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~~>FISHLINK SUBLEGALS 11/10/00<~~
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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. 19 10 NOVEMBER 2000
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CELEBRATE WORLD FISHERIES DAY
TUESDAY, 21 NOVEMBER
2:19/01. OREGON PASSES DRACONIAN 'TAKINGS' LAW:
By a narrow margin, on 7 November Oregon voters adopted Measure 7,
considered to be the most extreme 'takings' measure yet adopted in any
state (see Sublegals 2:05/17). The measure, now part of Oregon's
Constitution, allows landowners to claim retroactive compensation for
any and all regulations (including all environmental, public health and
land use restrictions) to the extent those regulations may have reduced
their property values, back to their original date of purchase. The
measure, sponsored by Oregonians in Action, Oregon Cattlemen's Assn.,
and other right-wing property rights groups with a long history of
hostility toward land use laws and environmental regulations, was
estimated by the State Treasurer's office as costing the state $1.6 billion
per year, and a cost of $3.8 billion per year to local governments, should
they attempt to enforce existing laws, or roughly twice the total annual
state budget. This measure puts Oregon's zoning laws to prevent sprawl,
public health laws to protect watersheds, and salmon restoration efforts
in jeopardy on the state level, may result in revocation of state delegated
authority under the Clean Water Act, and will likely result in more
federal regulation and litigation against landowners under the federal
ESA and Clean Water Acts. PCFFA strongly opposed this measure as far
too extreme. The main organization opposing the measure, "The No on
2 and 7 Campaign," has considerable information on its web site about
Measure 7 at: http://www.noon2and7.com. The full measure and ballot
statements pro and con can be seen on the Oregon Secretary of State's
page summary located at:
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov72000/guide/mea.htm. Efforts
are already underway to challenge Measure 7 in court and in the next
general election. Measure 2, which would have allowed anyone
collecting 10,000 signatures to invalidate any state regulation by
referring it to the Legislature, was soundly defeated.
2:19/02. FISHERMAN JIMMY SMITH ELECTED TO
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA'S HUMBOLDT COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS: Jimmy Smith, former President of the Humboldt
Fishermen's Market Association and the Chairman of the California
Salmon Stamp Committee was recently elected to the new Humboldt
County Board of Supervisors. Smith has been a leader in pushing for and
managing various salmon habitat restoration projects in Northern
California, and has been a long time commercial fisherman out of the
Eureka. His election makes him one of the very few commercial
fishermen serving in public office.
2:19/03. CALIFORNIA BOARD OF FORESTRY MONITORING
GROUP MEETING 14 NOVEMBER: The California Board of Forestry
Monitoring Study Group will be holding a public meeting at the Howard
Forest Mendocino Ranger Unit Office, Review Team Conference Room,
17501 N. Highway 101, Willits, California on 14 November beginning at
1000 hours. The agenda includes a review of landslide studies,
fish-monitoring projects, a report on Garcia River monitoring as well as a
number of other important topics. For more info contact the Board of
Forestry office at: (916)653-8007.
2:19/04. ALEUTIAN ISLAND ECOSYSTEM COLLAPSE: The
28 October edition of the Los Angeles Times ran a long story on the
recent nearly total collapse of existing ecosystems on many Aleutian
island in Alaska. On several of the islands many once abundant species
have disappeared, according to many scientists due to a combination of
causes including overfishing of pollock causing declines of Stellar sea
lions (a favorite prey of orcas), changes in ocean conditions and possible
pollution impacts which have unraveled predator-prey food chains in
many areas. For the full story see the archive pages of the LA Times for
that date at: http://www.latimes.com.
2:19/05. SEVERE GROUNDFISH CUTBACKS EXPECTED TO
HIT HARD: In its meeting the first week of November in Vancouver,
Washington, the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted severe
cutbacks on both recreational and commercial groundfish fisheries (see
Sublegals 2:18/12), and is developing plans to reduce both commercial
harvest capacity and number of boats by at least 50% to conserve
depleted groundfish stocks. These cutbacks will hit hard on Oregon and
Washington trawl fishermen and their communities. For more see:
http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/00/11
/lc_71fish04.frame
2:19/06. NMFS PUBLISHES FISHERIES ECONOMIC
ANALYSIS GUIDELINES: After extensive development, NMFS has
finalized its "Guidelines for Economic Analysis of Fishery Management
Actions" to use when conducting economic analyses of potential fisheries
management options. The new guidelines make major changes in
previous procedures and received extensive public comments. Federal
fisheries managers are required to assess the potential economic
consequences of their actions under Executive Order 12866 and the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et. seq.). A copy of the new
guidelines can be obtained from Clarence Pautzke, Director, National
Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, Silver Spring,
MD 20910 or contact him at: (301)713-2334.
