are being proposed for net pen and open
ocean aquaculture operations. The protocol is a supplementary
agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a wider
international treaty that protects the variety of life on Earth, including
the
genetic differences between species and within each species. "The
Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from potential
risks that may be posed by living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting
from modern biotechnology, said the ENS report. LMOs are also known
as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
ENS also reported the "Biosafety Protocol deals primarily with
GMOs that are to be intentionally introduced into the environment, such
as seeds, trees or fish, and with genetically modified farm commodities,
such as corn and grain used for food, animal feed or processing." The
United States has not signed the protocol, but the Administrator of the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) told the Congress
that the United States should, instead, continue promoting development
of new agricultural technologies, including biotechnology. The U.S.
claims this is needed to save starving Africans, a line apparently few
African nations believe. Many Americans and Africans are
malnourished and vulnerable to disease and infection, but the difference
is one group is obese, the other emaciated. To see the ENS article, go to:
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-13-01.asp. The Convention
on Biodiversity is available online at:
http://bch.biodiv.org/Pilot/Home.aspx. Another related GMO article is
from the Guardian Weekly at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,968356,00.html.
7:24/19. CALIFORNIA FISH & GAME COMMISSION TO MEET
IN MAMMOTH LAKES: The California Fish & Game Commission
will meet 19-20 June in Mammoth Lakes. The main agenda items will
be heard in Friday's session; they include: proposed adoption of
amendments their transgenic fish regulations (#15) and adoption of
amendments on nearshore fishery total allowable catch, trip limits and
weekday closures (#18). For more information, go to:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fg_comm.
7:24/20. WYDEN, CAPPS INTRODUCE CCF REFORM
LEGISLATION IN CONGRESS: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR)
and Gordon Smith (R-OR) have introduced legislation aimed at
amending the Capital Construction Fund (CCF) in the Merchant Marine
Act (46 USC App 1177 et seq.) to allow qualified roll-over of CCF
funds held by an individual into a retirement account. CCF was
designed as a means for individuals to set funds aside tax free for the
purpose of upgrading, rebuilding or building a new fishing vessel. At
the time the fund was established there was a need to build up the U.S.
fishing fleet.
Since the 1980's, however, many fisheries are now overcapitalized
with excess fishing capacity. S 1193, the "Capital Construction Fund
Qualified Withdrawal Act of 2003" is intended to allow fishermen to
supplement their retirement by rolling funds into qualified retirement
accounts, rather than being forced to add more fishing capacity. The bill
also allows investment in more selective, "environmentally friendly,"
fishing gear and CCF monies could also be used for the purchase of
vessel monitoring systems (VMS). PCFFA has suggested additional
language to explicitly allow for the use of CCF for: 1) more fuel efficient
engines (not higher horsepower); 2) vessel safety equipment and vessel
safety upgrades; and 3) equipment to improve fish handling aboard to
get more value from each pound of fish landed. CCF does not prohibit
these uses, but PCFFA felt there should be more emphasis on them.
On the House side, Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) has introduced
a nearly identical measure, HR 2360. Capps, whose district includes the
fishing port of Santa Barbara, worked with Senator Wyden's office last
year on the Pacific groundfish vessel and permit buyback bill and carried
the measure in the House of Representatives. That legislation was
passed earlier this year (see Sublegals, 7:04/07).
There is currently $101.5 million tied up in CCF among 1623
fishermen in California, Oregon and Washington and another $30.8
million in CCF held by 1064 fishermen in Alaska. To see the bills, go to:
http://thomas.loc.gov.
7:24/21. GROUNDFISH AMENDMENT NOW AVAILABLE
FROM PFMC: Draft Amendment 16-1 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish
Fishery Management Plan Process and Standards for Rebuilding Plans
Including Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Analyses (June
2003) is now available on the Pacific Fishery Management Council
(PFMC) website at: http://www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/
gffmp/gfa16-1.html. The PFMC has prepared a "Scoping Summary" for
Amendment 16-1 Environmental Assessment (EA) and Amendment
16-2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This document is available
online at: http://www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/gffmp/scoping.pdf.
7:24/22. "ORGANIC CAUCUS" STARTED IN CONGRESS: The
U.S. House of Representatives has formed the "Organic Caucus" in
response to many of the threats to U.S. and world food safety from the
use of chemicals and biotechnology. The stated purpose of the
bipartisan group, which began with 5 Republicans and 16 Democrats, is
to "enhance availability and understanding of information related to the
production and processing of organic agricultural products."
