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IN THIS ISSUE:
CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE SUMMARY OF FISHERIES
NEWS FOR NOVEMBER 1996
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SUMMARY CONTINUED FROM PART 1:
MARINE FISHERIES CONTINUED
Halibut and Sablefish IFQs. On Nov. 15, 1996, the 1996 southeast
Alaska halibut/sablefish IFQ season ended; in the week before the season
closed, about 6% of the quota for each species was not yet harvested,
compared to 14% of the halibut quota and 11% of the sablefish quota
unharvested in 1995. [Assoc Press]
.
Volusia County Sea Turtle Nesting. On Nov. 15, 1996, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service officials endorsed Volusia County, FL's application for an
incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act that would allow
driving on selected Volusia County beaches as long as the county takes
steps outlined in a habitat conservation plan to minimize the threat to
turtles.
[Assoc Press, Orlando Sentinel via Greenwire]
.
NJ Shellfish Waters. On Nov. 14, 1996, the Commissioner of NJ's
Dept. of Environmental Protection announced the opening of 4,794 acres to
shellfishing, due to decreased pollution in NJ bays and ocean waters. This
results in 87% of available state waters open to shellfishing. Only 6 acres
of
new closures were announced. [Assoc Press]
.
Shrimp Bycatch Reduction. On Nov. 14, 1996, the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council voted 11-1 (with 1 abstention) to recommend
that shrimpers be required to use bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) when
trawling in Gulf of Mexico waters west of Cape San Blas, FL, between 10 and
100 fathoms deep. [Assoc Press]
.
San Onofre Kelp Reef. On Nov. 13, 1996, the California Coastal
Commission was scheduled to consider a request by Southern California
Edison to approve a 16.8 acre experimental kelp reef to mitigate the impact
of
its San Onofre nuclear power plant, instead of a larger reef agreed to in
1991.
The utility contends the larger reef is not needed. [Greenwire]
.
Gulf of Mexico Red Tide. On Nov. 13, 1996, the LA state health
officials suspended oyster harvesting in LA waters east of the Mississippi
River Gulf Outlet after toxic red tide algae were discovered for the first
time in
LA waters. Harvesting from MS and AL oyster reefs has also been prohibited;
Mississippi Sound oyster reefs were closed on Nov. 7, 1996, while Mobile Bay
and adjacent AL waters were closed on Nov. 10. According to AL Dept. of
Conservation and Natural Resources biologists, no historical record is known
of red tides in AL waters. Waters along about two-thirds of the Texas coast
between Matagorda Bay and the Rio Grande River have been closed since
early November 1996. [Assoc Press]
.
Invasive Species. On Nov. 13, 1996, NOAA will hold a national Forum
on Coastal and Marine Aquatic Nuisance Species as part of the fall Aquatic
Nuisance Species Task Force meeting at the San Francisco Bay National
Wildlife Refuge. [The Nature Conservancy press release via Greenwire, Congr.
Record, NOAA press release]
.
NC Fisheries Moratorium. On Nov. 12, 1996, the NC Moratorium
Steering Committee submitted its 155-page final report recommending
changes to overhaul NC marine fisheries to the NC Joint Legislative
Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture. The Commission will meet Dec.
9-10, 1996, to consider the Committee's report. [Assoc Press]
.
Pfiesteria problems. On Nov. 11, 1996, USA Today reported that Duke
Univ. neurologists had found a link between the algae, Pfiesteria piscida,
and
short-term memory loss in rats, and may be responsible for painful illness
and
amnesia in humans. [USA Today via Greenwire]
.
Essential Fish Habitat. On Nov. 8, 1996, NMFS published an
advanced notice of proposed rulemaking requesting comments by Dec. 9,
1996, on proposed guidelines for implementing the provisions of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act relating to
identification and protection of essential fish habitat. [Federal Register]
.
