[Fishlink] ~~>SUBLEGALS 20June03<~~
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~~>SUBLEGALS 20June03<~~
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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. 25 20 JUNE 2003
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"The United States doesn't care about starving Africans. If it did it would
be working there to stop the violence -- that is separating the people
from their land -- and helping heal the environment. Instead, America,
with its neo-imperialist food policy, is trying to bully its way into
markets worldwide with genetically engineered crops and fish to fatten
the profits of its agribusiness, chemical and biotech industries at the
expense of human health and the planet."....... Peter Simon
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IN THIS ISSUE.......
Congressman Seeks to Silence Klamath Fishery
Management Council. 7:25/01
Supreme Court Denies Cert. in Prosolino Case, Upholds
PCFFA Settlement Mandating TMDLs. 7:25/03
Collaborative Research Opportunity Available for
Salmon Trollers. 7:25/06
Lack of Port Maintenance, Dredging Blamed For Boat
Capsizing, 11 Deaths in Oregon. 7:25/07
Studies Find U.S. Fails to Monitor and Control
Genetically-Modified Crops. 7:25/08
AND MORE......
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7:25/01. HERGER TRIES TO SILENCE SCIENTISTS,
MANAGERS AND FISHERMEN ON KLAMATH FISH KILL: Don't
like the message? Kill the messenger! That's what U.S. Representative
Wally Herger (R-CA) is trying to do. Mr. Herger, whose Northern
California district contains a portion of the federally subsidized Klamath
Irrigation Project, is trying to censor a fishery management council that
spoke out about the cause of last year's massive Klamath River fish kill
(See Sublegals, 6:16/01; 6:15/01; 6:14/01; 6:13/01; 6:13/02; 6:13/03;
6:12/07. See also: www.klamathbasin.info/fishkill1.htm.).
On 18 June, Herger slipped a punitive provision into the House
Interior Appropriations Bill (at Section 138), apparently hoping no one
would notice, to completely defund the Klamath Fishery Management
Council (KFMC). The Council, which Herger calls anti-agriculture, was
guilty in the Congressman's eyes for its efforts to protect returning
salmon spawners from river dewatering. Herger's provision was in
retaliation for a 10 October 2002 KFMC letter to Interior Secretary Gale
Norton that merely expressed concern over the Klamath fish kill - the
worst in U.S. history. More than 33,000 adult fish were killed in late
September 2002 as a result of the Department of Interior irrigation
project's failure to release adequate water to the river.
The rationale given by Herger for eliminating KFMC funding was
that "the Council....overstepped its legislative mandate by advocating
policy positions that are outside the scope of its authority." The
"advocacy" that incited Congressman's ire was a statement in the KFMC
letter, supported by the science, pointing to water policies in the Klamath
Project, among other problems in the river, as contributing factors in the
fish kill. The Council also requested sufficient water be released from
the federal project to allow economically valuable downriver
commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries, which the KFMC is
charged with protecting, to survive. The letter further requested
reconsultation between the agencies in light of the new information
provided by the 2002 fish kill.
Instead, the Bush Administration in 2003 has gone forward with the
same 10-year water plan that led to last year's fish kill, thus continuing to
put the Klamath at high risk of future die-offs. The issue of low flows to
the lower river and the legality of that 10-year water plan is the subject
of a pending court case, PCFFA et al. v. BOR, NMFS (Dist. N. Ca, No.
02-2006-SBA), in which a decision is due any day (see Sublegals,
7:24/02; 7:23/11; 7:17/13; 7:16/06; 7:15/07; 7:13/02; 7:09/03). The
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) operates the Klamath Irrigation
Project that controls as much as half the flows to the lower river,
releasing water not used for irrigation at Iron Gate Dam.
The KFMC is a federal, multi-stakeholder advisory committee
(created 1988 -- 16 U.S.C. 460ss-2) charged with development of
recommendations to state, federal and tribal agencies for the sustainable
management of the ocean fisheries that affect the Klamath River Basin's
anadromous (i.e., salmon and steelhead) fish populations. It serves a
data collection and scientific advisory role to both the Secretaries of
Commerce and Interior in protecting and sustainably managing Klamath
fish runs - the same ones affected by the September 2002 fish kill.
PCFFA Vice-President Dave Bitts currently chairs the Council. It also
advises the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). The PFMC,
albeit in much stronger terms, has also called for far greater flows in the
lower Klamath River in order to protect many important fisheries. A
copy of that PFMC letter is available at:
http://www.pcffa.org/PFMCKlamathletter12-02.pdf.
The Bush Administration has so far made no effort to disavow the
Herger Amendment, nor is it seeking to have it removed. In fact, in
what is becoming known as the "Salmongate" scandal (see Sublegals,
7:21/01; 6:18/02; 6:18/01; 6:16/01), the Administration has chosen to
ignore scientists who have identified low flows as the cause of the fish
kill and who call for more water in the river to prevent future die-offs.
Likewise, funding for completion of a key multi-year, multi-agency
study of lower river flows needed for fish, the "Hardy Phase II Flow
Study," has been held up by the Department of Interior. The Hardy
Phase II report is now more than 18 months overdue beyond its
originally scheduled release date, and Administration officials are still
refusing to release the funding ($115,000) to complete it.
Also, most recently, the Western Division of the American Fisheries
Society (AFS), in a 13 May letter to Secretary Norton, found a number
of serious flaws in the National Research Council (NRC) Klamath
Committee's "Interim Report," which is the fundamental basis for BOR's
current 10-year water plan. AFS also expressed concern about reports
that have been unnecessarily and inexplicably delayed by the Bush
Administration. For a copy of the 13 May AFS letter, go to:
www.klamathbasin.info.
