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~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 7/14/00<~~
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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 2, NO. 2 14 JULY 2000
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2:02/01. SENATE AGREEMENT ON CARA: Senators Frank
Murkowski (R-AK) and Jeff Bingaman(D-NM) today, 14 July,
announced agreement on the $3 billion Conservation & Reinvestment Act
(CARA). The Senate mark (see Sublegals, 30 June 2000) is similar to the
Miller-Young bill, H.R. 701, that earlier passed the House, but allocates
money to different accounts including those not in the House bill that fund
the Youth Conservation Corps, a Coastal Stewardship program and a
Coral Reef Program. CARA, which could be a significant source for
funding fishery programs and protecting fish habitats, is widely supported
by the fishing industry and conservation groups. For more information,
contact either Tina Kreisher or Joe Brenckle at (202) 224-4971.
2:02/02. SNAKE RIVER DAM REMOVAL COULD CREATE JOBS:
American Rivers today, 14 July, released a report indicating that more
than 27,000 new jobs would be created by bypassing the four dams on the
Lower Snake River in Washington State to save endangered Snake River
salmon. Many have believed that bypassing the dams would harm local
economies, but the report, based on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
economic analysis, shows that some 4,680 jobs now related to the dams,
most in irrigated agriculture, operation of the dams themselves, and
reservoir related recreation, could be protected through strategic
investments. Another 23,639 new short term jobs could be created by the
public works projects needed for dam bypassing - including improving
roads, railways, power plants and power lines, grain elevators, wells and
pumps, and removing the earthen portion of the dams themselves. At least
3,183 net permanent jobs would be added in commercial and sport fishing,
new power plants and transmission lines, transportation and shipping.
More information is available at: http://www.americanrivers.org
2:02/03. MARKET FOR JELLYFISH?: The May issue of the
Australian trade publication, Professional Fisherman, reports Australians
are beginning to develop a market for jellyfish, which are very popular in
Asia especially Japan. They have been considered a nuisance by most
fishermen getting caught in their nets. But now the world harvest is
250,000 tones annually. There is a high demand in Japan, where it is
considered a delicacy. The processing in quite detailed, involving:
separating the bell from the tentacles, drying, and salting. Once salted and
dried the jellyfish still need to be de-salted, cooked, and re-hydrated. On
its own it does not have any flavor and marinating can also be part of the
process. For more information, e-mail Jacquie Edwards, Center for Food
Technology, at: edwardja at dpi.qld.gov.au
2:02/04. MOSS LANDING POWER PLANT EXTENSION
HEARING: The community meeting being held by the California Energy
Commission (CEC) on the proposed extension and expansion of the
Duke's Moss Landing Power Plant will be held Monday, 17 July, in Moss
Landing (see Sublegals, 2:01/21). For more information, contact the CEC
Public Advisory's Office website at: pao at energy.state.ca.us
2:02/05.NMFS APPROVES $10 MILLION LOAN FOR
AQUACULTURE: The National Marines Fisheries Service (NMFS), has
approved a $10 million loan for aquaculture development to Southern
States Cooperative, Inc., a farmer-owned organization headquartered in
Richmond, VA. Most of the money is to help fish farmers finance
state-of-the-art closed systems for tilapia production. Tilapia is a
high-protein, low-fat fish that do not require wild fish for feed and are
typically raised in closed systems. Tilipia is popular with consumers for
its mild, white meat fillets. NMFS says the government loan is to boost
U.S. aquaculture production and "could help ease the strain on wild
stocks." For more information see: SeaWeb Aquaculture Clearinghouse
at: http://www.seaweb.org/campaigns/sac
NMFS announcement of the aquaculture subsidy comes on the heels of
the article in the 29 June issue of the scientific journal Nature (see
Sublegals, 30 June 2000) that reported many farmed fish are fed diets
containing high levels of fish meal and fish oil made from wild caught fish
resulting in a net loss of fish. More pounds of wild fish are caught to feed
many types of farmed fish than are harvested from farms. "Many
consumers believe that when they purchase farmed fish they are helping to
take pressure off of wild fisheries," said Environmental Defense senior
scientist Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, an author of the study. "In fact, for many
types of farmed fish, the opposite is true. Purchasing farmed fish isn't
necessarily better for our oceans than purchasing wild caught fish." To
view the report, go to: http://www.nature.com/nature/
2:02/06. ROLES REVERSED - ATLANTIC SALMON ARE BEING
THREATENED BY RAINBOW TROUT: The Ottawa Citizen reports
while farmed-raised Atlantic salmon have been threatening wild Pacific
salmon, that now wild Atlantic salmon stocks are being threatened by a
highly predatory, non-native rainbow trout from Washington State.
