<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>><<
~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 6/23/00<~~
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>><<
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. 25 23 JUNE 2000
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>><<
GAO REPORT HARSH ON EXISTING FISHERY BUY-BACK
PROGRAMS: A report released Thursday, 22 June, by the General
Accounting Office (GAO), Congress' non-partisan investigative arm,
states that government programs intended to reduce fishing on overfished
or depleted stocks by buying-back fishing effort have been poorly
designed and managed and, as a result, have been ineffective. The GAO
report found that the effectiveness of buyback programs in reducing
fishing capacity has been severely eroded because fishermen have been
allowed to return to the same fishery they were paid to leave or have been
allowed to move to other overfished fisheries. The GAO said in some
instances, fishermen used the money they were paid to remove fishing
vessels to buy new boats to fish in the same fishery.
"The problems of past buyback programs should be addressed as part
of the design of any future programs," concluded the GAO report,
requested by Congressmen George Miller (D-CA) and Don Young
(R-AK). "In particular, experience has shown that initial reductions in
fishing capacity achieved by buyback programs can be quickly eroded if
buyback participants, or if previously inactive fishermen, return to the
buyback fishery."
The GAO report evaluated the impact of recently completed buyback
programs in three fisheries: New England groundfish, Bering Sea pollock,
and Washington State salmon with the purpose of identifying deficiencies
in the programs. Buybacks in these fisheries account for $130 million of
the $140 million in federal funds authorized since 1995 for these types of
programs. Buyback programs in these areas initially removed from ten to
24 percent of their respective fishing capacity, but, the effect on
conservation and over-capitalization of these reductions in fishing
capacity have been severely reduced by the return of fishermen to the
fishery. The report describes $24.4 million New England buyback
between 1995 and 1998 which removed 79 vessels that accounted for 19
percent of the groundfish catch in that fishery. Since the buyback,
62 additional vessel have become active because no steps were taken
during the program to prevent previously inactive vessels from engaging
in fishing. The GAO concluded that the long-term effectiveness of
buyback programs in reducing fishing capacity depends on several factors,
such as whether:
* fishermen return to the fishery after the buyback program;
* buyback participants are allowed to move to other over-fished
fisheries;
* a buyback program removes the fishermen's incentives to "race to
fish;" and
* the buyback program is evaluated to determine its effectiveness.
The GAO report can be viewed in its entirety at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces160.shtml. The Report
Number is "RCED-00-120" and should be available on-line as of 23 June.
DISASTER RELIEF FOR WEST COAST FISHERIES HINGES ON
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET MARK-UPS: Federal monetary relief for
three west coast fisheries will depend on the upcoming "mark-ups" in the
Congressional appropriations committees these next few weeks. At stake
are salmon restoration funds, where the Administration request was for
$100 million, and disaster relief, including proposals for vessel buyback
programs for the Pacific groundfish trawl fishery and the Alaska snow
crab fishery. While the appropriation process for the three fisheries has
been going down separate tracks, there have been suggestions to bundle
the three into a single package in the neighborhood of $150 to $200
million.
The leadership in developing a relief program for Pacific groundfish
has fallen largely, by default, on the Oregon Coastal Zone Management
Association (OCZMA) and its executive director, Onno Husing. In
California, the Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR) and its Sustainable
Fisheries Organizers have been coordinating with Husing, working for a
three-state package to present to the Congress (see Sublegals, 14 April
2000). What is proposed is a three-part package, including: research,
vessel buy-back and community assistance. The buy-back provision is
largely based on a plan put forward by the Fishermen's Marketing
Association, representing trawlers from central California to the
Washington coast, to buy back trawl vessels and their permits. An earlier
proposal by the trawl organization for an industry-funded buy-back to
retire the permits only met with opposition from those concerned that the
retired trawl vessels would end-up in other fisheries, such as Dungeness
crab, albacore and pink shrimp, exacerbating problems in those fisheries.
The new FMA proposal, which would use federal dollars, would remove
vessels and, since the Pacific groundfish fishery is under limited entry,
there is no chance for new boats to replace those retired, which was a
major criticism of the GAO report (see above).