2:19/07. OREGON'S SENATOR WYDEN PROPOSES COPPER
RIVER WILDERNESS BILL: US Senator Ron Wyden is proposing to
preserve 10,924 acres in southwest Oregon known as the Copper Salmon
area as federally protected wilderness. After gathering public comments,
Wyden hopes to introduce the Copper Salmon Wilderness Act in the
107th Congress in January. The area lies within the Siskiyou National
Forest and includes the Elk River watershed, considered to be among the
most productive remaining steelhead and salmon rivers in the continental
U.S. A draft of the proposal is available on the Senator's web site at:
http://www.senate.gov/~wyden/coppersalmon.htm or from any of his
offices. The area that would be protected is a small part of the proposed
Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument recently endorsed and
supported unanimously by PCFFA's governing board (see Sublegals
2:18/19). Any such designation would apply only to federal public lands,
and so would not affect private lands in any way. A video on the Copper
Salmon wilderness proposal is also available from Friends of Elk River,
PO Box 891, Port Orford, OR 97465, (541)332-2555 or email:
ema at harborside.com .
2:19/08. SKAGIT RIVER INSTREAM FLOW RULES HIT
STREETS FOR COMMENTS: The Washington Department of
Ecology has released draft rules to set Skagit River instream flows, with
comments due by 8 December, 2000. This is the first time in 30 years
that instream flow minimum requirements have been proposed for a
Washington State river, and will set a precedent for similar upcoming
rulemaking as part of that state's efforts to restore ESA listed salmon
runs (see Sublegals 2:14/14). A public hearing will also be held on
Wednesday, 29 November, 2000 at 1900 hours at the Skagit Valley
Community College, Rm. F101 Ford Hall, 2405 E. College Way, Mount
Vernon, WA. Only a minority of river systems in Washington even have
minimum instream flows, and many are overappropriated. The proposed
rules can be found on the web at:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/activity/wac173503.html or call
Rod Sakrison (425)649-4447 for a copy.
2:19/09. CORAL REEFS DYING WORLDWIDE: Scientists are
concerned that coral reefs all over the world are damaged or dying and
most of the world's coral reefs are at serious risk from a combination of
ocean pollution and global warming, with one quarter of the world's
coral reefs already dead, according a story carried in the 31 October
Boston Globe. Coral reefs are very sensitive to ocean temperature
changes, but have also been damaged by dynamite fishing and trawl gear
in many areas. For a copy of the story go to the story archives of the
Boston Globe under the key words 'coral reef' at:
http://www.boston.com.