Approval has been given by the Canadian federal government and the
Nova Scotia government to raise these fish in floating salt water pens
adjacent to the rivers where the native Atlantic salmon spawn. Scientists
say that in the same habitat, the two species would compete for space,
oxygen, food and spawning areas. The rainbow trout will also feed on
salmon eggs and fry. Escapement from pens are a real consideration, due
to seal attacks, storms, ice damage, unpredicted mechanical failure of pens
and other causes. With cage culture, there will always be escapes, and this
must be taken into consideration when introducing exotic species. For
more information visit: http://www.seaweb.org/campaigns/sac
With the Canadian and Nova Scotia governments apparently turning a
blind eye to the potential impacts of the escape of caged non-native farm
fish on wild salmon stocks, Sea Web reports that the Scottish Parliament
is to launch an enquiry into the effects sea cage fish farming has on the
environment following a request put forward by Mr Allan Berry in
February, which "requests that the Parliament hold an independent and
public inquiry into the adverse environmental effects of sea cage
fish farming, and the regulatory failure to both recognize and prevent
significant damage to our natural heritage, the environment, and other
interests dependent on the integrity of our Scottish coastal waters". The
Transport & Environment Committee will join forces with the Rural
Affairs Committee to investigate the matter. Conservation groups also
welcomed the move. Darren Kindleysides, Marine & Coastal Policy
Officer, RSPB Scotland said: "At stake is the long term future not only of
this important Scottish Industry, but also the livelihoods of many of those
employed in other sectors dependent upon the health of the marine
environment, such as inshore fisheries. It is over ten years since the last
inquiry into fish farming. In that time salmon farming in Scotland has
increased four fold and, consequently, environmental problems linked
with this have also escalated."
2:02/07. FARMED COD GOES ON SALE IN THE U.K.: The United
Kingdom's Sea Fish Industry Authority reports that 10 tons of cod
produced at commercial aquaculture facilities have gone on sale in
Britain. The project which began in September 1997, aims to achieve a
demonstration output of 50 tons of cultivated cod by end of this year. It
also aims to show that cod cultivation can be viable and complement
existing salmon farming operations. "The project explores the
commercial viability of cod cultivation which could eventually reduce the
UK's dependence on imports," said Seafish Chief Executive, Alasdair
Fairbairn. "The annual UK market for cod is around 170,000 tonnes and
for many years the bulk of this has come from countries such as Iceland
and Norway." For more information, visit the Sea Fish Industry Authority
website at: http://www.seafish.co.uk
2:02/08. CHANNEL ISLANDS MARINE RESERVE WORKING
GROUP TO MEET: A meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, 18 July,
0830 - 1700 HRS at the University Center at the University of California/
Santa Barbara in Goleta, of the Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary's Marine Reserve Working Group (MRWG). The MRWG is
involved in an ongoing consideration of the establishment of marine
reserves within the sanctuary waters and includes representatives of the
fishing industry and IFR Sustainable Fisheries Organizer, Chris Miller. At
the meeting, the MRWG will be updated on the progress of its Science
Panel. For more information, visit the Channel Islands website at:
http://www.cinms.nos.noaa.gov
2:02/09. LOCAL NOTICE TO MARINERS WEB PAGE: The U.S.
Coast Guard's "Local Notice to Mariners" is available now on the web at:
http://www.navcen.uscg.mil .
