[acn-l] ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 6/2/00<~~ (fwd)

PETER.UNMACK at asu.edu
Mon, 05 Jun 2000 12:17:11 -0700 (MST)

Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2000 23:19:54 -0700
To: AFS at wyoming.com, ACN-L at pinetree.org, crab-l at ios.bc.ca,
FishingForum at onelist.com, fishhabitat at mail.orst.edu,
oceancoalition at onelist.com, salmon at riverdale.k12.or.us
From: Institute for Fisheries Resources <fishers1 at pond.net>
Subject: ~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 6/2/00<~~

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~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 6/2/00<~~
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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 1, NO.22 2 June 2000
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SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD CELEBRATION SET FOR 8 JUNE IN
WASHINGTON, DC: Wild California King Salmon, along with Alaska
sablefish, Pacific halibut, Cape Cod cod, and Copper River salmon will be
the featured faire at "Fish Fest 2000: A Celebration of Sustainable
Seafood." The event, part of World Oceans Day, is a reception set for
Thursday afternoon, 8 June, at the Rayburn House Office Building in
Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Marine Fish Conservation Network, it
brings together Washington's best chefs with fishermen and conservation
representatives from around the country to "reveal a series of sumptuous
fish dishes demonstrating that fish conservation, productive fisheries and a
great seafood go hand in hand." The celebration will include talks by
MFCN's Lee Crockett, Alaska fisherman Bob Storrs, and restauranteur
and chef Todd Gray. Also featured will be Restaurant Nora, Georgetown
Seafood Grill, Caf‚ Atlantico, Equinox, the National Press Club, and
FoodFit.com.

The celebration is intended to demonstrate the availability and
goodness of seafood harvested in a sustainable manner. It is also in partial
response to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA) annual "Fish Fry" held each May in the Commerce Department
cafeteria. The 9 June event will demonstrate that there are better and more
healthful ways of cooking fish than frying, and show that there are fish
available that do not have to come from environmentally-damaging fish
farms or non-sustainable fisheries. For more information, contact the
Marine Fish Conservation Network at (202) 543-5509.

STEELHEAD LISTED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: On 31 May
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) listing of steelhead trout as threatened in coastal
northern California in what is called the "Northern California ESU." This
marks the final collapse of the California Wilson Administration's salmon
and steelhead protection plan which ultimately resulted in little protection
and no follow through. Originally NMFS decided not to list this
population in deference to a promise by the State of California that
stringent state protection measures would be taken instead, particularly
some much needed forestry reforms. NMFS insisted on certain forestry
reforms, particularly protection of smaller streams, erosion controls and
cumulative impacts assessment, but these measures were never
implemented by the California Board of Forestry, forcing NMFS to
withdraw its support for a listing exemption for these runs in February. A
recently filed suit led by the Garberville-based Environmental Protection
Information Center (EPIC)also charges that the California State Forestry
Department and the State Board of Forestry unlawfully approves timber
harvest plans that harm coho. On 19 May, the plaintiffs in that case
filed for a preliminary injunction that, if granted, would halt all approved
harvest plans in watersheds that harbor coho salmon. It is expected that
this injunction request will now be expanded to include steelhead.
Poor forestry practices were specifically identified in the finalized Federal
Register notice for the listing as a primary cause of declines. For more
information on this lawsuit visit EPIC's website at:

http://www.wildcalifornia.org.

NMFS continues its refusal to list the Klamath Mountains Province
ESU, however, on the grounds that most of the land in that ESU (as
opposed to the Northern California ESU) is federal, and that the
Northwest Forest Plan takes care of those areas. This determination has

been challenged in court by a coalition of sportfishing and conservation
organizations. The Federal Register notice for the steelhead listing will be
published in about 10 days and the listing takes effect 60 days thereafter.

For more information see: http://www.times-standard.com/entry/2000/
June/01/steelheadframe_06012000.html.

ANNUAL NMFS REPORT SHOWS RECORD IMPORT/EXPORT
NUMBERS FOR SEAFOOD IN '99: In a report released by the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Bureau of Census reports that
for the 10th consecutive year, the value and volume of the fish and
shellfish imported and exported by the U.S. in 1999 set records, both in
value and volume. The report is available through NMFS's Office of
Science & Technology, http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1, or read about it in the
latest issue of National Fisherman at: http://www.nationalfisherman.com/
ondeck/news/news.html.

HANFORD REACH ON LIST OF RECOMMENDED NEW
NATIONAL MONUMENTS: The 1 June issue of The Oregonian reports
that Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has put forward a list of
recommended new National Monuments that includes the 200,000 acres
of the Hanford Reach on the upper Columbia River. The Hanford Reach
runs through the now-unused Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern
Washington State, and so ironically was protected from development
throughout the Cold War in the interests of "national security." It now has
become an ecological crown jewel which contains 51 miles of nearly
pristine salmon spawning and rearing habitat, all on federal land,
representing the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia.
See: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/news/
oregonian/00/06/lc_51monum01.frame.