Fish could soon be included in that following the language approved
by Congress earlier this year allowing wild fish to qualify for organic
labeling. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA), who authored the nation's
first comprehensive organic standards while he was a member of the
California Legislature in 1990, said "With new organic standards now in
effect, consumers are demanding greater availability and farmers are
seeking solutions to their organic production problems." For more
information on the House Organic Caucus, go to:
http://www.ofrf.org/policy/OrganicCaucusInfo/5-03memberlist.pdf.
7:24/23. EPA RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT ON FISH
ADVISORIES: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 4
June released its annual "National Listing of Fish and Wildlife
Advisories," which is designed to protect susceptible populations such as
young children and women of child-bearing age. The report highlights a
93 percent increase in state safe eating guidelines, which are issued to
inform the public that fish caught from specific waterbodies have been
tested and are safe to eat. The safe eating guidelines began in 1993, and
only 20 guidelines were issued. The number increased slowly until 2002,
when 164 new safe eating guidelines were issued. Currently 3,084 miles
of rivers and 4,342,920 lake acres nationally have safe eating guidelines
for at least one fish species in the U.S.
Although there are advisories for a total of 39 chemical contaminants,
most advisories involve five primary contaminants: mercury, PCBs,
dioxins, DDT, and chlordane. Almost 75 percent of the advisories have
been issued at least in part because of mercury contamination. The 2,800
advisories issued in 2002 represent approximately 33 percent of the
nation's total lake acreage and over 15 percent of the nation's total river
miles. Approximately 95,000 lakes and 544,000 river miles are under
advisory as well as all the Great Lakes and their connecting waters.
There are also various advisories in many other nationally important
waterways, including Lake Champlain, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
and 20 estuaries. In addition, 28 states have statewide advisories. The
National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories and additional
information on fish consumption advisories are available at:
www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish.
7:24/24. US SENATE TURNS DOWN GRAHAM AMENDMENT,
VOTES TO SUPPORT OIL EXPLORATION IN MORATORIUM
AREAS OFFSHORE: On June 12, the U.S. Senate voted down an
amendment by Senators Bob Graham (D-FL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA),
Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to protect the existing
offshore oil moratorium areas along the U.S. west coast (north of the
Santa Maria Basin), Bristol Bay, Florida and Georges Bank, voting
instead to support language allowing "studies" to inventory oil and gas
reserves in these areas (see Sublegals, 7:19/10; 7:15/09; 7:14/01). Since
1982 Congress has prohibited leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities
on much of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), primarily to protect
fisheries.
"Make no mistake, this 'inventory' and pre-drilling activity would be
the first step in launching an all-out assault on our coastlines, putting
them and thousands of communities at risk of an environmental and
economic disaster," said Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) whose
district includes the Santa Barbara Channel that was devastated by a
major oil spill from a platform blow-out in the late 1960's. Capps led the
effort to remove similar inventory language in the House version of the
Energy bill. The use of seismic surveys for the "inventory" can harm
both marine mammals and fish. For more, see the 13 June San Francisco
Chronicle article at: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/
2003/06/13/MN117380.DTL.
7:24/25. SENATE MARK-UP OF IFQ STANDARDS BILL SET
FOR 19 JUNE: On 19 June, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is set
to "mark-up" legislation, S 1106, to put in place national standards for
individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs. The most controversial of the
amendments being put forward are those from Senator Gordon Smith
(R-OR), apparently at the behest of the Pacific Seafood Processors
Association, to: 1) allow processor quotas; and 2) exempt the Pacific
Fishery Management Council from the national standards. More
information will be in the next issue of Sublegals.
**********
PAYING ATTENTION? On Friday, the 13th of June a meeting was
held between the Oregon Governor and the White House Council on
Environmental Quality. What was it about?
A) To discuss a proposal by Washington Salmon Growers to use the
federal facility at Hanford, Washington to produce the first
USDA-certified irradiated seafood on the market.
B) To urge the Bush Administration to sign the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety, so Oregon and Washington can better track transgenic fish
produced in California.
C) To seek the speedy delisting of Oregon coho, thereby removing
federal pressure on the state to protect and restore salmon habitat.