2:02/10. CLEAN WATER CAN BOOST THE ECONOMY: The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new report
showing how the economy depends on clean water. At the same time the
report warns that to provide the powerful boost clean water gives the
economy, the U.S. faces significant challenges cleaning up the nation's
remaining polluted waterways. "Liquid Assets 2000: America's Water
Resources at a Turning Point" provides a snapshot of the problems we
face in the new millennium, and the actions we must take to protect
and restore the nation's water resources. For a copy of the report, visit
http://www.epa.gov/ow/liquidassets
2:02/11. EPA PUBLIC MEETINGS ON OCEAN POLLUTION: The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting five public
meetings on proposed revisions to the agency's Ocean Discharge Criteria
regulations. These regulations implement Section 403 of the Clean Water
Act. This regulation revision will help EPA to address the new Executive
Order signed by the President on 26 May regarding Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs). EPA is holding meetings in the following cities: Tuesday,
25 July, in Washington.DC; Thursday, 27 July, in Boston, MA;
Tuesday, 1 August, in Portland, OR; Thursday, 3 August, in Los Angeles,
CA; and Wednesday, 9 August, in Tampa, FL For more information, visit
the EPA website at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/protecting_oceans/
For general information on the meetings, write Marine Pollution Control
Branch, ATTN: Ocean Discharge Criteria, US Environmental Protection
Agency, MC 4504F, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC,
20460, or to e-mail, address: Ocean.Discharges at epa.gov
2:02/12. CALFED BRIEFING: There will be a briefing sponsored by
the Water Education Foundation, Monday, 24 July, 0830 -1600 HRS at
the Capitol Plaza Holiday Inn, Sacramento. It will focus on the latest deal
and what is next for CALFED. Speakers will include state and federal
policy-makers, and leaders from urban, business, farming, environmental,
rural and in-Delta stakeholder communities that will discuss: the 9 June
Framework Agreement (see Sublegals, 9 June 2000), CALFED EIR/EIS,
ecosystem restoration, water supply reliability, water quality, governance
and funding. For more information on the CalFed Framework agreement
go to: http://www.calfed.water.ca.gov/ For more information on the
Water Education's briefing, visit the Foundation's website at:
http://www.water-ed.org
2:02/13. SHOULD THE U.S. BUY WATER FROM CANADA TO
ADDRESS DROUGHT CONDITIONS?: Canadians have something that
much of the U.S. is in great need of: water. How does the world manage
our water supplies? Do we manage water as a common resource that is
available to everyone or do we privatize it, treat it as a commodity like oil,
and it will be traded for profits. NAFTA and WTO contain provisions that
declare water as "goods" which is subject to the new rules of global trade.
Some feel that we should be able to buy Canadian water that would
otherwise just "spill" into the Pacific Ocean. Although this water is part of
the ecosystem that drives life in the ocean and the rivers. How far will we
go and how much will we pay for Canada's water, which is said to have
20% of the world's entire fresh water supply in its lakes and rivers? These
are the questions asked by Jim Hightower in his article "Blue Gold: The
Fight for Canada's Water Has Only Begun" in the July-August issue of the
Utne Reader (pp.67-68). That issue also includes a second article on
water that will be of interest to those in fisheries, "Troubled Waters," by
Sandra Postel, reprinted from The Sciences. For more information, visit
the magazine's website at: http://www.utne.com
2:02/14. TOXIC AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE WATER HEADED
FOR SAN FRANCISCO BAY/DELTA?: The Associated Press reports the
California State Water Quality Control Board (SWRCB) and the
Westlands Water District have agreed to begin new studies on developing
a drainage system that would take contaminated agricultural waste water
from the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and dump it in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the migratory path for Central Valley
salmon stocks. Despite federal pronouncements to the contrary, the
proposals under study include some version of the hotly disputed San Luis
Drain, a partially finished system that would ship waste or "tail" water
from the western side of the Valley to the edge of the Delta. The decision,
disclosed Thursday, 6 July, by both agencies, keeps alive a plan declared
dead just two weeks ago by the Interior Department in a letter to Rep.