7:25/02. KLAMATH JUVENILE FISH KILL FEARED: Fisheries
biologists doing routine fish surveys at some sampling weirs in the
middle Klamath River are seeing unusual die-offs of outmigrating
juvenile salmon that are now moving downriver to the ocean from Iron
Gate Hatchery. While it is too soon, and data is still too sparse, to
determine whether a major juvenile fish kill is actually occurring, Yurok
Tribe and Klamath River Intertribal Fish & Water Commission
(KRIFWC) biologists contacted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
on 12 June, highlighting concerns that flow conditions are being set up
in the Klamath River by the Bureau that are nearly identical to those that
triggered a massive juvenile fish die-off of more than 250,000 smolts
during late June in 2000. Such a kill would be particularly serious this
year, since these young are from the survivors of the massive fish kill on
September 2002.
Juvenile die-offs in the Klamath River have been increasingly
common under mandated low flow conditions during the spring, salmon
smolts are particularly vulnerable and juvenile die-offs can be very large.
However, unlike fall die-offs like the one in September 2002 of
returning adult spawners, smolt carcasses are small, hard to count and
readily consumed by predators. For a copy of the Memo to BOR from
Fisheries Consultant Ronnie Pierce of the KRIFWC, go to:
www.klamathbasin.info.
7:25/03. SUPREME COURT DENIES CERTIORARI TO
CHALLENGE TMDLS: A four-year battle to determine the power of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) to enforce the Clean
Water Act in California's Garcia River watershed ended this week when
the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case on appeal. The case,
Pronsolino v. Nastri, originally filed by the Mendocino County and
national Farm Bureau's on behalf of a wealthy local landowner, sought to
throw out the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) authority of the
federal government under the Clean Water Act to regulate non-point
source pollution in certain sections of the watershed. By declining to
hear the case, the Supreme Court will let stand a U.S. District Court
decision to support the TMDL after the State of California refused to
regulate non-point source pollution in the watershed. The Prosolino case
attempted to overturn the settlement resulting from the suit, PCFFA v.
Marcus, brought in the mid 1990s by a coalition of 14 conservation and
fishing groups and represented by Earthjustice attorney Joe Brecher,
which forced the EPA to adopt TMDLs for 20 California north coast
watersheds. For more, contact Joe Brecher at brecher@pacbell.net.
7:25/04. LAND & WATER CONSERVATION FUND SLASHED:
On 19 June, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee voted for
cuts in funding for the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The
LWCF is the federal program that funds land purchases for national
parks and has been responsible for the acquisition and protection of
37,000 acres of salmon bearing rivers. The cuts are now part of the 2004
House Interior Appropriations bill. The LWCF would be cut by more
than fifty percent in 2004, down $213 million from 2003 levels. The
appropriations bill also slashes the Conservation Trust Fund to $500
million from the current level of $1.56 billion, and the Forest legacy
public-private forest conservation effort by twenty-five percent. During
the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush promised to fully fund
the LWCF. Since becoming president, Bush has claimed credit for
securing LWCF funding while asking for less and less money for the
land acquisition portion of the fund each year, redirecting monies to
other purposes. For information on the LWCF go to:
http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/LWCF. For the 19 June Environmental
News Service article, go to:
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-19-09.asp.
7:25/05. MORE ON SENATE VOTE TO OPEN OFFSHORE
MORATIORIUM AREAS TO EXPLORATORY DRILLING: As
reported in last issue (see Sublegals, 7:24/23), the U.S. Senate, by a
54-44 margin, rejected an amendment by Senators Bob Graham (D-FL),
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and others that would have prohibited
exploratory studies of coastal oil and natural gas reserves. In the vote on
the Senate Energy Bill, proponents of the survey of the offshore areas
covered under a drilling moratorium claimed that the studies in no way
authorize drilling. Many, like Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), asked
"How can we have a comprehensive energy policy without knowing how
much oil and gas we have?"
Critics of the plan, including both Republicans and Democrats,
countered that the language in the energy bill calls for studies to
determine whether current federal regulations, including the moratorium
on offshore drilling "restrict or impede" the development of untapped
resources. The studies themselves may also pose a threat to various
fisheries due to the high decibel sounds created during the survey
process. Earlier this year a similar case resulted in a fish kill at a
bridge
construction site in the Carquinez Straits in Northern California (see
Sublegals 7/04:06). For more, see the 6/13 Anchorage Daily News
article at: http://www.adn.com/business/story/3286850p-3316083c.html,
the 6/13 San Francisco Chronicle article at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/
13/MN117380.DTL, the 6/13 Miami Herald article at:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/6077051.htm, or
the 6/13 Charlotte Observer article at:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/6077637.htm.
7:25/06. COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WEBSITE DEBUTS ON
THE WEST COAST, PROJECT AVAILABLE FOR SALMON
TROLLERS: The west coast version of the Collaborative Research
Clearinghouse, currently serving the east coast, debuted 18 June at a
Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) reception (see Sublegals,
7:23/06). The website, www.FishResearchWest.org, provides databases
of fishermen and scientists interested in collaborative research,
information about funding opportunities, and basic information about
how to get involved. A current research project highlighted on the new
website is a collaborative salmon tagging project through the Pacific
Fisheries Environmental Lab (PFEL), the Institute for Fisheries
Resources (IFR), and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations (PCFFA). Biologists will accompany salmon trollers
throughout California on regular fishing trips and will tag the first 10
healthy salmon per day. The tagged fish will be released to record water
pressure and depth, helping scientists determine habitat characteristics
and life history information of salmon in the ocean. Fishermen will be
compensated approximately $500.00 per day to participate. If you are
interested contact Ky Russell at IFR at (415) 561-3474 or by email:
krussell@ifrfish.org. Details are also available on the IFR website at
www.ifrfish.org or at www.FishResearchWest.org.
7:25/07. LACK OF DREDGING, POOR PORT MAINTENANCE A
FACTOR IN TILLAMOOK BAY BOAT DISASTER: When the
Taki-Tooo charter fishing boat tried to navigate the bar at Oregon's
Tillamook Bay, near the port of Garibaldi, on Saturday 14 June, it ran
into amplified incoming waves and capsized, resulting in the loss of 11
lives, including its captain.