Shrimp Embargo. On Nov. 8, 1996, the United States lifted its
embargo on importation of shrimp from Thailand in recognition of Thailand's
enactment of turtle protection measures on Sept. 15, 1996. On Nov. 11,
1996, Thai officials announced that Thailand would not retract its earlier
complaint to the World Trade Organization concerning the U.S. shrimp
embargo. On Nov. 19, 1996, representatives of nations filing the WTO
complaint against the United States will meet with U.S. officials in Geneva
for
discussions. [NFI press release, Dow Jones News]
.
Japan-South Korea Fisheries Talks. On Nov. 7-8, 1996, Japanese
and South Korean officials will meet in Tokyo for a third round of
discussions
to review the bilateral fisheries agreement between these nations. Japan is
expected to seek adoption of a new understanding that the authority to
control
illegal operations by fishing vessels should be granted to the country in
whose
waters the illegal operations occur. [Dow Jones News]
.
Florida Net Ban. On Nov. 7, 1996, Governor Chiles and his Cabinet
voted to adopt a recommendation by the FL Marine Fisheries Commission for
a 90-day emergency ban on the use of tarp nets to harvest mullet. [Tampa
Tribune and St. Petersburg Times via Greenwire]
.
Commercial Fishing License Fraud. On Nov. 7, 1996, NC Marine
Patrol officers announced that they had recently arrested eight commercial
fishermen for fraud, after they were alleged to have purchased resident NC
commercial fishing licenses without being state residents, and that more
arrests on similar charges were anticipated. [Assoc Press]
.
Hardhead Catfish Deaths. In early November 1996, a large number of
hardhead catfish were found dead near the border between Cameron and
Willacy Counties, TX. This appears to be related to other instances of
hardhead catfish mortality across the Gulf of Mexico that cannot be directly
attributed to red tide. The cause of the mortalities is unknown. [Assoc
Press]
.
Coast Guard Boarding Refusal. On Nov. 5, 1996, a federal jury
convicted a commercial salmon fisherman of 2 misdemeanors for refusing to
allow Coast Guard personnel to board his fishing vessel off central
California in
May 1996 for a routine inspection, but without a warrant; the fisherman was
acquitted on 3 felony charges. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 3, 1996,
with
as much as a year in jail and $100,000 fine possible. [Assoc Press]
.
FL Keys Sanctuary Referendum. On Nov. 5, 1996, 52% of Monroe
County, Florida, voters voted against retaining the FL Keys National Marine
Sanctuary in a non-binding referendum; 42% of voters favored the Sanctuary.
[Assoc Press]
.
New England Groundfish. As of Nov. 1, 1996, the Dept. of Commerce
had received applications from 164 groundfish vessels (109 from
Massachusetts and 38 from Maine) for its $23 million vessel buyout program,
with bids totalling $58.25 million. In early November 1996, NMFS managers
announced that New England fishermen had significantly exceeded the 1996
annual target quota for cod -- 7.1 million pounds caught in the Gulf of Maine
versus a target of 6.1 million pounds (17% over) and more than 8 million
pounds caught on Georges Bank versus a target of 4.1 million pounds (nearly
double). Speculation is that the New England Fishery Management Council
may be forced to consider additional options to limit groundfish harvest.
Dec.
15, 1996 is the deadline for receipt of applications from groundfish permit
holders to participate in a Jan. 2 to Mar. 31, 1997 NMFS test of a new
satellite
system that will automatically report days-at-sea. On Dec. 1, 1996, the U.S.
Coast Guard seized the catch of a New Bedford, MA scallop vessel allegedly
fishing inside a closed area east of Cape Cod. The catch, valued at $12,000,
will be sold and the proceeds held in escrow until the case is resolved. On
Dec. 11, 1996, the New England Fishery Management Council is scheduled to
discuss its Multispecies Monitoring Committee's report concluding that two
years of commercial fishery restrictions have been insufficient to restore
groundfish stocks, and that commercial vessels would have to be limited to 14
days of fishing annually to eliminate overfishing. The Committee report
presents 4 options for addressing the continuing problem; the most
restrictive
option would reduce groundfish harvest by 74% to eliminate overfishing. The
Committee observes that, while haddock stocks are showing signs of
recovery, cod stocks remain near historic lows. [Assoc Press, Fed. Register]
.