The Pacific States Legislative Task Force has also weighed in
supporting a fishery relief package for the west coast. In a letter sent
today to members of Congress, the Task Force, made up of state
legislators from the five Pacific Coast states and British Columbia, called
for an appropriation to provide assistance to the groundfish fishery for
observers, research and stock assessments, vessel buy-back, and
community assistance programs. For more information on the efforts
being under taken by OCZMA, contact Onno Husing at: (541) 265-8918.
STUDY REVEALS POTENTIALLY ALARMING LEVELS OF
METHYL MERCURY ACCUMULATED BEHIND DAMS: A recent
multi state-federal agency study has produced new reason, in addition to
all of the already widely known and acknowledged problems, to worry
about the network of hydro facilities (dams and diversions) that divides
and sub-divides the waterways of our nation. The initial findings of this
report in the Bear and South Yuba watersheds of California, has
uncovered high levels of the heavy metal, methyl mercury in the
sediments that settle out behind the dams. These findings have come just
in the middle of the debate on what to do with all hydro facilities, during
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) imposed fifty year
re-licensing event. Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) has
proposed an auction to dispose of these facilities, and this new information
on mercury levels at these facilities just adds one more level of
complexity to the debate. Most importantly, who is going to be
responsible for cleaning up these sites? Fish are already being found with
concentrations of this metal five times higher than usually triggers
a health warning. Furthermore, if the auction goes forward before some of
these issues are dealt with, who is going to be stuck with the bill? For
more information on this issue see Sublegals 18 February 2000 - "Dam
Busters," and for more information on the report contact: Charlie Alpers
of the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) at (916)278-3134, or
cnalpers at usgs.gov .
HUMAN VARIETY OF MAD COW DISEASE THREATENS FISH
FARMS IN NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand seafood farms were
informed this week that their exports would be barred by European Union
health regulations if they didn't stop feeding animal byproducts to their
fish. In a report in the New Zealand publication, The Dominion, fish
farmers were told to stop this feeding practice or risk letting a mad cow
type disease into the human food chain. The aquaculturists were also told
they must stop using chemicals containing dioxin in their fish farm
operations. For more information visit the Institute for Agriculture &
Trade Policy website at: http://www.iatp.org .
COMMENTS SOUGHT ON "DRAFT LONG TERM
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY PLAN": There will be a Long Term
Management Strategy Meeting (LTMS) on 6 July at San Francisco State
University Downtown Center, 425 Market St., San Francisco at 1300
HRS. The meeting will be an opportunity for the public to comment on the
LTMS put together over the last ten years for disposal of dredged material
from the San Francisco Bay Area. The LTMS, that designated the nation's
first deepwater dredge disposal site (in more than 1000 fathoms, some
fifty miles west of the Golden Gate) was the result of a lawsuit brought by
fishing groups in 1988 (the Half Moon Bay Fishermen's Marketing
Association, PCFFA and others) to stop the dumping of the spoils in fish
grounds off Half Moon Bay (just south of San Francisco).
Written comments should be submitted by 20 July 2000 to the
Management Plan Coordinator, Jaime Michaels, at the San Francisco Bay
Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), 50 California
Street, Suite 2600, San Francisco, CA 94111-4704. Refer to:
http://ceres.ca.gov/bcdc/ic/ic_ltms/ic_ltms.htm for online information
about the draft plan or contact Ms. Jaime Michaels, BCDC at (415)
352-3613.
There has been a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of the
proposed amendment to regulation that designates the Port of Oakland's
Middle Harbor as an In-Bay dredged material disposal site. Public
comment period opened 16 June and runs to 20 July. San Francisco Bay
Conservation and Development Commission will hold hearings on the EA
6 July and 20 July. Review the EA at http://ceres.ca.gov/bcdc .
DUMPED SILT COULD KILL CRABS: Crabbers from the Columbia
River say that their fishery and the local economy would take a big hit
from an Army Corps of Engineers plan to establish a new dredge site
disposal at the mouth of the river. This is a part of a plan to deepen the
river shipping lane. Dale Beasley, President of the Columbia River Crab
Fisherman's Associations, estimates that 122,000 pounds of crabs will
be lost annually for each square mile of seabed that the Corps dumps it on.