Since then shock waves have been rippling throughout small coastal
ports all over the west coast, because some of the likely contributing
causes to the disaster include deteriorating jetty conditions and lack of
dredging - the same conditions that are putting most other small coastal
ports at increasing risk of similar disasters. Tillamook Bay has not been
dredged nor its crumbling jetty seawalls repaired since 1976.
The Bush Administration now has a standing policy of investing
federal dredging money in large ports (e.g., Port of Long Beach,
Oakland, deepening Columbia River) in accordance with their
importance for trade. This leaves smaller coastal ports like Garibaldi,
which is important for locally based recreational and fishing businesses
but not for international trade, without the funds to maintain its channel.
Many smaller ports are experiencing increasing sandbar buildup and
problems with crumbling seawalls, and have to scramble every year now
for increasingly scarce Congressional maintenance dollars (see
Sublegals, 6:23/09; 5:11/14). Yet unlike big ports, most smaller ports do
not have the money to underwrite any of these costs themselves. Lack of
dredging and jetty maintenance funding can cause wave amplification
and deprive small vessels of needed shelter as they navigate critical
sandbars, both factors under investigation in the Taki-tooo disaster this
week. For more, see the 17 June Oregonian article:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/
1055851615107260.xml; and the 17 June Eugene Register-Guard article
located on the web at:
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/06/17/a1.dredging.0617.html.
7:25/08. STUDIES FIND US FAILING TO MONITOR
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: Two studies released 18
June find that the United States is not doing an adequate job to protect
the environment and public health in regards to the monitoring of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In a report entitled, "Planting
Trouble," the Center for Public Interest (CSPI) reports that, among other
things, corn farmers are not complying with the mandate that requires
that 20 percent of their crop be non-genetically altered, to prevent the
breeding of insects resistant to the pesticide produced by the engineered
corn (Bt). The data independently analyzed by the CSPI shows that
nineteen percent of ten thousand Bt corn farms in the Midwest violated
these U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) refuge
requirements in 2002. The report also recommends the EPA gather its
data from more reputable sources, rather than from the biotechnology
industry, which has an obvious conflict of interest.
The second report, "Raising Risk," done by the U.S. Public Interest
Research Group (USPIRG), criticizes the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) monitoring of GMO experiments being conducted
across the U.S. USPIRG warns that nearly 70 percent of all field tests of
genetically engineered crops conducted in the last year contain unknown
secret genes classified as confidential business information to which the
public has no access. Last fall, for example, a crop genetically
engineered to produce a pig vaccine contaminated commercial crops,
requiring 500,000 bushels of soybeans to be destroyed. The U.S. Food &
Drug Administration (FDA) treats substances added to food products
through biotechnology as food additives only if they are significantly
different in structure, function or amount than substances currently found
in food. If a new food product developed through biotechnology does not
contain substances that are significantly different from those already in
the diet, it does not require pre-market approval. Currently, genetically
modified foods in the United States also do not require any special
labeling.
The two reports raise concerns that since the government cannot
adequately control and oversee ten thousand stationary Bt corn farms,
then how are they going to control genetically modified salmon, which
are live animals and live in net pens in the ocean? To see the complete
6/18 Environmental News Service (ENS) report on the two studies go to:
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-18-06.asp. To see a copy of
the U.S. PIRG report go to:
http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id2=10192&id3=USPIRG&. To see a copy
of the (CSPI) report go to: http://www.cspinet.org/new/200306191.html.
The next issue of Sublegals will report on the Pre-Cancun WTO
ministerial hosted by the USDA in Sacramento, California that
highlighted and promoted genetically-modified foods (see Sublegals,
7:24/16; 7:18/03).
7:25/09. US BACKS OUT OF TALKS WITH EUROPE OVER
GMO MORATORIUM: A consultation between the United States and
the European Union over opening up Europe to new genetically
modified foods broke down in Geneva on 19 June. This breakdown of
communication means that the World Trade Organization (WTO) will
convene a panel to hear the U.S. case regarding European regulations
pertaining to genetically modified (GM) crops. Europe recently placed a
moratorium on the importation of new GMO foods (see Sublegals
7:22/04, 7:20/01, 7:07/09). Without the ban, U.S. agribusiness would
export about $300 billion more in corn each year, claims the American
Farm Bureau Federation, which promotes genetic engineering.
In a speech last month, President George W. Bush escalated the
dispute by saying that Europe's policy was hindering efforts to fight
hunger in Africa. European officials said they are disappointed by the
U.S.'s politicizing of the dispute. Many food producers in the U.S.,
including fishing groups such as PCFFA, along with small family
farmers and organic growers, together with conservation and consumer
organizations and food safety experts, disagree with the U.S. posture and
support the EU position on labeling of genetically engineered foods. The
panel decision will take months. For more information, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/20/international/europe/
20TRAD.html?th.
7:25/10. ARGROCHEMICAL SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY: The Pesticide Action Network
reported on 13 June 2003 that the top three Agrochemical Corporation's
shareholders are calling for more corporate accountability on pesticide
risks. During the 2003 "Annual Meeting Season," agrochemical
shareholders strongly signaled the three largest agrochemical companies
to acknowledge the environmental and health risks of their products. Led
by socially responsible investment firms, shareholders at Dow, Bayer
and Monsanto requested detailed information about the handling of
dangerous pesticides and byproducts and the possibility of costly
lawsuits. For more information see:
http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20030613.dv.html.
7:25/11. NOMINEES NEEDED FOR NMFS RECOVERY
SCIENCE REVIEW PANEL: The National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) is currently accepting nominees for 3-year positions on its
Recovery Science Review Panel. The panel members will participate in
the development of formal Recovery Plans for the 26 populations of
Pacific salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act
(ESA). Duties will include advising Technical Recovery Teams
concerning the ecological and evolutionary principles of recovery
planning efforts and encouraging the consistent application of those
principles among the various recovery plans.