D) To request White House support in assuring an equitable distribution
among the states of the Pacific Salmon Recovery Act funds; the
Washington Congressional Delegation is threatening to kill the bill if
most of the money doesn't go to Washington state.
E-Mail your answer to "Editor" at: sublegals@ifrfish.org. One winner is
drawn each week from a list of those submitting the correct answer.
And the Winner is...... LORNA BLANCHARD who correctly answered
last week's question of which of the following is not a Pew Oceans
Commission recommendation, with "A) Tripling the federal ocean
research budget from $755 million to $2265 million." The Pew
recommendation was only to double the amount. She will receive both
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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une03 (PART 2)<~~<BR>
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A WEEKLY QUOTA OF FISHERY SHORTS CAUGHT=
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>
AND THE PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN'S<BR>
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<BR>
7:24/12. FARMED SALMON THREATEN SURVIVAL OF WILD<BR>
ATLANTIC SALMON: At the 11 June session of the World Salmon<BR>
Summit, held at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C. (see<BR>
Sublegals, 7:21/06), a bleak picture was painted of the prospects for<BR>
survival of wild runs of Atlantic salmon. In his paper, "Wild Atlantic=
<BR>
Salmon in North America: Status and Perspectives," Dr. Fred<BR>
Whoriskey, Vice-President of Research & Environment for the Atlantic<BR>
Salmon Federation (ASF), said that even though all commercial fishing<BR>
on North American Atlantic salmon stocks has ceased, populations<BR>
continue to decline and "returns to their rivers of origin have fallen to<BR=
>
some of the lowest recorded levels." Most salmon populations in the<BR=
>
southern third of their North American range (south of Cape Breton,<BR>
Nova Scotia) are now endangered. Although recovery programs are<BR>
being implemented where funding can be accessed, it will take millions<BR>
of dollars and a great deal of hard work and many years to repair the<BR>
rivers and overcome the damage caused as a result of human activity. <BR>
River blockings, acid rain and industrial practices are among the threats<BR=
>
to recovery, Whoriskey told Summit attendees. <BR>
<BR>
Over the past two decades, millions of farmed salmo=
n have escaped<BR>
from cages into the habitat of threatened wild salmon. Scientific revi=
ews<BR>
and research prove that these escaped farmed fish pose threats of disease<BR=
>
and parasite transmission, competition for food and habitat, and of<BR>
interbreeding with wild salmon, decreasing the genetic fitness of<BR>
successive generations for survival in the wild. Farmed fish now<BR>
outnumber wild fish by a ratio of 48:1 in the North Atlantic. In late<=
BR>
May, the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) and the World Wildlife<BR>
Fund (WWF) released a report documenting several governments'<BR>
progress in implementing legislation to reduce the negative impacts of<BR>
aquaculture on wild salmon populations. The U.S. scored a mere 0.5 out=
<BR>
of a possible score of 10, while Canada fared better at 2.85. Both gra=
des<BR>
indicate failure to live up to international obligations developed by the<BR=
>
North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO). In the<BR>
report, ASF and WWF also recommended ways to protect wild salmon<BR>
from salmon aquaculture impacts. They include:<BR>
<BR>
* adopting salmon aquaculture exclusion zones;<BR>
* requiring monitoring and enforcement of management systems to<BR>
minimize escapes, improve fish husbandry and benthic (bottom of the<BR>
sea) ecosystem quality;<BR>
* requiring consideration of cumulative environmental impacts of<BR>
multiple aquaculture sites in siting decisions;<BR>
* requiring more comprehensive reporting on measures implemented<BR>
and outcomes, and;<BR>
* obligating nations to make public all relevant data on the degree of<BR>
industry compliance with a selected set of regulatory requirements.<BR>
<BR>
For more information on the Salmon Summit, go to:<B=
R>
www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/summit.htm. To see a copy of the Atlantic<BR>
Salmon Federation report, go to: www.asf.ca. For the 12 June<BR>
Associated Press article by Jeff Barnard, see:<BR>
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-12-09.asp#anchor6. The<B=
R>
July issue of National Geographic also contains an extensive article on<BR>
the threat to wild Atlantics from salmon farms; it is at:<BR>
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0307/feature5/index.html. <BR>
<BR>
7:24/13. UBC STUDY FINDS SALMON FARMING A FAILURE:<=