George Miller (D-CA). Construction of the drain, a concrete-lined canal,
was halted years ago amid pressure from environmental and fishing
groups who oppose discharging the selenium-tainted water into the waters
near San Francisco. The drain would cost an estimated $400 million to
complete, running a final leg of about 100 miles from the valley to the
Delta's periphery. Courts have ruled the federal government must assure
adequate drainage for the farmers, but have stopped short of ordering the
drain completed.
2:02/15. MISSISSIPPI SOUND THREATENED BY CORPS
PERMITTED FILL; CORPS HOLDING NATIONAL "LISTENING"
SESSIONS : The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering a permit to
allow the filling of 65 acres of the Mississippi Sound and 3.6 acres of
non-tidal wetlands in Biloxi for the construction of six floating casinos,
eight hotels, parking garages and other resort amenities. The activities
proposed are in violation of the 404(b)(1) guidelines of the Clean Water
Act. The project would effect the habitat of fish, crabs and other marine
organisms. The fill would violate the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)
provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation &
Management Act. For more information, contact Becky Gillette,
Mississippi Chapter Sierra Club, at (228) 872-3457.
The Corps meanwhile is holding "Listening Sessions" nationwide
about identified "challenge issues" on water. The Corps is the federal
permitting agency for filling or altering wetlands. Among the wetland
issues that will be raised in listening sessions are: enforcement of wetlands
permits; preserving wetlands to held address the goal of reducing flood
damage; enforcement of mitigation; use of preservation over creation or
restoration for mitigation; and public access to permit information. In
September, two listening session s are scheduled for the west coast; one
on 15 September in Anchorage, and a second on 19 September in
Vancouver, WA. For more information, visit:
http://www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/iwr/waterchallenges
2:02/16. ADMINISTRATION PRESERVES TMDLS FROM
CONGRESSIONAL ATTACK ON CLEAN WATER ACT: The
Philadelphia Inquirer reported on 6 July President Clinton instructed the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rush completion of rules
governing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of water pollutants in
order to get around a rider prohibiting such rules, which was attached
to a recently passed emergency spending bill. Clinton ordered the agency
to complete the rules before the 13 July deadline for his signature on the
bill. The anti-TMDL rider was part of an emergency spending bill passed
the prior week by Congress. It would prohibit the use of federal funds for
new regulations governing non-point source pollution. For more
information on the action leading up to the rule, visit the Inquirer website
at: http://www.philly.com/content/inquirer/2000/07/06/national/
WATER06.htm .
On 12 July the Clinton Administration finalized controversial nonpoint
source pollution rules. The rule was finalized in direct defiance of
Congress just one day ahead of the deadline to sign an unrelated
emergency spending bill containing an anti-environmental "stealth" rider
banning any such new rules. Congressional Republicans attached the
rider in a back room deal, largely at the behest of the agribusiness and
timber industries, to protect these industries from having to clean
up widespread water pollution from logging and farming operations, most
of which is 'non-point' in nature, and which is a major contributor to poor
water quality in the remaining 40% of the nation's streams and lakes that
still do not meet minimum Clean Water Act standards. The unrelated
spending bill contained disaster relief, anti-drug operations money for
Columbia and a host of other "must pass" provisions.
Congressional Republicans hoped to use these programs as leverage to
halt implementation of the new rules. The key word in the rider, however,
was "new" rules. Now that these rules have already been formally
adopted, they are no longer "new" and therefore will go into effect in spite
of the rider in the spending bill signed 13 July, though funding to
implement the rules will still be suspended by the rider through the 2001
Fiscal Year. Congressional opponents can now only stop rule
implementation by an affirmative and public vote on the record, which
they are loath to do against widespread public support of clean water in an
election year. Several bills are still in Congress to overturn these
regulations, however, and several efforts are still being made by the Farm
Bureau, timber interests and others to quietly overturn them in court,
including two cases in which PCFFA has intervened in support of the
rules. Two years ago PCFFA was the lead plaintiff in an action against the
EPA, PCFFA v. Marcus, to mandate TMDL standards be established for
19 important salmon streams in northern California. The new rules
require states to do a comprehensive survey of water pollution and set
maximum pollutant levels for more then 40,000 polluted water bodies
over the next fifteen years, many in western states. For more information
see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/
A26067-2000Jul12.html . EPA's information on the final TMDL rule is on
their website at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/finalrule/finalrule.pdf. A
fact sheet on the final rule is at:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/finalrule/factsheet1.html.