Nominees should (1) be scientists of international reputation in the
fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, fisheries
biology, or salmon biology; (2) have held positions of scientific
leadership; (3) have demonstrated fairness and cooperation, and an
ability to work effectively in a team; and (4) meet National Research
Council (NRC) standards regarding independence and conflict of
interest. Nominations must be received on or before 15 July, and should
be sent to: J.J. Westfall, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center,
2725 Montlake Boulevard E.; Seattle, WA 98112
(JJ.Westfall@noaa.gov). For more see the NMFS Northwest Fisheries
Science Center website at: http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/trt.
7:25/12. SEA GRANT GUIDE TO FISHERIES MANAGEMENT:
The National Sea Grant College Program has published a 60-page
booklet titled "Understanding Fisheries Management" that should be
useful for fishermen and just about anyone else who follows or tries to
comprehend the complexity of U.S. fishery management. It includes 20
pages of acronym translations and defines many of the terms used in the
management process. For more information, go to:
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/masgc/masgch00001.pdf.
7:25/13. NMFS ADVERTISES FOR SOUTHWEST REGION
ADMINISTRATOR: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is
advertising to fill the vacant Southwest Regional Administrator position
for the agency's Southwest Region, Long Beach, California. The vacancy
opened on 20 May and closes 7 July. The announcement is
NOAA#03-15.NJH and can be accessed via www.USAJOBS.opm.gov
and then type in that number. Rod McGinnis is the current acting
Regional Administrator for the Southwest Region.
According to NMFS, "this is a Senior Executive Service position
requiring a Secret security clearance with a salary range from $127,707
to $142,500 annually. The Regional Administrator will be responsible
for planning, developing, managing, and overseeing the conservation,
management and utilization of the marine fisheries, marine mammal and
endangered species for the State of California and the environmental
quality essential for their existence and continued productivity. The
Regional Administrator represents the Secretary of Commerce on the
Pacific Fishery Management Council and works closely with the
Northwest Regional Administrator on ESA salmon issues and the Pacific
Islands Regional Administrator on the management of highly migratory
species."
*****************
Paying Attention? Congressman Wally Herger is unhappy with the
Klamath Fishery Management Council because it wrote a letter about the
September 2002 fish kill. What is Wally doing to retaliate?
A) He inserted language in the fourth June supplemental appropriation
bill to fund the U.S. occupation of Iraq with language authorizing CAMP
officials to purchase clubs from the Oregon Department of Fish &
Wildlife and beginning clubbing returning Klamath salmon this summer
so the Klamath Irrigation Project won't be responsible for any fish kill.
B) He secured an Executive Order from the White House directing all
KFMC members return funds they received for travel or lodging from
the KFMC since 1989 and directing the Internal Revenue Service to
audit the tax returns of all current and past KFMC members.
C) He attached a rider to the Land & Water Conservation Fund
appropriation to rename the Klamath River above Iron Gate Dam as the
Reagan River (or the "Ragin' Reagan") so the KFMC and the Klamath
Task Force cannot blame fish kills on upriver Klamath diversions, since
it is now a different river.
D) Claiming the KFMC overstepped its authority, he inserted language
in the Interior Appropriations bill to defund the KFMC.
E) He wrote Attorney General John Ashcroft requesting KFMC
members be put under house arrest and all of their phones and e-mails
monitored pursuant to the American Patriot Act because Herger said
they were anti-American agriculture.
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...... ERIC HUFFMAN, who correctly answered, "C)
To seek the speedy delisting of Oregon coho, thereby removing federal
pressure on the state to protect and restore salmon habitat," to the
question of, "What was the meeting between the Oregon Governor and
the White House Council on Environmental Quality about?" He 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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&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; ~~>SUBLEGALS 20June03<~~<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=
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ASSOCIATIONS<BR>
<BR>
VOL. 07, NO. 25 =
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bsp; 20 JUNE 2003<BR>
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"The United States doesn't care about starving Africans. If it did it would<=
BR>
be working there to stop the violence -- that is separating the people<BR>
from their land -- and helping heal the environment. Instead, America,<BR>
with its neo-imperialist food policy, is trying to bully its way into<BR>
markets worldwide with genetically engineered crops and fish to fatten<BR>
the profits of its agribusiness, chemical and biotech industries at the<BR>
expense of human health and the planet."....... Peter Simon <BR>
##########################################################<BR>
IN THIS ISSUE.......<BR>
<BR>
Congressman Seeks to Silence Klamath Fishery <BR>
Management Council. 7:25/01<BR>
<BR>
Supreme Court Denies Cert. in Prosolino Case, Upholds <BR>
PCFFA Settlement Mandating TMDLs. 7:25/03<BR>
<BR>
Collaborative Research Opportunity Available for <BR>
Salmon Trollers. 7:25/06<BR>
<BR>
Lack of Port Maintenance, Dredging Blamed For Boat <BR>
Capsizing, 11 Deaths in Oregon. 7:25/07 <BR>
<BR>
Studies Find U.S. Fails to Monitor and Control <BR>
Genetically-Modified Crops. 7:25/08<BR>
<BR>
AND MORE......<BR>
##########################################################<BR>
<BR>
7:25/01. HERGER TRIES TO SILENCE SCIENTISTS,<BR>
MANAGERS AND FISHERMEN ON KLAMATH FISH KILL: Don't<BR>
like the message? Kill the messenger! That's what U.S. Representative<BR>
Wally Herger (R-CA) is trying to do. Mr. Herger, whose Northern<BR>
California district contains a portion of the federally subsidized Klamath<B=
R>
Irrigation Project, is trying to censor a fishery management council that<BR=
>
spoke out about the cause of last year's massive Klamath River fish kill<BR>