BR>
A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has<BR>
found that "rather than being a sustainable replacement for wild salmon<BR>
stocks, the aquaculture industry is 'an ecological and economic failure'<BR>
that requires more energy than traditional fishing fleets and uses more<BR>
ocean resources than it produces," reported the 11June Vancouver Sun. <BR>
The study's conclusions were presented by Dr. William Rees in a paper<BR>
to the World Summit on Salmon, being held in Vancouver, B.C. (see<BR>
7:24/12 above). "It's simply not true we do these things to feed the<B=
R>
world's starving millions," says Rees. "We do it because it represents a<BR>
large infusion of foreign capital into the province and creates jobs in<BR>
areas that are suffering from bad management of our forests and wild<BR>
fish stocks." <BR>
<BR>
According to the study's findings, the "data reveal=
that net-pen<BR>
salmon farming as presently practiced is considerably more energy and<BR>
material intensive per unit product than are conventional (already energy<BR=
>
and materially costly) harvest methods. Regardless of species raised, the<BR=
>
'ecological footprints' (ecosystem services demanded) per tonne of<BR>
product generated by salmon farms are therefore considerably larger than<BR>
those of the fleet fishery. The salmon-farming industry thus contributes<BR>
disproportionately to global climate change through its considerable<BR>
carbon dioxide emissions, further increasing humanity's already<BR>
dangerous food dependence on depleteable stocks of cheap fossil fuel.<BR>
More importantly, because salmon feed is produced using fish and fish<BR>
products imported from other parts of the world, the salmon farming<BR>
industry actually reduces the total amount of food available for human<BR>
consumption (particularly in the developing South). From this<BR>
perspective, net-pen salmon farming can be interpreted as both an<BR>
ecological and economic failure. Farming salmon is an inherently<BR>
unsustainable economic substitute for a service that nature once provided<BR=
>
free. Most tellingly, the industry exacerbates North-South inequity and<BR>
fails, even temporarily, in its promise to enhance global food supplies.<BR>
Meanwhile, salmon farming extends the human ecological footprint and<BR>
the inexorably increasing total human load on the ecosphere." <BR>
<BR>
Professor William Rees can be contacted at the Scho=
ol & Community<BR>
Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Memorial Road,<BR>
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada. Tel: (604) 433-6333 or by e-mail at:<BR>
wrees@interchange.ubc.ca. The Vancouver Sun article, "Aquaculture<BR>
industry 'failure,' study claims," is at:<BR>
http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=3D577d3992-3e57-40a1-b1f4<BR>
-c034cde702c2. For the consumer angle, see the 28 May New York<BR>
Times article, "Farmed Salmon Looking Less Rosy," at:<BR>
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/28/dining/28WELL.html?ex=3D1055135<BR>
666&ei=3D1&en=3D90a215002e26681d<BR>
<BR>
7:24/14. MAINE SALMON FARMERS APPEAL COURT<BR>
DECISION ON CONDITIONS FOR CONDUCTING SALMON<BR>
AQUACULTURE: On 5 June, Altantic Salmon of Maine and Stolt Sea<BR>
Farm, Inc. announced they would appeal U.S. District Judge Gene<BR>
Carter's ruling of 28 May requiring the foreign owned firms to fallow<BR>
their net pens for two years (to allow the ocean bottom to clean itself), to=
<BR>
comply with federal Clean Water Act discharge requirements, and to use<BR>
only Atlantic salmon native to North America in their stocking<BR>
operations (see Sublegals, 7:22/01; 7:20/04; 7:09/09; 5:08/09; 5:02/10;<BR>
4:14/04; 1:19/03). <BR>
<BR>
The Bangor Daily News reported that, on 19 June, Ma=
ine's Board of<BR>
Environmental Protection is expected to consider a draft permit that<BR>
would cover nearly all of Maine's salmon aquaculture sites. The draft<BR>
permit proposes a gradual phasing out of non-North American genes in<BR>
the salmon. It also includes standards for salmon feeding and<BR>
water-quality monitoring, which state biologists believe will resolve<BR>
most pollution problems without requiring the pens to go unused for two<BR>
years. The question is whether this permit conditions will be sufficient to<=
BR>
protect water quality along Maine's coast and protect the state's wild<BR>
Atlantic salmon, listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA),<BR>
from the affects of salmon net pen operations. For more, see the 8 June<BR>
Bangor Daily News article at: http://www.bangornews.com. <BR>
<BR>
7:24/15. CHILE, U.S. SIGN FREE TRADE PACT AFTER CHI=
LE<BR>
CHARGED WITH HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS: The US - Chile<BR>