Tilapia Imports. In early November 1996, the Seafood Market Analyst
reported that U.S. imports of fresh or chilled tilapia fillets were almost
50%
higher for Jan.-Aug. 1996 than the same 8 months in 1995. Costa Rica (647
metric tons) and Ecuador (320 metric tons) are the major suppliers for the
U.S. market -- together accounting for more than 70% of the import volume.
The value of these imports has increased 58% from a year earlier. About 97%
of these tilapia imports enter the United States through Miami. [Seafood
Market Analyst]
.
.
FRESHWATER FISHERIES
.
Lower Talarik Creek Protection. On Dec. 5, 1996, The Nature
Conservancy of Alaska completed a 155-acre land purchase along lower
Talarik Creek, a well-known rainbow trout steam in Alaska's Lake Iliamna
watershed. [Reuters]
.
Corps Wetlands Permitting. In early December 1996, the Army
Corps of Engineers anticipates publishing modifications of its wetlands
permitting regulations to reduce the minimum tract size that would have to be
reviewed by NMFS, FWS, and EPA. Currently, developers can fill wetlands of
less than an acre without review; the new regulations would require review of
all wetland projects exceeding one-third of an acre. More extensive review
has
been required for modifying wetlands exceeding 10 acres, but the new
regulations will lower this threshold to 3 acres. [Los Angeles Times via
Greenwire]
.
WI Panfish Limit. On Dec. 4, 1996, the WI Dept. of Natural
Resources' Natural Resources Board approved a reduction in the daily limit
for
panfish (bluegills, crappies, perch, and pumpkinseeds) from 50 fish to 25
fish,
effective in 1998. This action was taken in response to concerns about
diminishing fish populations in WI lakes. [Assoc Press]
.
Elk River Settlement. On Dec. 2, 1996, the U.S. Forest Service and
environmental groups announced settlement related to a lawsuit filed in
September 1996 by the Sierra Club, Heartwood, and Trout Unlimited seeking
to stop a timber sale in the Monongahela National Forest, WV, with concern
for the possible effects of sedimentation in streams feeding into the Upper
Elk
River. The Forest Service agreed to reduce the timber sale size by 1,000
acres and decrease the harvest by about 3 million board feet, streams would
be monitored during timber harvesting, and a buffer would be maintained
between the harvested lands and private property. [Assoc Press]
.
TX Fishing License System Problems. On Dec. 2, 1996, an official
of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. announced that the contractor working
on a new hunting and fishing license system for the state has not been paid
yet because the contractor has not met minimum requirements of the contract
and the system is not yet operating. The new system is supposed to
generate hunting and fishing licenses electronically, saving time and money
for the state and retailers. In addition, the system is supposed to allow
the
state to suspend licenses of persons behind in child-support payments.
[Assoc Press]
.
VA Coal Waste Spills. On Nov. 27, 1996, the third coal waste spill in
less than 4 months sent water and fine coal to blacken about 20 miles of
streams in southwest VA. Although a fish kill was not reported, the VA Dept.
of Mines, Minerals, and Energy anticipated disciplinary action. [Richmond
Time-Dispatch via Greenwire]
.
Brine Shrimp Harvest Halted. On Nov. 23, 1996, the Utah Div. of
Wildlife Resources halted the annual brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) egg harvest
in
the Great Salt Lake after monitoring indicated almost as many eggs had been
gathered as in the entire season last year. The season was to remain open
until Jan. 31, 1997 but, after 14,679,498 pounds of brine shrimp eggs had
been harvested, regulators stopped the harvest to avoid overfishing. Until
the
1995-1996 season, the average annual harvest was around 10 million pounds.
Brine shrimp eggs are exported to southeast Asian prawn farmers. [Assoc
Press]
.