2/02:17. JOB AVAILABLE WITH THE CLEAN WATER
NETWORK: Clean Water Network (CWN) is looking for a National
Coordinator. This is an opportunity with a national network of over 1000
diverse organizations to shape federal policies to protect and restore our
nation's rivers, lakes, coastal waters and wetlands. Start date is sometime
in August 2000. For more information contact: National Coordinator Job
Search, Clean Water Network, 1200 New York Avenue, NW Suite
400, Washington, DC 20005, email: knemsick at nrdc.org. For more
information about the CWN, visit the web site at: http://www.cwn.org.
2/02:18. SLIP RENTS, NEW FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS UNDER
DISCUSSION: On Thursday 27 July at 7pm there will be a meeting of the
Moss Landing Harbor commission at the Moss Landing Harbor Office.
Among the agenda items will be final vote on the harbor budget with
attendant future increases in slip rents and the $4 million dollar loan issue.
This meeting is also the last opportunity to apply to run for a harbor
commission seat. Fishermen and other interested parties are strongly
encouraged to attend this meeting. The notices for the meeting should
be posted 10 days before the meeting. For more information contact
Sustainable Fisheries Organizer, Roxanne Jordan at: ifrsfo at earthlink.net .
2/02:19. SWORDFISH LONGLINERS UNDER SIEGE: On 6 July
two environmental organizations and a recreational fishing group filed a
60 Day Notice of Intent to Sue the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) over violations of the Endangered Species Act in order to protect
endangered species from being incidentally hooked by U.S. longline
fishing vessels. These species include: leatherback sea turtles, other turtle
species, seals, sea lions, and short-tailed albatross. This suit follows
similar actions against the Hawaiian longline fishery (Sublegals Vol 1, 26,
30 June 2000) and a suit against the California drift-gillnet fishery. A
copy of the 60-day notice is available at http://www.seaturtles.org .
The lawsuit follows on the heels of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye's 26
June announcement that $7 million had been approved by the U.S. Senate
and House Appropriation Committee to address Hawaii's longline fishing
crisis. This disaster has fallen, according to Senator Inouye "most heavily
upon the shoulders of Hawaii's longliners. However, in fact, it is a
burden that should be placed with the federal agency whose responsibility
it has been to complete the EIS which will look at longline fishing and its
impact on the endangered turtle population." Fifteen NMFS observers
who were removed from the longline fishery due to lack of funds seem to
agree with Inouye's assessment of the agency's responsibility. At a news
conference held 6 July, the Inland Boatmen's Union of the Pacific (a labor
union representing observers who the agency laid off) demanded the
resignations of NMFS Chief Penny Dalton and Rod McEnnis, NMFS
acting administrator of the Southwest Region. The boatmen's union called
for new leadership or for NMFS' current leaders to be held accountable for
their actions. For more on this issue see the 11 July story on National
Fisherman's website at:
http://www.nationalfisherman.com/ondeck/news/news.html .
2/02:20. FESTIVAL OF THE SEA: The National Maritime Museum
Association and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
present the Festival of the Sea, 9 &10 September, 2000. They will be
celebrating fishing traditions and the festival will include a tug boat
parade and rodeo, free boat rides, fishing activities, music and dance,
children's activities, and much more. Located on Hyde Pier, Fisherman's
Wharf, San Francisco, 10am - 6pm. For more information call
(415)561-6662.
2/02:21. FISHING INDUSTRY 2000 CONFERENCE: Pacific Fishing
Magazine announces the first in a series of annual conferences on issues
facing west coast fisheries. It will be held 12-13 October, 2000 at the
Edgewater Hotel, Seattle, WA. This meeting will follow close on the heels
of the meeting of the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers
(WFF) which will take place in Loctudy, France on 2-6 October. For more
information and registration call (800)569-2832.
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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