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed 6 June in Miami by U.S. Trade<BR>
Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick and Chilean Foreign Minister<BR>
Soledad Alvear (see Sublegals, 7:22/04; 4:17/03). The agreement<BR>
eliminates tariffs in the trade of farmed salmon products. <BR>
<BR>
The signing of the pact had been delayed because Ch=
ile opposed the<BR>
U.S. invasion of Iraq; the text of the FTA was completed on 11<BR>
December 2002. Under the terms of The Trade Act of 2002, the<BR>
Administration had to notify Congress at least 90 days prior to signing. <BR=
>
Under the terms of "fast track," Congress last year waived its authority to<=
BR>
make any changes in a trade agreement and can only vote it up or down. <BR>
On 11 April, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) wrote the USTR<BR>
requesting a renegotiation on tariffs on Chilean farmed imports, but that<BR=
>
appeal apparently fell on Zoellick's deaf ears (see Sublegals, 7:18/02).<BR>
Pacific coast salmon fishermen have been economically damaged by the<BR>
influx of cheap Chilean farmed salmon into the U.S. market, and Chilean<BR>
fishermen have been displaced in many of their traditional fishing areas<BR>
by the salmon farms, mostly owned by multi-national corporations.<BR>
<BR>
Three days prior to the signing of the US-Chile FTA=
, a complaint was<BR>
filed in Washington DC before the Inter-American Commission on<BR>
Human Rights against the Chilean government for violating the "right to<BR>
information and freedom of expression." The claim by the Diego<BR>
Portales University Public Interest Clinic and the Chilean Organization<BR>
of Consumers & Users (ODECU) before the Inter-American<BR>
Commission is related to restrictions to the right of information and<BR>
public participation regarding issues of biotechnology, biosafety and the<BR=
>
release of transgenics. Petitioners claim that despite the existence of<BR>
three consecutive democratic regimes, the design and implementation of<BR>
public policy has been characterized by a high degree of centralization,<BR>
scarce participation and restrictions to freedom of information. The issue<B=
R>
of transgenics, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is likely to<BR>
become heated in Chile where it is expected Aqua Bounty Farms will<BR>
first market its transgenic Atlantic salmon to that nation's aquaculture<BR>
operators after getting U.S. Food & Drug Administration (USDA)<BR>
approval.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/16. USDA HOSTS PRE-CANCUN WTO GET TOGETH=
ER<BR>
IN SACRAMENTO, PROMOTION OF AQUACULTURE AND<BR>
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS EXPECTED: The U.S.<BR>
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting government ministers<BR>
from over 180 nations and transnational corporations at the World Food<BR>
Summit: Five Years Later, in Sacramento, California, 20-25 June (see<BR>
Sublegals, 7:18/03). U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman<BR>
announced that the United States proposed to focus on three priorities in<BR=
>
partnership with other donors and developing countries: reducing hunger<BR>
by increasing agricultural productivity; ending famine, and; improving<BR>
nutrition. The focus of the conference will be on genetically engineered<BR>
crops and food supplies. The Technology Expo will run concurrently<BR>
with the Conference, which will display new technologies for large-scale<BR>
farms and biotechnologies. This ministerial is one of the key stepping<BR>
stones for the Bush Administration to push their agenda for the next<BR>
World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Cancun in September.<BR>
Millions of small farmers and fishermen around the world have called<BR>
for protests at the Sacramento ministerial to denounce the corporate take<BR=
>
over of the global food supply. There will be many events throughout the<BR>
week, including a 21 June Teach-In on "Globalization Impacts on<BR>
Forests and Fish," where Natasha Benjamin from the Institute for<BR>
Fisheries Resources will be speaking on impacts on fishing communities<BR>
and the threat of genetically engineered fish. For more information, go to<B=
R>
http://www.sacmobilization.org and for information from the USDA go<BR>
to http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/stconf/conf_main.html. Also see the<BR>
article, "Globalization and GMOs" by Tom Hayden in the 23 June issue<BR>
of The Nation (pp.23-24) at: www.thenation.com. <BR>
<BR>
7:24/17. AQUACULTURE CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR<BR>
NOVEMBER IN SEATTLE: While this month may bring "Seattle to<BR>
Sacramento" with the behind closed doors agribusiness and biotech<BR>
promotion being hosted by USDA in the lead up to the WTO Cancun<BR>