2:19/10. PETITION PLANNED TO LIST PUGET SOUND
ORCAS: MSNBC recently reported (6 October) that a coalition of
scientists and conservation groups is preparing to petition for protection
of three Puget Sound populations of resident orca whales under the
federal Endangered Species Act. Local scientists believe that very high
levels of PCBs and other toxic pollutants within the Sound, as well as
declining salmon runs and the collapse of other preferred prey species
populations are the primary factors causing recent sudden declines to
82 from 98 just five years ago. Current populations may not be sufficient
to maintain breeding. For more info see:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/327797.asp?bt=nm&btu=http://
www.msnbc.com/tools/ne%20wstools/d/news_menu.asp&cp1=1
2:19/11. MAINE SALMON DECISION WON'T BE DELAYED:
The federal government does not intend to grant Gov. Angus King's
request for a six-month delay of the decision on listing wild Atlantic
salmon in several Maine rivers as endangered. King asked for the delay
so the National Academy of Sciences could complete a study before a
final decision is issued by Nov. 17. But the government contends that
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has already agreed not to invoke the
six-month delay. That agreement was part of a consent decree designed
to avoid a lawsuit by several environmental and conservation groups who
were seeking an immediate endangered species listing on the Atlantic
wild stocks, officials said. For a full story see:
http://www.portland.com/news/state/001110salmon.shtml
2:19/12. ATLANTIC SALMON CONFIRMED AS BREEDING
IN NORTHWEST STREAMS: Atlantic salmon escaping from
aquaculture pens have now been unquestionably documented as
successfully breeding in at least one Pacific Northwest stream (Tsitika R.,
BC). Twelve juvenile salmon from two different year classes were
genetically analyzed to confirm the observation. If Atlantics are now
breeding in the Tsitika River., they are likely to be breeding in a number
of other coastal watersheds. Breeding populations of exotic Atlantic
salmon would compete with native populations and may push them closer
to extinction. Confirmation of breeding populations will undoubtedly adds
a new, confounding dimension to Pacific salmon conservation and
restoration. Reference: Volpe, JP, et al., 2000. "Evidence of natural
reproduction of aquaculture-escaped Atlantic salmon in a coastal British
Columbia stream." Conservation Biology 14(3): 899-903.
2:19/13. 'FREEDOM TO FISH ACT' SPONSORED BY
SENATORS BREAUX AND HUTCHISON: In a backlash against the
growing number of proposals to limit recreational fishing along
America's oceans and coasts, including the development of marine
protected areas, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) recently
had Senators John Breaux (D-LA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
introduce legislation titled "The Freedom to Fish Act (S. 3234)" which
would give recreational fishing higher priority than all other uses,
including conservation and commercial fishing. According to its authors,
under this bill only in those cases where recreational fishing has
demonstrable adverse effects would a specific, well-defined area then be
closeable, and once established targets were achieved, those areas would
have to be reopened immediately to recreational anglers, though not
necessarily to other users. For the ASA press release see:
http://www.asafishing.org/newsroom/pressreleases/freetofish.htm.
2:19/14. FISHERMEN PROTEST IN CHILE, 50 ARRESTED
DURING CLASHES: Some 50 people were arrested and several others
injured in clashes with police during two days of protests by commercial
fishermen enraged at the Chilean Legislature for not approving a new
fishing protective law. The latest confrontations occurred Tuesday near
the Chilean congressional building, some 120 kilometers (74 miles) west
of Santiago, where nine people were arrested when a group of 200
workers from the fishing sector tried to storm the building. The fishing
bill would establish maximum catch limits for commercial fishing and
regulate traditional fishing, as well as provide for better inspections.
According to the fishermen, if the bill is not approved the fishing sector
crisis will escalate, causing further unemployment with the closure of
many more fishing dependent businesses. For more information see the
8 November issue of Gofish.com at:
http://www.gofish.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Gofish.woa/wa/
gotoArticle?document_id=134229328
2:19/15. NFI PETITIONS FDA FOR USE OF RADIATION ON
SEAFOODS: The 8 November issue of Gofish.com carries a story that
the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), which represents many US seafood
processors, is spearheading a petition to the US Food and Drug
Administration to allow the voluntary use of irradiation to sterilize
seafood. Irradiating food has been highly controversial with consumers,
but has been already approved in the US for use on poultry, eggs and
some meat products. For more info see:
http://www.gofish.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Gofish.woa/wa/gotoArticl
e?document_id=134229349. NFI's press release is at:
http://www.nfi.org/pressreleases/2000/pr0035.htm.
2:19/16. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORT SUPPORTS
USE OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS AS ADDITIONAL TOOL
FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS: A long awaited report by
the National Research Council (NRC), a branch of the National Academy
of Sciences, "Marine Protected Areas: Tools for Sustaining Ocean
Ecosystems" was released in prepublication form this week. The report
provides additional support for U.S. efforts to identify and protect special
ocean areas to help sustain marine fisheries, preserve valuable habitats,
and maintain healthy marine ecosystems for the benefit of the nation.
"This report, commissioned by the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides strong scientific
support for the value of marine protected areas, and President Clinton's
call for more effective use of MPAs," said Secretary of Commerce
Norman Mineta. "As this study also suggests, MPAs will only be
successful as effective management tools if we enlist the participation of
all stakeholders, provide effective planning and design, and ensure regular
monitoring, assessment, enforcement and community education."