(See Sublegals, 6:16/01; 6:15/01; 6:14/01; 6:13/01; 6:13/02; 6:13/03;<BR>
6:12/07. See also: www.klamathbasin.info/fishkill1.htm.). <BR>
<BR>
On 18 June, Herger slipped a punitive provision int=
o the House<BR>
Interior Appropriations Bill (at Section 138), apparently hoping no one<BR>
would notice, to completely defund the Klamath Fishery Management<BR>
Council (KFMC). The Council, which Herger calls anti-agriculture, was<BR>
guilty in the Congressman's eyes for its efforts to protect returning<BR>
salmon spawners from river dewatering. Herger's provision was in<BR>
retaliation for a 10 October 2002 KFMC letter to Interior Secretary Gale<BR>
Norton that merely expressed concern over the Klamath fish kill - the<BR>
worst in U.S. history. More than 33,000 adult fish were killed in late<BR>
September 2002 as a result of the Department of Interior irrigation<BR>
project's failure to release adequate water to the river. <BR>
<BR>
The rationale given by Herger for eliminating KFMC=20=
funding was<BR>
that "the Council....overstepped its legislative mandate by advocating<BR>
policy positions that are outside the scope of its authority." The<BR>
"advocacy" that incited Congressman's ire was a statement in the KFMC<BR>
letter, supported by the science, pointing to water policies in the Klamath<=
BR>
Project, among other problems in the river, as contributing factors in the<B=
R>
fish kill. The Council also requested sufficient water be released from<BR>
the federal project to allow economically valuable downriver<BR>
commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries, which the KFMC is<BR>
charged with protecting, to survive. The letter further requested<BR>
reconsultation between the agencies in light of the new information<BR>
provided by the 2002 fish kill. <BR>
<BR>
Instead, the Bush Administration in 2003 has gone f=
orward with the<BR>
same 10-year water plan that led to last year's fish kill, thus continuing t=
o<BR>
put the Klamath at high risk of future die-offs. The issue of low flow=
s to<BR>
the lower river and the legality of that 10-year water plan is the subject<B=
R>
of a pending court case, PCFFA et al. v. BOR, NMFS (Dist. N. Ca, No.<BR>
02-2006-SBA), in which a decision is due any day (see Sublegals,<BR>
7:24/02; 7:23/11; 7:17/13; 7:16/06; 7:15/07; 7:13/02; 7:09/03). The<BR=
>
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) operates the Klamath Irrigation<BR>
Project that controls as much as half the flows to the lower river,<BR>
releasing water not used for irrigation at Iron Gate Dam. <BR>
<BR>
The KFMC is a federal, multi-stakeholder advisory c=
ommittee<BR>
(created 1988 -- 16 U.S.C. 460ss-2) charged with development of<BR>
recommendations to state, federal and tribal agencies for the sustainable<BR=
>
management of the ocean fisheries that affect the Klamath River Basin's<BR>
anadromous (i.e., salmon and steelhead) fish populations. It serves a<=
BR>
data collection and scientific advisory role to both the Secretaries of<BR>
Commerce and Interior in protecting and sustainably managing Klamath<BR>
fish runs - the same ones affected by the September 2002 fish kill. <BR>
PCFFA Vice-President Dave Bitts currently chairs the Council. It also<=
BR>
advises the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). The PFMC,<BR>
albeit in much stronger terms, has also called for far greater flows in the<=
BR>
lower Klamath River in order to protect many important fisheries. A<BR=
>
copy of that PFMC letter is available at:<BR>
http://www.pcffa.org/PFMCKlamathletter12-02.pdf.<BR>
<BR>
The Bush Administration has so far made no effort t=
o disavow the<BR>
Herger Amendment, nor is it seeking to have it removed. In fact, in<BR=
>
what is becoming known as the "Salmongate" scandal (see Sublegals,<BR>
7:21/01; 6:18/02; 6:18/01; 6:16/01), the Administration has chosen to<BR>
ignore scientists who have identified low flows as the cause of the fish<BR>
kill and who call for more water in the river to prevent future die-offs.<BR=
>
Likewise, funding for completion of a key multi-year, multi-agency<BR>
study of lower river flows needed for fish, the "Hardy Phase II Flow<BR>
Study," has been held up by the Department of Interior. The Hardy<BR>
Phase II report is now more than 18 months overdue beyond its<BR>
originally scheduled release date, and Administration officials are still<BR=
>
refusing to release the funding ($115,000) to complete it. <BR>
<BR>
Also, most recently, the Western Division of the Am=
erican Fisheries<BR>
Society (AFS), in a 13 May letter to Secretary Norton, found a number<BR>
of serious flaws in the National Research Council (NRC) Klamath<BR>
Committee's "Interim Report," which is the fundamental basis for BOR's<BR>
current 10-year water plan. AFS also expressed concern about reports<B=
R>
that have been unnecessarily and inexplicably delayed by the Bush<BR>
Administration. For a copy of the 13 May AFS letter, go to:<BR>
www.klamathbasin.info.<BR>
<BR>
7:25/02. KLAMATH JUVENILE FISH KILL FEARED:&n=
bsp; Fisheries<BR>
biologists doing routine fish surveys at some sampling weirs in the<BR>
middle Klamath River are seeing unusual die-offs of outmigrating<BR>
juvenile salmon that are now moving downriver to the ocean from Iron<BR>
Gate Hatchery. While it is too soon, and data is still too sparse, to<=
BR>
determine whether a major juvenile fish kill is actually occurring, Yurok<BR=
>
Tribe and Klamath River Intertribal Fish & Water Commission<BR>
(KRIFWC) biologists contacted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)<BR>
on 12 June, highlighting concerns that flow conditions are being set up<BR>
in the Klamath River by the Bureau that are nearly identical to those that<B=
R>
triggered a massive juvenile fish die-off of more than 250,000 smolts<BR>
during late June in 2000. Such a kill would be particularly serious th=
is<BR>
year, since these young are from the survivors of the massive fish kill on<B=
R>
September 2002.<BR>
<BR>
Juvenile die-offs in the Klamath River have been in=
creasingly<BR>
common under mandated low flow conditions during the spring, salmon<BR>
smolts are particularly vulnerable and juvenile die-offs can be very large.=20=
<BR>
However, unlike fall die-offs like the one in September 2002 of<BR>
returning adult spawners, smolt carcasses are small, hard to count and<BR>
readily consumed by predators. For a copy of the Memo to BOR from<BR>
Fisheries Consultant Ronnie Pierce of the KRIFWC, go to:<BR>
www.klamathbasin.info. <BR>
<BR>