Crabbers say that the Corps' EIS for the disposal plan doesn't adequately
consider the local effect of disposal area. For more information see:
http://www.tdn.com/archive/0609area3.htm.
NEW BOOK CHRONICLES THE RECOVERY OF AQUATIC LIFE
IN NEW YORK HARBOR: Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea
Life, and Environment of New York Harbor by John Waldman of the
Hudson River Foundation focuses on the return of fish and other creatures
to the once-sundered New York Harbor. The story can be viewed as a
national symbol of the potential of urbanized waterways to recover if
given a chance. For more information, contact Lyons Press at
1-800-836-0510 or http://www.lyonspress.com .
UPDATE ON SHIPPING LANE CHANGE OUT OF GOLDEN
GATE THREATENS FARALLON ISLANDS, WATERS OF GULF OF
FARALLONES NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY: Effective 1700
local time 14 July 2000, the southern approach of the San Francisco
offshore vessel traffic separation scheme will be altered as follows:
a) A separation zone is bounded by a line connecting the following
geographical positions:
1) 37ø39'.10 N, 122ø40'.40 W 2) 37ø27'.00 N, 122ø 43'.00 W
3) 37ø27'.00 N, 122ø40'.40 W 4) 37ø39'.10 N, 122ø 43'.00 W
b) A traffic lane for northbound traffic is established between the
separation zone and a line connecting the following geographical
positions:
1) 37ø39'.30 N, 122ø39'.20 W 2) 37ø27'.00 N, 122ø39'.20 W
c) A traffic lane for southbound traffic is established between the
separation zone and a line connecting the following geographical
positions:
1) 37ø27'.00 N, 122ø44'.30 W 2) 37ø39'.40 N, 122ø44'.30 W
San Francisco South Traffic Lane Lighted Buoy S, LLNR 345, will be
relocated to a new position in the center of the Northern end of the new
traffic separation zone, approximately .7 nautical miles to the West of
its current location. The Northern approach, Western approach,
precautionary area and main ship bar channel will remain unchanged. The
problem with the change, intended to move vessel traffic moving along
the coast further offshore, is that the southern outbound approach aims
directly at the Southeast Farallon Island, meaning ships have to jog to the
south to avoid it. This could have been avoided had fishermen and
the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary been consulted.
Instead the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was left to negotiate
an agreement that puts at risk the Farallones and the rich fisheries that
abound near it (see Sublegals, 26 May 2000).
For questions regarding this change, contact Mr. Mike Van Houten at
(510) 437-2968 or LTjg Matt Tenberge at (510) 437-2968, of the District
11 Aides to Navigation Section or go to the Coast Guard's Notice to
Mariners website at: http://www.navcen.uscg.mil/lnm/d11.
MAKING THE PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH WORK, FOCUS
OF JUNE FISHERMEN'S NEWS ARTICLE: In the June issue of the
Fishermen's News (pp.13-15) is the article "The Precautionary Approach -
Making it Work for Fish and Fishermen." The article, by Molly Thomas
and Zeke Grader, is intended to eliminate fears about the Precautionary
Principle, the centerpiece for the FAO's Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries and other recent fisheries legislation, and discuss
how it should be approached and used by the fishing fleet. For more
information, go to the FN website at: http://www.fishermensnews.com
or go to PCFFA/IFR's website at:
http://www.pond.net/~pcffa/fn-jun00.htm.
CONSTITUENT COMMENTS ON CALIFORNIA'S NEARSHORE
FISHERY QUESTIONNAIRE DUE BY 12 JULY: The California
Department of Fish & Game (DFG) is requesting comments on its
nearshore fishery questionnaire by Wedneday, 12 July. The questionnaire
is part of the Department and the Commission's investigation into
potential interim management measures for the State's nearshore fisheries,
including the livefish fishery. It is being conducted pursuant to the
Marine Life Management Act (MLMA) that requires a plan in place for
this fishery by January 2002. The Department and Commission are
soliciting comments on four specific issues for interim management:
* additional nearshore fish needing protection;
* size limits on additional types of fish;
* closure of areas to fishing; and
* restriction on the use of gear types.