FEDS IMPOSE NEW DAM RULES: Two reports on salmon recovery
and Pacific Northwest dams are presently under development by U.S.
federal agencies. The first, compiled by the National Marine Fisheries
Service ( NMFS), will set "legally binding guidelines for all federal dams
in the Northwest" including the four dams on the lower Snake River. The
other, based on studies by nine federal agencies, makes non-binding
recommendations for recovering salmon, which have declined from an
"estimated stock of 10-16 million a century ago to about 1 million today."
A step in the right direction according to conservationists, fishing groups
and others who have been advocating the precautionary approach to dam
building and refurbishing for years.

OREGON SEES BIGGEST RUN SINCE 1992: Biologists from the
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) announced this week that
spring chinook returns to the Willamette Basin will exceed early
projections by 5,000 to 10,000, making it the largest run since 1992.
Columbia River runs have also exceeded expectations this year. Experts
credit the rains and subsequent high flows in 1997 and 1998 as well as a
recent U.S. -Canada fishing agreement which has limited ocean harvest of
these fish. There will be no change in limits on the fishery this year,
however, ODFW has developed a plan to use the fish which are in excess
of broodstock needs. Some will be trucked downstream or to lakes to give
anglers another chance at hooking one. Where policies allow, the fish will
be taken to streams to spawn naturally, or the carcasses placed in streams
for nutrient enrichment. Some fish will be given to Native American tribes
to meet treaty obligations or sold to fish buyers through a competitive bid
process.

MPA PRINCIPLES DETAILED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER: On 26
May President Bill Clinton addressed an audience on Assateague Island,
Maryland laying out his intentions for his just released executive order
on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). (see Sublegals, 26 May 2000) The
President acknowledged, in his speech, the nation's economic dependence
on our Ocean resources citing the fact that: "Through fishing, tourism and
other industries, ocean resources support one out of every six jobs in the
United States of America." The order directs federal agencies within the

Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce to work
together to create a comprehensive network of marine protected areas
(MPAs) that encompass diverse ecosystems and include ecological
reserves where fishing, oil drilling, and other consumptive uses are
prohibited. The order also mandates that the creation of this system of
MPAs be scientifically based. Many interest groups that have commented
have been in agreement that the plan seems fairly vague and that there is
considerable apprehension over its implementation. Other interest groups
with specific disagreements about the order, such as catch and release
anglers, have already begun asking the President to amend his order.
PCFFA, for example, has objected to using marine sanctuaries as the basis
of MPAs and has set out its own set of principles which can be viewed at:
http://www.pond.net/~pcffa/MPA.htm. For more information, the
Executive Order can be viewed at: http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/
uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/5/26/24.text.1, and the White
House Press Release is at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/
html/20000531_26.html. There is also a website dedicated to MPA News
at: http://www.mpanews.org.

BABBITT/DAVIS CALFED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAN
FRANCISCO BAY/SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA
EXPECTED ON 9 JUNE: Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt and
California Governor Gray Davis are expected to jointly announce their
preferred recommendations under the state-federal CalFed program for the
San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta this coming Friday, 9
June. CalFed was established pursuant to an accord signed on 15
December 1994 and for the past five years its various committees and
working groups have been meeting attempting to address environmental
and water supply issues surrounding the Bay and Delta. Approximately
half of the state's water supply is from Delta diversions and the Central
Valley river system produces approximately 90 percent of the salmon
harvested offshore California and the majority of Oregon's catch as well.

The final meeting of the Bay Delta Advisory Council (BDAC) which is
supposed to provide stakeholder input into CalFed was held on 18 May.
The recommendations of BDAC, however, may have little weight with
the state and federal agencies which had already been meeting prior to
BDAC's adjournment to hammer out a deal. PCFFA President Pietro
Parravano, along with Roger Thomas (charter boats) and Richard Izmarian
(recreational anglers) were the three fishing representatives on BDAC.
PCFFA had been highly critical of the CalFed process to date for its
continued reliance on surface reservoirs and preference for a peripheral
canal as well as its failure to: 1) plan for new water sources (e.g.,
desalinization); 2) call for statewide groundwater management (California
and Texas are the only two states with no groundwater management);
and 3) call for growth planning around available water supplies. For a
copy of the PCFFA CalFed comments, visit: http://www.pond.net/~pcffa.

FISHERMEN SEEK RELIEF FROM GROUNDFISH CLOSURES:
National Fisherman reported this week that the city of Gloucester
Massachusetts has filed a suit against U.S. Commerce Secretary Richard
Daley saying that federal cod fishing restrictions are preventing its small
boat fleet from making a living. The suit, filed by the Boston law firm of
Smith & Duggan and the Washington, D.C-based firm of Brand & Frulla,
also accuses the government of regional discrimination, claiming that the
Gloucester portion of the Gulf of Maine is now closed more than any
other area. It also claims that Gloucester and its residents have been asked
to make numerous sacrifices to conserve and rebuild lagging groundfish
stocks; consequently, the federal regulations have caused the Gloucester
fleet to shrink to approximately 220 vessels. See:
http://www.nationalfisherman.com/ondeck/news/news.html for the week
of 22 May.