Lake Mead Pollutants. On Nov. 19, 1996, U.S. Geological Survey
scientists released a report at the annual meeting of the Society of
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry indicating that common chemical
pollutants, acting as hormone disrupters, may be harming the reproductive
success of fish in Lake Mead and 20 other locations across the United
States. [Greenwire]
.
Menominee Treaty Fishing Rights. On Nov. 15, 1996, U.S. District
Court Judge Barbara Crabb has declined to reconsider her September 1996
decision that the tribes had surrendered their fishing and hunting privileges
on
public lands in eastern and central Wisconsin. The tribes have filed a
notice
of appeal with the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. [Assoc Press]
.
Grazing Lawsuit. In mid-November 1996, U.S. District Court Judge
James Parker approved an agreement between the Bureau of Land
Management and the environmental group Forest Guardians in partial
settlement of a May 1996 lawsuit charging that BLM was not timely in
preparing a biological opinion on the effects of cattle grazing on
riparian-dependent species in New Mexico. As part of the agreement, BLM
will complete a study by March 1997 on how cattle grazing along NM streams
may affect several species of fish and birds listed as threatened or
endangered. [Santa Fe New Mexican via Greenwire]
.
Fish Creek Restoration. On Nov. 14, 1996, state and federal agencies
were to hold a public informational meeting in Edgerton, OH, to discuss the
recently released draft plan's 3 alternatives for restoring Fish Creek. This
drainage was extensively damaged in 1993 when about 30,000 gallons of
diesel fuel spilled from a broken underground pipeline into the Creek. Under
a
negotiated settlement with pipeline owners and operators, about $2.5 million
is
available to restore and rehabilitate Fish Creek and its resources. [U.S.
Fish
and Wildlife Service press release]
.
St. Croix Mussels. On Nov. 13, 1996, the Sierra Club's North Star
Chapter held a news conference in Prescott, WI, asking that the MN and WI
Depts. of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard take action to restrict
the spread of zebra mussels from the Mississippi River into the lower St.
Croix
River to protect rare native mussels species in the St. Croix. [Assoc Press]
.
Oregon ESA Suit. On Nov. 13, 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court heard
oral arguments in a case wherein 2 OR ranchers and 2 OR irrigation districts
sought the right to sue the federal government to limit protection for the
Lost
River sucker and the shortnose sucker under "citizen suit" provisions of the
Endangered Species Act. The Court's ruling should be available in July 1997.
[Greenwire, NY Times via Greenwire]
.
Wastewater Hormones. On Nov. 12, 1996, UK government
researchers reportedly published results wherein they found that very minute
levels of natural human female hormones in wastewater were causing the sex
of fish to be altered. [London Guardian and London Independent via Greenwire]
.
Neuse River Hearings. On Nov. 12, 1996, the NC Environmental
Management Commission is scheduled to hold the first of 4 public hearings on
its plan for reducing pollution in the Neuse River. Under the plan, cities
would
be required to reduce the dissolved nitrogen content in sewage discharges by
30% and farmers would have to plant vegetation buffers along streams or use
other methods to reduce fertilizer and animal waste runoff. [Assoc Press]
.
Sturgeons and Caviar. On Nov. 11, 1996, the World Wildlife Fund
released a report discussing increasing threats to sturgeons that are likely
to
reduce the availability of high quality caviar. The report recommends
stronger
U.S. import controls to limit illegal trade, bans on trawling for sturgeon
and
more protective laws in Russia, Iran, and countries around the Caspian Sea,
and a labeling system to identify the products of legal sturgeon fisheries.
On
Nov. 14, 1996, fishing industry representatives from Russia, Azerbaijan,
Iran,
Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, meeting as an international committee on
Caspian Sea biological resources, signed a protocol banning fishing for
sturgeon in the Caspian Sea beginning in 1997. Sturgeon fishing will be
permitted in the lower reaches of the Volga and Ural Rivers. [Assoc Press,
Interfax]
.