7:25/03. SUPREME COURT DENIES CERTIORARI TO<B=
R>
CHALLENGE TMDLS: A four-year battle to determine the power of<BR>
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) to enforce the Clean<BR>
Water Act in California's Garcia River watershed ended this week when<BR>
the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case on appeal. The case,<B=
R>
Pronsolino v. Nastri, originally filed by the Mendocino County and<BR>
national Farm Bureau's on behalf of a wealthy local landowner, sought to<BR>
throw out the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) authority of the<BR>
federal government under the Clean Water Act to regulate non-point<BR>
source pollution in certain sections of the watershed. By declining to=
<BR>
hear the case, the Supreme Court will let stand a U.S. District Court<BR>
decision to support the TMDL after the State of California refused to<BR>
regulate non-point source pollution in the watershed. The Prosolino case<BR>
attempted to overturn the settlement resulting from the suit, PCFFA v.<BR>
Marcus, brought in the mid 1990s by a coalition of 14 conservation and<BR>
fishing groups and represented by Earthjustice attorney Joe Brecher,<BR>
which forced the EPA to adopt TMDLs for 20 California north coast<BR>
watersheds. For more, contact Joe Brecher at brecher@pacbell.net. <BR>
<BR>
7:25/04. LAND & WATER CONSERVATION FUND SLASHED:<BR>
On 19 June, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee voted for<BR>
cuts in funding for the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The<BR>
LWCF is the federal program that funds land purchases for national<BR>
parks and has been responsible for the acquisition and protection of<BR>
37,000 acres of salmon bearing rivers. The cuts are now part of the 2004<BR>
House Interior Appropriations bill. The LWCF would be cut by more<BR>
than fifty percent in 2004, down $213 million from 2003 levels. The<BR>
appropriations bill also slashes the Conservation Trust Fund to $500<BR>
million from the current level of $1.56 billion, and the Forest legacy<BR>
public-private forest conservation effort by twenty-five percent. During<BR>
the 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush promised to fully fund<BR>
the LWCF. Since becoming president, Bush has claimed credit for<BR>
securing LWCF funding while asking for less and less money for the<BR>
land acquisition portion of the fund each year, redirecting monies to<BR>
other purposes. For information on the LWCF go to:<BR>
http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/LWCF. For the 19 June Environmental<BR>
News Service article, go to:<BR>
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-19-09.asp.<BR>
<BR>
7:25/05. MORE ON SENATE VOTE TO OPEN OFFSHORE=
<BR>
MORATIORIUM AREAS TO EXPLORATORY DRILLING: As<BR>
reported in last issue (see Sublegals, 7:24/23), the U.S. Senate, by a<BR>
54-44 margin, rejected an amendment by Senators Bob Graham (D-FL),<BR>
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and others that would have prohibited<BR>
exploratory studies of coastal oil and natural gas reserves. In the vo=
te on<BR>
the Senate Energy Bill, proponents of the survey of the offshore areas<BR>
covered under a drilling moratorium claimed that the studies in no way<BR>
authorize drilling. Many, like Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), asked<BR>
"How can we have a comprehensive energy policy without knowing how<BR>
much oil and gas we have?" <BR>
<BR>
Critics of the plan, including both Republicans and=
Democrats,<BR>
countered that the language in the energy bill calls for studies to<BR>
determine whether current federal regulations, including the moratorium<BR>
on offshore drilling "restrict or impede" the development of untapped<BR>
resources. The studies themselves may also pose a threat to various<BR=
>
fisheries due to the high decibel sounds created during the survey<BR>
process. Earlier this year a similar case resulted in a fish kill at a=
bridge<BR>
construction site in the Carquinez Straits in Northern California (see<BR>
Sublegals 7/04:06). For more, see the 6/13 Anchorage Daily News<BR>
article at: http://www.adn.com/business/story/3286850p-3316083c.html,<BR>
the 6/13 San Francisco Chronicle article at:<BR>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=3D/chronicle/archive/2003/06/<BR=
>
13/MN117380.DTL, the 6/13 Miami Herald article at:<BR>
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/6077051.htm, or<BR>
the 6/13 Charlotte Observer article at:<BR>
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/6077637.htm.<BR>
<BR>
7:25/06. COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WEBSITE DEBUTS ON<B=
R>
THE WEST COAST, PROJECT AVAILABLE FOR SALMON<BR>
TROLLERS: The west coast version of the Collaborative Research<BR>
Clearinghouse, currently serving the east coast, debuted 18 June at a<BR>
Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) reception (see Sublegals,<BR>
7:23/06). The website, www.FishResearchWest.org, provides databases<BR>
of fishermen and scientists interested in collaborative research,<BR>
information about funding opportunities, and basic information about<BR>
how to get involved. A current research project highlighted on the new<BR>
website is a collaborative salmon tagging project through the Pacific<BR>
Fisheries Environmental Lab (PFEL), the Institute for Fisheries<BR>
Resources (IFR), and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's<BR>
Associations (PCFFA). Biologists will accompany salmon trollers<BR>
throughout California on regular fishing trips and will tag the first 10<BR>
healthy salmon per day. The tagged fish will be released to record water<BR>
pressure and depth, helping scientists determine habitat characteristics<BR>
and life history information of salmon in the ocean. Fishermen will be<BR>
compensated approximately $500.00 per day to participate. If you are<BR>
interested contact Ky Russell at IFR at (415) 561-3474 or by email:<BR>
krussell@ifrfish.org. Details are also available on the IFR website at<BR>
www.ifrfish.org or at www.FishResearchWest.org. <BR>
<BR>
7:25/07. LACK OF DREDGING, POOR PORT MAINTENA=
NCE A<BR>
FACTOR IN TILLAMOOK BAY BOAT DISASTER: When the<BR>
Taki-Tooo charter fishing boat tried to navigate the bar at Oregon's<BR>
Tillamook Bay, near the port of Garibaldi, on Saturday 14 June, it ran<BR>
into amplified incoming waves and capsized, resulting in the loss of 11<BR>
lives, including its captain.<BR>
<BR>
Since then shock waves have been rippling throughou=