Meanwhile, on the west coast there has been a series of meetings and a
concerted overall effort to put together a comprehensive plan to deal with
the crash of the groundfish stocks. Last week Onno Husing, director of
the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association, who has been
attempting to put together a three-state relief package spoke to two
workshops in California, hosted by IFR, to get additional input for a
proposal to give the Congress. (See Sublegals, 19 May 2000) For more
information contact IFR's Molly Thomas at: ifrfish at aol.com, or the
Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association at: (541) 265-8918.

FINAL EIR SCOPING MEETING BY CPUC FOR PG&E HYDRO
DIVESTITURE SET FOR 8 JUNE, LEGISLATION PULLED: The final
scoping session for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report
(pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act) by the California
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will be held Thursday, 8 June, at the
CPUC offices in San Francisco, on the divestiture of Pacific Gas &
Electric Company's (PG&E) vast hydro electric holdings. Dr. Guy Phillips
will be presenting testimony there on behalf of PCFFA. (See Sublegals, 5
May 2000). For more information, go to the CPUC website at:

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/divisions/energy/environmental/info/aspen/
pgehydro/pgehydro.htm. Meanwhile in the California Legislature, AB
1890, by State Assemblyman Fred Keeley, has been pulled, for now, from
a hearing by an Assembly panel. That bill would have authorized a
purchase by the State of the PG&E holdings on a temporary basis to
"clean them up" (e.g., making them fish friendly) before selling them back
into a private deregulated market. (See Sublegals, 18 February, 2000).

SENATOR STEVENS SAYS LAWSUITS CRIPPLING NATIONAL
FISHERY AGENCY, FISH REP SAYS PROBLEM IS NMFS
FLAUNTING OF THE LAW, NOT LAWSUITS: At a breakfast meeting
addressing the fish importers, distributors and processors that were part of
the National Fisheries Institute's (NFI) Washington "Fly-In", Alaska's
Senior Senator said said he was "very disturbed" about the level of
litigation facing the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In a 24
May report by Fishmonger.com, Stevens went on adding that the
environmental community is responsible for a significant portion of the
litigation. "It's an effort by environmental groups to establish in court what
they can't establish through the regional council process,"said Stevens.

PCFFA Executive Director Zeke Grader, agreed with Stevens that the
100 plus lawsuits facing the agency are a problem, but said they are a
result of NMFS' continued flaunting of the law, not litigious
environmental and fishing groups. Grader, a lawyer, said the biggest
fishery scofflaw in the U.S. right now is not some fishermen or processors
but the very agency with the trust responsibility for conserving and wisely
managing the nation's fishery resources. PCFFA, a commercial fishing
group, not an environmental organization, has an estimated dozen lawsuits
it is party to against NMFS for the agency's failure to enforce the
Magnuson-Stevens Act and the Endangered Species Act.

LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT HEARING ON OIL SPILL
PREVENTION AND RESPONSE THIS WEEK: There will be a
joint-hearing by the Assembly Select Committee on the Protection of
Inland Waterways (Chairman: Assemblyman Ted Lempert) and the
Assembly Natural Resources Committee (Chairman: Howard Wayne).
On the agenda for this weeks meeting will be regulations for unannounced
oil spill drills as well as discussion of California's oil spill response
capability. The meeting will be held Friday 9 June from 9 - 11:30 a.m. at
the Bay Model, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito.

NMFS RELEASES "DOLPHIN-SAFE" LABEL FOR TUNA: A final
rule was issued this week by the Secretary of Commerce which will
become effective 29 June 2000. Under the Dolphin Protection Consumer
Information Act (DPCIA), as amended by the International Dolphin
Conservation Program Act (IDCPA) the Secretary of Commerce was
required to designate an official mark that can be used to label tuna

products as being "dolphin-safe.'' A full color version of the official mark
is available at the NMFS Southwest Region website at:
http://swr.ucsd.edu/dsl.htm.

PFMC SEEKS COMMENTS ON THEIR HIGHLY MIGRATORY
SPECIES FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN: The Pacific Fishery
Management Council (PFMC) is developing a Fishery Management Plan
(FMP) for Highly Migratory Species (HMS) off the Pacific Coast that
would place HMS species such as tuna, billfish, and sharks under Federal
management. This document announces a control date of 9 March 2000.
Comments must be submitted to Jim Lone, Chairman, Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 2130 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 224, Portland, OR
97201 by 30 June 2000. For more information visit the PFMC's website
at: http://www.pcouncil.org/intro.html.

GOT NEWS?: Submit news items to Molly Thomas, editor at:
ifrfish at aol.com or call the IFR office with the news and a source at
either: (415) 561-FISH (Southwest Office) or (541) 689-2000 (Northwest
Office).

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