The report endorses the use of MPAs as additional fishery
management tools to be used in combination with, but not as a
replacement for, traditional means of fishery management. As the report
states, fishery management councils and other groups have utilized the
MPA concept in a variety of ways for years, closing areas to various
types of fishing gear for varying time periods. Fishermen, scientists and
conservationists have found benefits from different types of protected
areas, including areas closed to fishing, providing protection and
recovery of species that have declined in numbers due to overfishing or
other factors. The full report will be published by the National Academy
Press early next year. The NRC press release can be viewed at:
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309072867?Open
Document. An online prepublication version is available at:
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309072867/html.
2:19/17. PCFFA SUPPORTS COMMON GROUND POSITION
ON CALIFORNIA SEA OTTERS: At the November 3 Board of
Directors meeting of PCFFA, the Board voted to support a position
statement by several fishing associations that says "....commercial,
recreational fishing and sea otter protection groups working together can
identify and agree on scientifically sound strategies for immediate and
long term benefits of our different interests,....." The sea otter issue has
been a divisive one, and this position was adopted to help bring
better communication and cooperation back into the debate. Other
groups wishing to support this common ground position, please contact
Vern Goehring at: governmt at cwo.com.
2:19/18. INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE
CONSERVATION OF ATLANTIC TUNAS (ICCAT) MEETING
TO DECIDE FATE OF MARLIN: Starting November 13, ICCAT
delegates from around the world will meet in Morocco to decide the next
management steps for large pelagic fish in the Atlantic,such as tuna,
swordfish and marlin. ICCAT's scientific panel recently concluded that
the white marlin population is only 15% of healthy levels and fish are
being caught at least seven times faster than the population can replenish
itself. Under these conditions, white marlin are in serious danger of
disappearing from the Atlantic. Marlin are caught as bycatch in the
longline tuna harvest. Conservation groups are proposing an
international recovery plan with four major objectives: 1) establish a goal
of rebuilding marlin populations within ten years or as quickly as
possible; 2) reduce Atlantic-wide marlin catches (landings and discards)
to the level the science says is necessary to achieve rebuilding; 3)
identify international time and area closures to reduce bycatch by 2002
and implement by 2004; 4) require release of all live marlin and sailfish
caught on longlines and other commercial fishing gear. For more
information on the conservation group proposal, call Tim Hobbs at the
National Centerfor Marine Conservation at (703)777-1102. For more
information about ICCAT, go to: http://www.iccat.es
2:19/19. EXOTIC PERCH, TILAPIA THREATEN FISH IN
AFRICA'S LAKE VICTORIA: The 8 November issue of Gofish.com
also carried a story that unregulated introduction of exotic fish species
into Lake Victoria and other fresh water bodies in Africa is threatening
the survival of indigenous species, according to Uganda's New Vision
newspaper. The Nile perch and tilapia were threatening the remaining
haplochromine fish species in the lake, said experts present at a four-day
symposium on Lake Victoria Environment Management Program in
Uganda's capital of Kampala. For more see:
http://www.gofish.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Gofish.woa/wa/
gotoArticle?document_id=134229333
2:19/20. CANADIAN GROUP WANTS MORE DAMS
REMOVED: After persuading Canadian officials to approve the
decommissioning of a huge dam on the Theodosia River in British
Columbia, the Outdoor Recreation Council is reviewing the Province's
other dam projects to determine which have outlived their usefulness
or caused excessive environmental damage, with an eye to
decommissioning those as well. There are 2,167 licensed dams in
British Columbia and many that provide only marginal benefit.
Decommissioning and removal of marginal or obsolete dams would
open up much spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids in BC.
Though BC does not have the equivalent of the US's Endangered
Species Act, many BC salmon runs might qualify if such a law existed
there, and many more have already gone extinct. The Canadian dam
decommissioning effort is similar to those of the United States and
elsewhere. For more see:
http://ens.lycos.com/ens/nov2000/2000L-11-07-11.html .
NEWS, COMMENTS CORRECTIONS: Submit your news
items, comments or any corrections to Natasha Benjamin, 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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