t small coastal<BR>
ports all over the west coast, because some of the likely contributing<BR>
causes to the disaster include deteriorating jetty conditions and lack of<BR=
>
dredging - the same conditions that are putting most other small coastal<BR>
ports at increasing risk of similar disasters. Tillamook Bay has not b=
een<BR>
dredged nor its crumbling jetty seawalls repaired since 1976.<BR>
<BR>
The Bush Administration now has a standing policy o=
f investing<BR>
federal dredging money in large ports (e.g., Port of Long Beach,<BR>
Oakland, deepening Columbia River) in accordance with their<BR>
importance for trade. This leaves smaller coastal ports like Garibaldi=
,<BR>
which is important for locally based recreational and fishing businesses<BR>
but not for international trade, without the funds to maintain its channel.=20=
<BR>
Many smaller ports are experiencing increasing sandbar buildup and<BR>
problems with crumbling seawalls, and have to scramble every year now<BR>
for increasingly scarce Congressional maintenance dollars (see<BR>
Sublegals, 6:23/09; 5:11/14). Yet unlike big ports, most smaller ports do<BR=
>
not have the money to underwrite any of these costs themselves. Lack o=
f<BR>
dredging and jetty maintenance funding can cause wave amplification<BR>
and deprive small vessels of needed shelter as they navigate critical<BR>
sandbars, both factors under investigation in the Taki-tooo disaster this<BR=
>
week. For more, see the 17 June Oregonian article:<BR>
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/<BR>
1055851615107260.xml; and the 17 June Eugene Register-Guard article<BR>
located on the web at:<BR>
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/06/17/a1.dredging.0617.html.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
7:25/08. STUDIES FIND US FAILING TO MONITOR<BR>
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: Two studies released 18<BR>
June find that the United States is not doing an adequate job to protect<BR>
the environment and public health in regards to the monitoring of<BR>
genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In a report entitled, "Planting<BR>
Trouble," the Center for Public Interest (CSPI) reports that, among other<BR=
>
things, corn farmers are not complying with the mandate that requires<BR>
that 20 percent of their crop be non-genetically altered, to prevent the<BR>
breeding of insects resistant to the pesticide produced by the engineered<BR=
>
corn (Bt). The data independently analyzed by the CSPI shows that<BR>
nineteen percent of ten thousand Bt corn farms in the Midwest violated<BR>
these U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) refuge<BR>
requirements in 2002. The report also recommends the EPA gather its<BR>
data from more reputable sources, rather than from the biotechnology<BR>
industry, which has an obvious conflict of interest. <BR>
<BR>
The second report, "Raising Risk," done by the U.S.=
Public Interest<BR>
Research Group (USPIRG), criticizes the U.S. Department of<BR>
Agriculture's (USDA) monitoring of GMO experiments being conducted<BR>
across the U.S. USPIRG warns that nearly 70 percent of all field tests of<BR=
>
genetically engineered crops conducted in the last year contain unknown<BR>
secret genes classified as confidential business information to which the<BR=
>
public has no access. Last fall, for example, a crop genetically<BR>
engineered to produce a pig vaccine contaminated commercial crops,<BR>
requiring 500,000 bushels of soybeans to be destroyed. The U.S. Food &<B=
R>
Drug Administration (FDA) treats substances added to food products<BR>
through biotechnology as food additives only if they are significantly<BR>
different in structure, function or amount than substances currently found<B=
R>
in food. If a new food product developed through biotechnology does not<BR>
contain substances that are significantly different from those already in<BR=
>
the diet, it does not require pre-market approval. Currently, genetically<BR=
>
modified foods in the United States also do not require any special<BR>
labeling. <BR>
<BR>
The two reports raise concerns that since the gover=
nment cannot<BR>
adequately control and oversee ten thousand stationary Bt corn farms,<BR>
then how are they going to control genetically modified salmon, which<BR>
are live animals and live in net pens in the ocean? To see the complete<BR>
6/18 Environmental News Service (ENS) report on the two studies go to:<BR>
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-18-06.asp. To see a copy of<BR>
the U.S. PIRG report go to:<BR>
http://uspirg.org/uspirg.asp?id2=3D10192&id3=3DUSPIRG&. To see=
a copy<BR>
of the (CSPI) report go to: http://www.cspinet.org/new/200306191.html. <BR>
<BR>
The next issue of Sublegals will report on the Pre-=
Cancun WTO<BR>
ministerial hosted by the USDA in Sacramento, California that<BR>
highlighted and promoted genetically-modified foods (see Sublegals,<BR>
7:24/16; 7:18/03). <BR>
<BR>
7:25/09. US BACKS OUT OF TALKS WITH EUROPE OVER<BR>
GMO MORATORIUM: A consultation between the United States and<BR>
the European Union over opening up Europe to new genetically<BR>
modified foods broke down in Geneva on 19 June. This breakdown of<BR>
communication means that the World Trade Organization (WTO) will<BR>
convene a panel to hear the U.S. case regarding European regulations<BR>
pertaining to genetically modified (GM) crops. Europe recently placed=20=
a<BR>
moratorium on the importation of new GMO foods (see Sublegals<BR>
7:22/04, 7:20/01, 7:07/09). Without the ban, U.S. agribusiness would<BR>
export about $300 billion more in corn each year, claims the American<BR>
Farm Bureau Federation, which promotes genetic engineering. <BR>
<BR>
In a speech last month, President George W. Bush es=
calated the<BR>
dispute by saying that Europe's policy was hindering efforts to fight<BR>
hunger in Africa. European officials said they are disappointed by the<BR>
U.S.'s politicizing of the dispute. Many food producers in the U.S.,<BR>
including fishing groups such as PCFFA, along with small family<BR>
farmers and organic growers, together with conservation and consumer<BR>
organizations and food safety experts, disagree with the U.S. posture and<BR=
>
support the EU position on labeling of genetically engineered foods. The<BR>
panel decision will take months. For more information, see:<BR>
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/20/international/europe/<BR>
20TRAD.html?th. <BR>
<BR>