Whirling Disease. On Nov. 8, 1996, WA state officials announced the
first detection of whirling disease parasites in the state -- in the Grand
Ronde
River drainage in SW Washington. [Assoc Press]
.
Yellowstone Lake Trout. In November 1996, National Park Service
biologists reported conclusion of a successful year in beginning to eradicate
lake trout from Yellowstone Lake. A major accomplishment was discovery of
a spawning ground near Carrington Island in the West Thumb of the Lake. A
total of 180 mature lake trout were netted from this spawning ground and
removed. [Assoc Press]
.
Illegal Mussel Harvesting. In early November 1996, an Illinois man
was sentenced to 27 months in prison and fined almost $8,300 for illegally
taking Mississippi River mussels in Illinois and transporting them to Iowa.
[Assoc Press]
.
Sandtrap Mitigation. In early November 1996, the Michigan Dept. of
Natural Resources announced an agreement with an excavating company for
construction of a 180-foot long, 5- to 6-foot deep sandtrap in a streambed to
catch silt in a popular trout and salmon stream entering Lake Superior. The
excavating company is installing the trap as compensation for allowing sand
to enter the stream from an upstream sandpit; the sandtrap will require
regular
cleaning to maintain its efficiency. [Assoc Press]
.
Bull Trout. On Nov. 1, 1996, U.S. District Judge Robert Jones released
a draft opinion in response to a lawsuit filed by the Alliance for the Wild
Rockies, Inc. and Friends of the Wild Swan, that would require the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reconsider its decision not to list bull
trout as
a threatened or endangered species. The draft opinion finds USFWS in
violation of its procedures by failing to explain why requests for emergency
listing of bull trout were rejected. If after reconsideration, the USFWS
does
not change its 1994 and 1995 findings, the agency would be required to issue
an emergency listing for the fish. On Nov. 13, 1996, U.S. District Judge
Robert Jones released his 32-page ruling citing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service for failure to provide an adequate explanation of its denial of an
application for emergency protection of bull trout and ordering the Service
to
reconsider its refusal to list this species as a threatened or endangered
species. Judge Jones gave the USFWS 4 months to act on this ruling.
[Assoc Press, Greenwire]
.
Farm Fresh Catfish Sale. In early November 1996, Hormel Foods
Corp. (Austin, MN) announced that it has an agreement to sell its Farm Fresh
Catfish Co. unit (Hollandale, MS) to an undisclosed buyer. The sale is
anticipated to be final by the late December 1996. [Wall Street Journal]
.
AQUACULTURE AND AQUARIA
.
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center Opening. On Nov. 19, 1996, the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. opened its $18 million Texas Freshwater
Fisheries Center east of Athens, TX. This Center is an aquarium and
education center committed to research on aquatic life in Texas' freshwater
streams, ponds, and lakes. The facility includes a 24,000 sq. foot hatchery
that will concentrate on producing Florida largemouth bass and an Anglers
Hall of Fame. [Assoc Press]
.
Ocean Journey Aquarium. In mid-November 1996, proponents of the
non-profit Ocean Journey Aquarium in Denver, CO's Central Platte Valley
announced that the $93 million funding for the project had been assembled,
with bonds scheduled to be sold on Dec. 18, 1996. Construction will start
early in 1997, with opening scheduled for spring 1999. [Assoc Press]
.
Atlantic Salmon Egg Import Concerns. On Nov. 13, 1996, the Sierra
Club Legal Defense Fund wrote to Canadian federal and provincial government
officials on behalf of 8 environmental, tribal, and sport fishing groups
expressing growing concern that continued importation of Atlantic salmon
eggs for British Columbia aquaculture operations posed a serious threat to
wild salmon stocks. These groups were primarily concerned about the
potential threats from imported disease and parasite epidemics, and asked
that such egg imports be permanently banned. [personal communication]
***************
Items in this summary are excerpted from a variety of information
sources. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is not responsible
for the accuracy of the various news items.
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--- Your Editor (Glen Spain)
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