meeting, fishermen will get a chance in Seattle to discuss the impacts of<BR=
>
aquaculture on their industry. "Marine Aquaculture: Effects on the Wes=
t<BR>
Coast and Alaska Fishing Industry" is the title of a conference scheduled<BR=
>
for 17-19 November at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center<BR>
in Seattle. The 3-day conference, hosted by the Pacific States Marine<BR>
Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) will focus on the environmental and<BR>
economic impacts of aquaculture. The conference dovetails with FISH<BR=
>
EXPO that will be held 20-22 November this year at the Seattle<BR>
Convention Center. For more information on the aquaculture<BR>
conference, go to: www.psmfc.org. For more information on FISH<BR>
EXPO, go to: www.fishexposeattle.com.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/18. UN TREATY ON BIOSAFETY RATIFIED, US REFUSE=
S<BR>
TO SIGN: On 13 June, Palau became the 50th nation to ratify the United<BR>
Nations' Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, or the Biosafety Protocol,<BR>
which makes the treaty official. Reported Environmental News Service<B=
R>
(ENS), "it is the first treaty that formally protects biological diversity<B=
R>
from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms." It<=
BR>
will take effect 90 days from signing, on 11 September. The treaty could<BR>
be extremely important to the fishing industry since genetically<BR>
modified, or transgenic, fish are being proposed for net pen and open<BR>
ocean aquaculture operations. The protocol is a supplementary<BR>
agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a wider<BR>
international treaty that protects the variety of life on Earth, including t=
he<BR>
genetic differences between species and within each species. "The<BR>
Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from potential<BR>
risks that may be posed by living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting<BR>
from modern biotechnology, said the ENS report. LMOs are also known<BR=
>
as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).<BR>
<BR>
ENS also reported the "Biosafety Protocol deals pri=
marily with<BR>
GMOs that are to be intentionally introduced into the environment, such<BR>
as seeds, trees or fish, and with genetically modified farm commodities,<BR>
such as corn and grain used for food, animal feed or processing." The<=
BR>
United States has not signed the protocol, but the Administrator of the<BR>
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) told the Congress<BR>
that the United States should, instead, continue promoting development<BR>
of new agricultural technologies, including biotechnology. The U.S.<BR=
>
claims this is needed to save starving Africans, a line apparently few<BR>
African nations believe. Many Americans and Africans are<BR>
malnourished and vulnerable to disease and infection, but the difference<BR>
is one group is obese, the other emaciated. To see the ENS article, go=
to:<BR>
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-13-01.asp. The Convention<BR>
on Biodiversity is available online at:<BR>
http://bch.biodiv.org/Pilot/Home.aspx. Another related GMO article is<=
BR>
from the Guardian Weekly at:<BR>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,968356,00.html.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/19. CALIFORNIA FISH & GAME COMMISSION TO MEET<BR=
>
IN MAMMOTH LAKES: The California Fish & Game Commission<BR>
will meet 19-20 June in Mammoth Lakes. The main agenda items will<BR>
be heard in Friday's session; they include: proposed adoption of<BR>
amendments their transgenic fish regulations (#15) and adoption of<BR>
amendments on nearshore fishery total allowable catch, trip limits and<BR>
weekday closures (#18). For more information, go to:<BR>
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fg_comm.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/20. WYDEN, CAPPS INTRODUCE CCF REFORM<BR>
LEGISLATION IN CONGRESS: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR)<BR>
and Gordon Smith (R-OR) have introduced legislation aimed at<BR>
amending the Capital Construction Fund (CCF) in the Merchant Marine<BR>
Act (46 USC App 1177 et seq.) to allow qualified roll-over of CCF<BR>
funds held by an individual into a retirement account. CCF was<BR>
designed as a means for individuals to set funds aside tax free for the<BR>
purpose of upgrading, rebuilding or building a new fishing vessel. At<=
BR>
the time the fund was established there was a need to build up the U.S.<BR>
fishing fleet. <BR>
<BR>
Since the 1980's, however, many fisheries are now o=
vercapitalized<BR>
with excess fishing capacity. S 1193, the "Capital Construction Fund<B=
R>
Qualified Withdrawal Act of 2003" is intended to allow fishermen to<BR>