DFG will make its recommendations for interim management at the
24-25 August Fish & Game Commission meeting in Oakland. For more
information, or to obtain a copy of the questionnaire, contact either Sandra
Owen at: (562) 590-4840 or Eric Knaggs at: (831) 649-7193. IFR's
Sustainable Fisheries Organizers are also assisting individuals involved in
the nearshore fishery to become involved in the stakeholder process
provided for under the MLMA.
PACIFIC COUNCIL MEETING IN PORTLAND ON
GROUNDFISH, SALMON, BLACKCOD, COASTAL PELAGICS AND
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: The Pacific Fishery Management
Council will meet 26-30 June in Portland. Included on the agenda is a
draft strategic plan for groundfish management, season dates and trip
limits for blackcod (sablefish), Amendment 14 to the Salmon Plan,
management plan amendments for the coastal pelagic fishery, and
consideration of marine protected areas (MPAs) as fishery management
measures. For more information, visit the PFMC website at:
http://www.pcouncil.org.
PUBLIC GROUPS TO BE REMOVED FROM OVERSIGHT OF
TRINITY RESTORATION PROGRAM?: In a letter sent 15 June, four
different groups with widely divergent views on Trinity River (California)
flows and restoration jointly signed a letter to Secretary of Interior Bruce
Babbitt expressing concern over an Interior agencies proposal to eliminate
the stakeholder process that has existed in the Trinity River restoration
effort beginning in the mid-1980's. Some Interior agencies have chaffed
under scrutiny from the stakeholder groups on the Trinity River Task
Force who have questioned, for example, the wisdom (and the fund
expenditures) for such things as limited life debris dams and bank
feathering. PCFFA is one of the stakeholder groups represented on the
Task Force. The other three organizations signing the letter with PCFFA
were the Central Valley Project Water Association, the Northern
California Power Agency, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
For a copy of the letter, visit PCFFA's website at:
http://www.pond.net/~pcffa.
WORLD WATER CRISIS FOCUS OF JULY HARPER'S ARTICLE:
The July issue of Harper's magazine features an article, "Running Dry -
What Happens When the World No Longer Has Enough Freshwater?"
(pp. 37-52) that is a must read for anyone connected with the salmon
fishery or fish stocks that are freshwater or wetland dependent. The
article, by Jacques Leslie, can be viewed at Harper's website at:
http://www.harpers.org.
DIABLO CANYON NUCLEAR PLANT SETTLEMENT: The San
Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is discussing a 4.5 million
dollar settlement regarding the impacts left from the operation of the
Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant located at Avila Beach (Port San
Luis). The settlement will become final if passed by the Board. The
proposed settlement, however, does little to restore lost spawn on the 2.5
billion gallons of seawater that is pumped and heated to 20 degrees and
returned daily to the ocean. Local have, to date, been unable to make any
headway on their proposal for a hatchery on the premises to offset some
of the fish losses. To put PG&E's Diablo Canyon mitigation in
perspective, Southern California Edison spent $117 million in mitigation
for the operation of its San Onofre power plant that had similar impacts.
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).
##########################################################
Sublegals are a weekly fisheries news bulletin service of Fishlink. For
a free subscription to Fishlink, contact <majordomo at pond.net> with
the words "subscribe fishlink" in the body of the text (the request is not
case sensitive). You will be subscribed as soon as the request can be
approved. To remove your name from our list, follow the same
instructions with the command "unsubscribe fishlink." If you have any
problems, you can contact us directly at: <fish1ifr at aol.com>.
##########################################################
"Fishlink" is a registered trademark of the Institute for Fisheries
Resources. All rights to the use of this trademark are reserved to IFR.
This publication, however, may be freely reproduced and circulated
without copyright restriction. If you are receiving this as a subscriber,
please feel free to pass this on to your colleagues. Thanks!
##########################################################
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To get off ACN-L send a note to majordomo at acn.ca with unsubscribe acn-l
ACN-L archives are at http://www.peter.unmack.net/archive/acn
The Aquatic Conservation Network is dedicated to the exchange of
information regarding aquatic conservation issues. http://www.acn.ca
ACN-L is hosted by Gordon Dewis (gordon at pinetree.org) at www.pinetree.org