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Fisheries and Conservation News
from the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations
and the Insititute for Fisheries Resources
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Part Two of Two Parts
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IN THIS ISSUE:
CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE SUMMARY OF SALMON
NEWS EVENTS IN THE MONTH OF MAY
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NPPC Executive Order. On May 15, 1996, the Northwest Power
Planning Council (NPPC) met in Pasco, WA, and approved a report for
Congress that requests the Clinton Administration issue an Executive Order
giving the NPPC more authority over federal agencies to better coordinate
salmon restoration efforts. Such an Order would require federal agencies to
take actions consistent with the NPPC's fish and wildlife plan. If no
Executive
Order is forthcoming, the report suggests that Congress should amend the
1980 Northwest Power Act to give the NPPC the necessary authority. [Assoc
Press, NPPC press release]
.
Award for Salmon Habitat Restoration. On May 7, 1996, the
American Forest & Paper Assoc. announced that the Hancock Timber
Resource Group (Boston, MA) would receive its fourth annual Wildlife
Stewardship Award for its comprehensive salmon management program
focusing on wild salmon habitat restoration on private lands in WA, OR, and
northern CA. [Hancock Timber Resource Group press release]
.
Public Utility Salmon Concessions. On May 6, 1996, the Chelan
County (WA) Public Utility District voted 3-2 to withdraw from the
"Northwesterners for More Fish" campaign after receiving NMFS concessions
likely to include seats on salmon recovery committees and consideration of a
flow study for juvenile salmon passage. [Assoc Press]
.
Alaska Salmon Management. On May 3, 1996, the Alaska Senate
passed, by an 11-8 vote, a bill directing the State to manage salmon by
individual drainage, requiring that the Board of Fisheries set spawning goals
for
each stream and assure that such goals were met. [Assoc Press]
.
Salmon Price Protest. On May 2, 1996, salmon fishers at Moss
Landing, CA, protested prices offered by processors by not fishing or by
giving
salmon away free to the public rather than selling to processors. Processors
cite an abundance of salmon on the world market as the reason for low prices.
[Assoc Press]
.
ESA Salmon Listings. On May 6, 1996, NMFS officials announced
that Endangered Species Act listing proposals for steelhead trout from
northern California to Washington State were anticipated this spring and that
a
proposal on coastal coho salmon in California and Oregon would be released
by July 1996. On May 28, 1996, NMFS officials announced that a preliminary
decision on whether to list {10 populations of} Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
and
California steelhead trout as threatened or endangered would be issued by
early December 1996. A decision on listing Umpqua River, OR, cutthroat trout
will be announced by early September 1996. A decision on whether to list
Oregon and Northern California coho salmon will be postponed until 1997.
[Seattle Post-Intelligencer via Greenwire, Assoc Press]
.
Whitewater Rafting Restrictions. On May 1, 1996, U.S. Forest
Service officials in the Sawtooth National Forest announced new restrictions
for rafters and private boaters on the upper Salmon River, ID, beginning
{Aug.
21, 1996.} Rafters and boaters will be required to carry their craft around
selected salmon spawning areas. In 1995, three dozen salmon were reported
to have spawned in the stretch of river used by 11,000 floaters. Camping
along the river will also be restricted to designated sites. [Assoc Press]
.
Kenai River Habitat Protection. In early May 1996, state and federal
managers announced that 15 areas of about 16 miles of river bank, most on
public lands, would be closed to fishing from July 1 through Sept. 15 this
summer. [Assoc Press]
.
Canadian Salmon Fleet Restructuring. On May 2, 1996, Canadian
Fisheries Minister Fred Mifflin traveled to BC to listen to fishers'
concerns. On
May 8, 1996, protesting fishers occupied the Vancouver and Tofino DFO
offices. On May 9, 1996, BC Premier Glen Clark announced a new agency,
Fishery Renewal B.C., would be established to develop habitat conservation
plans and draft a new strategy to reduce the fishing fleet. On May 16, 1996,
DFO officials planned to ask the BC Supreme Court for an injunction to force
protestors to leave DFO offices. On May 21, 1996, the BC government
announced that it is seeking a court injunction to halt the DFO plan to
reduce
the salmon fleet, claiming the plan exceeds authority to alter license
conditions. On May 22, 1996, Canadian Fisheries Minister Fred Mifflin
announced the appointment of BC lawyer Jim Matkin to chair the Fleet
Reduction Committee, which will oversee the voluntary license retirement
program. Bids for retiring licenses are due by May 24, with the entire
program
to be completed by June 30, 1996. On May 23, 1996, BC Supreme Court
Justice John Cowan rejected an injunction to halt the federal plan. As of
May
23, 1996, a total of 780 fishermen had signed up for the federal license
buy-back program to retire their vessels. [Assoc Press, DFO press release]
.
AQUACULTURE
.
{Indiana Shrimp Farming. On June 7, 1996, Penbur Farms Inc.
(Buda, TX) broke ground in Jennings County, IN, for a new $7 million shrimp
farm facility. The facility's goal is to produce 70,000 pounds of shrimp per
month by the end of 1997.} [Assoc Press]
.
{U.S. Bluefin Tuna Farm. In late May 1996, the New England
Aquarium opened the first U.S. bluefin tuna farm off the coast of Virginia.
Permits are being sought for a second farm off Cape Cod, MA.} [Assoc Press]
.
Epicore Contracts. On May 29, 1996, Epicore Networks Inc. (Calgary,
Alberta) announced purchase agreements with five Ecuadorian shrimp
producers for supplies of EPICIN to control Vibrio sp. and other diseases as
well as maintain low levels of ammonia-related pollutants. [Epicore press
release]
.
New Hawaiian Regulations. On May 28, 1996, Hawaiian officials
announced new regulations licensing aquafarmers and permitting licensees to
grow and sell native species with few restrictions. Stringent recordkeeping
will
protect aquafarmers from accusations of illegal harvesting from the wild and
increase the likelihood that poachers will be caught. [Assoc Press]
.
Astaxanthin Agreement. On May 16, 1996, Aquasearch Inc.,
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, announced the signing of a three-year agreement with
Cultor Ltd., Helsinki, Finland, for distribution of astaxanthin grown in
microalgae at Aquasearch's Hawaii facility. Cultor will use the astaxanthin
in
animal feeds and nutritional products. The annual market for astaxanthin is
estimated to be about $125 million, with salmon farms being primary users.
[Dow Jones News]
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FRESHWATER FISHERIES