supplement their retirement by rolling funds into qualified retirement<BR>
accounts, rather than being forced to add more fishing capacity. The bill<BR=
>
also allows investment in more selective, "environmentally friendly,"<BR>
fishing gear and CCF monies could also be used for the purchase of<BR>
vessel monitoring systems (VMS). PCFFA has suggested additional<BR>
language to explicitly allow for the use of CCF for: 1) more fuel efficient<=
BR>
engines (not higher horsepower); 2) vessel safety equipment and vessel<BR>
safety upgrades; and 3) equipment to improve fish handling aboard to<BR>
get more value from each pound of fish landed. CCF does not prohibit<B=
R>
these uses, but PCFFA felt there should be more emphasis on them.<BR>
<BR>
On the House side, Representative Lois Capps (D-CA)=
has introduced<BR>
a nearly identical measure, HR 2360. Capps, whose district includes th=
e<BR>
fishing port of Santa Barbara, worked with Senator Wyden's office last<BR>
year on the Pacific groundfish vessel and permit buyback bill and carried<BR=
>
the measure in the House of Representatives. That legislation was<BR>
passed earlier this year (see Sublegals, 7:04/07). <BR>
<BR>
There is currently $101.5 million tied up in CCF am=
ong 1623<BR>
fishermen in California, Oregon and Washington and another $30.8<BR>
million in CCF held by 1064 fishermen in Alaska. To see the bills, go to:<BR=
>
http://thomas.loc.gov.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/21. GROUNDFISH AMENDMENT NOW AVAILABLE<BR>
FROM PFMC: Draft Amendment 16-1 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish<BR>
Fishery Management Plan Process and Standards for Rebuilding Plans<BR>
Including Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Analyses (June<BR>
2003) is now available on the Pacific Fishery Management Council<BR>
(PFMC) website at: http://www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/<BR>
gffmp/gfa16-1.html. The PFMC has prepared a "Scoping Summary" for<BR>
Amendment 16-1 Environmental Assessment (EA) and Amendment<BR>
16-2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This document is available<=
BR>
online at: http://www.pcouncil.org/groundfish/gffmp/scoping.pdf.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/22. "ORGANIC CAUCUS" STARTED IN CONGRESS=
: The<BR>
U.S. House of Representatives has formed the "Organic Caucus" in<BR>
response to many of the threats to U.S. and world food safety from the<BR>
use of chemicals and biotechnology. The stated purpose of the<BR=
>
bipartisan group, which began with 5 Republicans and 16 Democrats, is<BR>
to "enhance availability and understanding of information related to the<BR>
production and processing of organic agricultural products." <BR>
<BR>
Fish could soon be included in that following the l=
anguage approved<BR>
by Congress earlier this year allowing wild fish to qualify for organic<BR>
labeling. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA), who authored the nation's<BR>
first comprehensive organic standards while he was a member of the<BR>
California Legislature in 1990, said "With new organic standards now i=
n<BR>
effect, consumers are demanding greater availability and farmers are<BR>
seeking solutions to their organic production problems." For more<BR>
information on the House Organic Caucus, go to:<BR>
http://www.ofrf.org/policy/OrganicCaucusInfo/5-03memberlist.pdf.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/23. EPA RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT ON FISH<BR>
ADVISORIES: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 4<BR>
June released its annual "National Listing of Fish and Wildlife<BR>
Advisories," which is designed to protect susceptible populations such as<BR=
>
young children and women of child-bearing age. The report highlights a<BR>
93 percent increase in state safe eating guidelines, which are issued to<BR>
inform the public that fish caught from specific waterbodies have been<BR>
tested and are safe to eat. The safe eating guidelines began in 1993, and<BR=
>
only 20 guidelines were issued. The number increased slowly until 2002,<BR>
when 164 new safe eating guidelines were issued. Currently 3,084 miles<BR>
of rivers and 4,342,920 lake acres nationally have safe eating guidelines<BR=
>
for at least one fish species in the U.S.<BR>
<BR>
Although there are advisories for a total of 39 che=
mical contaminants,<BR>
most advisories involve five primary contaminants: mercury, PCBs,<BR>
dioxins, DDT, and chlordane. Almost 75 percent of the advisories have<BR>
been issued at least in part because of mercury contamination. The 2,800<BR>
advisories issued in 2002 represent approximately 33 percent of the<BR>
nation's total lake acreage and over 15 percent of the nation's total river<=
BR>