7:25/10. ARGROCHEMICAL SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND<BR>
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY: The Pesticide Action Network<BR>
reported on 13 June 2003 that the top three Agrochemical Corporation's<BR>
shareholders are calling for more corporate accountability on pesticide<BR>
risks. During the 2003 "Annual Meeting Season," agrochemical<BR>
shareholders strongly signaled the three largest agrochemical companies<BR>
to acknowledge the environmental and health risks of their products. Led<BR>
by socially responsible investment firms, shareholders at Dow, Bayer<BR>
and Monsanto requested detailed information about the handling of<BR>
dangerous pesticides and byproducts and the possibility of costly<BR>
lawsuits. For more information see:<BR>
http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20030613.dv.html.<BR>
<BR>
7:25/11. NOMINEES NEEDED FOR NMFS RECOVERY<BR>
SCIENCE REVIEW PANEL: The National Marine Fisheries Service<BR>
(NMFS) is currently accepting nominees for 3-year positions on its<BR>
Recovery Science Review Panel. The panel members will participate in<B=
R>
the development of formal Recovery Plans for the 26 populations of<BR>
Pacific salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act<BR>
(ESA). Duties will include advising Technical Recovery Teams<BR>
concerning the ecological and evolutionary principles of recovery<BR>
planning efforts and encouraging the consistent application of those<BR>
principles among the various recovery plans. <BR>
<BR>
Nominees should (1) be scientists of international=20=
reputation in the<BR>
fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, fisheries<BR>
biology, or salmon biology; (2) have held positions of scientific<BR>
leadership; (3) have demonstrated fairness and cooperation, and an<BR>
ability to work effectively in a team; and (4) meet National Research<BR>
Council (NRC) standards regarding independence and conflict of<BR>
interest. Nominations must be received on or before 15 July, and should<BR>
be sent to: J.J. Westfall, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center,<BR>
2725 Montlake Boulevard E.; Seattle, WA 98112<BR>
(JJ.Westfall@noaa.gov). For more see the NMFS Northwest Fisheries<BR>
Science Center website at: http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/trt.<BR>
<BR>
7:25/12. SEA GRANT GUIDE TO FISHERIES MANAGEMENT:<B=
R>
The National Sea Grant College Program has published a 60-page<BR>
booklet titled "Understanding Fisheries Management" that should be<BR>
useful for fishermen and just about anyone else who follows or tries to<BR>
comprehend the complexity of U.S. fishery management. It includes 20<BR>
pages of acronym translations and defines many of the terms used in the<BR>
management process. For more information, go to:<BR>
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/masgc/masgch00001.pdf. <BR>
<BR>
7:25/13. NMFS ADVERTISES FOR SOUTHWEST REGION<BR>
ADMINISTRATOR: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is<BR>
advertising to fill the vacant Southwest Regional Administrator position<BR>
for the agency's Southwest Region, Long Beach, California. The vacancy<BR>
opened on 20 May and closes 7 July. The announcement is<BR>
NOAA#03-15.NJH and can be accessed via www.USAJOBS.opm.gov<BR>
and then type in that number. Rod McGinnis is the current acting<BR>
Regional Administrator for the Southwest Region.<BR>
<BR>
According to NMFS, "this is a Senior Executive Serv=
ice position<BR>
requiring a Secret security clearance with a salary range from $127,707<BR>
to $142,500 annually. The Regional Administrator will be responsible<BR>
for planning, developing, managing, and overseeing the conservation,<BR>
management and utilization of the marine fisheries, marine mammal and<BR>
endangered species for the State of California and the environmental<BR>
quality essential for their existence and continued productivity. The<BR>
Regional Administrator represents the Secretary of Commerce on the<BR>
Pacific Fishery Management Council and works closely with the<BR>
Northwest Regional Administrator on ESA salmon issues and the Pacific<BR>
Islands Regional Administrator on the management of highly migratory<BR>
species."<BR>
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
*****************<BR>
Paying Attention? Congressman Wally Herger is unhappy with the<BR>
Klamath Fishery Management Council because it wrote a letter about the<BR>
September 2002 fish kill. What is Wally doing to retaliate?<BR>
<BR>
A) He inserted language in the fourth June supplemental appropriation<BR>
bill to fund the U.S. occupation of Iraq with language authorizing CAMP<BR>
officials to purchase clubs from the Oregon Department of Fish &<BR>
Wildlife and beginning clubbing returning Klamath salmon this summer<BR>
so the Klamath Irrigation Project won't be responsible for any fish kill.<BR=
>
B) He secured an Executive Order from the White House directing all<BR>
KFMC members return funds they received for travel or lodging from<BR>
the KFMC since 1989 and directing the Internal Revenue Service to<BR>
audit the tax returns of all current and past KFMC members.<BR>
C) He attached a rider to the Land & Water Conservation Fund<BR>
appropriation to rename the Klamath River above Iron Gate Dam as the<BR>
Reagan River (or the "Ragin' Reagan") so the KFMC and the Klamath<BR>
Task Force cannot blame fish kills on upriver Klamath diversions, since<BR>
it is now a different river.<BR>
D) Claiming the KFMC overstepped its authority, he inserted language<BR>
in the Interior Appropriations bill to defund the KFMC.<BR>
E) He wrote Attorney General John Ashcroft requesting KFMC<BR>
members be put under house arrest and all of their phones and e-mails<BR>
monitored pursuant to the American Patriot Act because Herger said<BR>
they were anti-American agriculture.<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...... ERIC HUFFMAN, who correctly answered, "C)<BR>
To seek the speedy delisting of Oregon coho, thereby removing federal<BR>
pressure on the state to protect and restore salmon habitat," to the<BR>
question of, "What was the meeting between the Oregon Governor and<BR>
the White House Council on Environmental Quality about?" He will<BR>
receive both an "Order of the Fringehead" certificate and a handsome<BR>
gray shirt with 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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R>
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