miles. Approximately 95,000 lakes and 544,000 river miles are under<BR>
advisory as well as all the Great Lakes and their connecting waters.<BR>
There are also various advisories in many other nationally important<BR>
waterways, including Lake Champlain, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed<BR>
and 20 estuaries. In addition, 28 states have statewide advisories. The<BR>
National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories and additional<BR>
information on fish consumption advisories are available at:<BR>
www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish.<BR>
<BR>
7:24/24. US SENATE TURNS DOWN GRAHAM AMENDMEN=
T,<BR>
VOTES TO SUPPORT OIL EXPLORATION IN MORATORIUM<BR>
AREAS OFFSHORE: On June 12, the U.S. Senate voted down an<BR>
amendment by Senators Bob Graham (D-FL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA),<BR>
Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to protect the existing<BR>
offshore oil moratorium areas along the U.S. west coast (north of the<BR>
Santa Maria Basin), Bristol Bay, Florida and Georges Bank, voting<BR>
instead to support language allowing "studies" to inventory oil and gas<BR>
reserves in these areas (see Sublegals, 7:19/10; 7:15/09; 7:14/01). Since<BR=
>
1982 Congress has prohibited leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities<BR=
>
on much of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), primarily to protect<BR>
fisheries.<BR>
<BR>
"Make no mistake, this 'inventory' and pre-drilling=
activity would be<BR>
the first step in launching an all-out assault on our coastlines, putting<BR=
>
them and thousands of communities at risk of an environmental and<BR>
economic disaster," said Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) whose<BR>
district includes the Santa Barbara Channel that was devastated by a<BR>
major oil spill from a platform blow-out in the late 1960's. Capps led the<B=
R>
effort to remove similar inventory language in the House version of the<BR>
Energy bill. The use of seismic surveys for the "inventory" can harm<BR>
both marine mammals and fish. For more, see the 13 June San Francisco<BR>
Chronicle article at: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/c/a/<BR>
2003/06/13/MN117380.DTL. <BR>
<BR>
7:24/25. SENATE MARK-UP OF IFQ STANDARDS BILL SET<B=
R>
FOR 19 JUNE: On 19 June, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is set<BR>
to "mark-up" legislation, S 1106, to put in place national standards for<BR>
individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs. The most controversial of the<BR>
amendments being put forward are those from Senator Gordon Smith<BR>
(R-OR), apparently at the behest of the Pacific Seafood Processors<BR>
Association, to: 1) allow processor quotas; and 2) exempt the Pacific<BR>
Fishery Management Council from the national standards. More<BR>
information will be in the next issue of Sublegals. &=
nbsp;  =
; &nb=
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&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
**********  =
; &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp;  =
; <BR>
&nbs=
p; <=
BR>
PAYING ATTENTION? On Friday, the 13th of June a meeting was<BR>
held between the Oregon Governor and the White House Council on<BR>
Environmental Quality. What was it about?<BR>
<BR>
A) To discuss a proposal by Washington Salmon Growers to use the<BR>
federal facility at Hanford, Washington to produce the first<BR>
USDA-certified irradiated seafood on the market.<BR>
B) To urge the Bush Administration to sign the Cartagena Protocol on<BR>
Biosafety, so Oregon and Washington can better track transgenic fish<BR>
produced in California.<BR>
C) To seek the speedy delisting of Oregon coho, thereby removing<BR>
federal pressure on the state to protect and restore salmon habitat.<BR>
D) To request White House support in assuring an equitable distribution<BR>
among the states of the Pacific Salmon Recovery Act funds; the<BR>
Washington Congressional Delegation is threatening to kill the bill if<BR>
most of the money doesn't go to Washington state. <BR>
<BR>
E-Mail your answer to "Editor" at: sublegals@ifrfish.org. One winner is<BR>
drawn each week from a list of those submitting the correct answer. <BR>
<BR>
And the Winner is...... LORNA BLANCHARD who correctly answered<BR>
last week's question of which of the following is not a Pew Oceans<BR>
Commission recommendation, with "A) Tripling the federal ocean<BR>
research budget from $755 million to $2265 million." The Pew<BR>
recommendation was only to double the amount. She will receive both<BR>
an "Order of the Fringehead" certificate and a handsome gray shirt with<BR>
the cuddly Sarcastic Fringehead Sublegals 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>
<BR>
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