PLEASE REPOST TO YOUR NETWORKS
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IN THIS ISSUE:
CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE WEEKLY SUMMARY OF
FISHERIES AND MARINE MAMMALS NEWS ITEMS FOR MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS
-- The Week of 7/18/97 --
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BUT FIRST -- QUOTABLE QUOTES:
"The people who wrote the riders think this is one [bill] that can't
be vetoed. They're literally trying to hitch a ride. ... The
Republicans squirmed when they were rightly labeled extremist on
environmental issues in the last election. If they want to change
the label, they ought to change the content. They can't have it both
ways."
-- Washington Post editorial (May 7, 1997)
on the anti-environmental riders attached to the
emergency flood supplemental appropriations bill
Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago.
--Bernard Berenson
"We are the most dangerous species of life on the planet, and every
other species, even the earth itself, has cause to fear our power to
exterminate. But we are also the only species which, when it
chooses to do so, will go to great effort to save what it might
destroy." -- Wallace Stegner
My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those
who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in
the first group; there was much less competition.
--Indira
Gandhi
=======================================================
EDITOR'S NOTE: The US Congressional Research Service provides this
weekly summary of recent fisheries, aquaculture and marine mammal news
to members of Congress. Recently public distribution of this list has been
severely curtailed, and it is no longer directly available to the public
except
through Congressional offices. These reports have been a main feature of
FishLink News in the past, and by special arrangement will once again be
made available to our readers through this newsletter on a weekly basis.
For those of you who have seen it before, it has also been expanded and
we will be sending the weekly versions instead of the monthly summaries to
help provide the most timely information. Back issues of CRS summaries
will be posted on an archive page on the World Wide Web in the near future.
=======================================================
CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE WEEKLY SUMMARY OF
FISHERIES AND MARINE MAMMALS NEWS ITEMS FOR MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS
-- The Week of 7/18/97 --
Fisheries and Marine Mammals: Most Recent Developments -- 7/18/97
New info and changes since 7/11/97 are bracketed {...}.
New info and changes since 7/17/98 are double bracketed {{...}}
.
MARINE FISHERIES
.
NMFS Oversight Hearing. On July 24 1997, the House Resources
Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively
scheduled an oversight hearing to review the authority and decision-making
processes of NMFS's Northwest Region. [personal communication]
.
CITES Hearing. On July 17, 1997, the House Resources
Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively
scheduled an oversight hearing on the results of the recent meeting of CITES
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora) Parties in Zimbabwe. [personal communication]
.
{PRC Fishery Agreement. On July 16, 1997, President Clinton
transmitted to Congress an agreement between the United States and the
People's Republic of China concerning fisheries off the coasts of the United
States, extending a 1985 governing international fishery agreement until July
1, 1998.} [White House press release]
.
{Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Nesting. On July 16, 1997, a U.S.
Geological Survey biologist reported that nine Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests
have been found along the TX coast between Corpus Christi and South Padre
Island so far this summer. This is an increase over the 6 nests found in
1996,
and the 4 discovered in 1995.} [Assoc Press]
.
{NMFS Candidate Species List Revisions. On July 15, 1997, NMFS
announced that it was updating and revising its list of species that are
candidates for possible addition to the List of Endangered and Threatened
Species. While the 1991 version of the List contained 44 candidate species
under NMFS jurisdiction, 37 are being removed and 15 are being added,
including 6 species of Pacific salmon and anadromous trout, for a new total
of
22 species.} [NOAA press release]
.
{NC Commercial Fisheries Moratorium. On July 15, 1997, the NC
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources began
consideration of the package of fishery reform measures recently passed by
the NC House. The Committee continued its consideration on July 17.}
[Assoc Press]
.
New England Groundfish. On July 10, 1997, the New England
Fishery Management Council received a report indicating the first signs of
cod,
haddock, and yellowtail flounder stock recovery on Georges Bank. Similar
signs of recovery are not yet reported to be evident in the Gulf of Maine.
[Assoc Press]
.
Internet Seafood Exchange. On July 9, 1997, International Custom
Pack Inc., a shrimp processor, announced that it had reached an agreement
in principal to acquire Innovative Internet Marketing Systems Inc.
(Anchorage,
AK; Seattle, WA; Boston, MA), with plans to launch an interactive worldwide
Fishmart Seafood Exchange on the Internet using Innovative Internet
Marketing System's on-line, real-time auction software. The Exchange will
allow buyers to bid on lots being auctioned by seafood producers and
processors. [Dow Jones News, International Custom Pack press release]
.
Red Tide Virus. On July 9, 1997, the Japanese Fisheries Agency
announced that it had succeeded in cultivating a Heterosigma akashiwo virus
(HAV) capable of killing the Heterosigma akashiwo plankton responsible for
certain red tides. Within 10 years, the Agency aims to cultivate large
quantities of HAV and be able to spread it on marine waters to selectively
kill
only this red tide plankton. [Dow Jones News]
.
European Fleet Restructuring. On July 9, 1997, the EU Council
formally confirmed, by a qualified majority, its decision on the new phase in
restructuring eu fishing fleets. For the period from Jan. 1, 1997, through
Dec.
31, 2001, a reduction in fishing effort of 30% will be the objective for fish
stocks threatened with extinction and 20% for overexploited stocks. {On July
11, 1997, the European Commission released its annual report on
restructuring of the European fishing industry (MAGP III), confirming that
the
UK and the Netherlands failed to achieve fleet tonnage reduction goals by the
end of 1996. In addition, France and Italy failed to achieve their
obligations
forreducing engine power. At the other extreme, Portugal, Spain, Denmark,
and Germany
reduced their fleets well below Multi-Annual Guidance Programme (MAGP)
requirements. As a
whole, between 1991 and 1996, the European fishing fleet was reduced 15% in
tonnage and 9.5%
in engine power.} [Agence Europe via Reuters]
.
Small-Scale Fishing Assistance. On July 8, 1997, the European
Commission announced a pilot program to fund projects to assist small-scale
coastal fishing. The program's objectives include encouraging vocational
training, reinforcing representation structures, exchanging experiences
between fishermen, and promoting women fishermen. Two calls for proposals
will be made, with a total budget of 4 million ECUs. [Agence Europe via
Reuters]
.
Bycatch Reduction Device Settlement. On July 8, 1997, U.S.
District Judge Anthony A. Alaimo announced a settlement in a federal lawsuit
against the GA Dept. of Natural Resources over regulations requiring
shrimpers to use bycatch reduction devices. Under the settlement, GA
shrimpers will be required to use bycatch reduction devices, but will be
allowed to test a different model to determine if shrimp loss can be reduced.
[Assoc Press]
.
Alien Ocean Premiere. On July 8, 1997, a 30-minute documentary,
Alien Ocean, on the problem of alien species introductions into U.S. harbors,
bays, and estuaries produced by the MD Sea Grant Program premiered at the
National Aquarium in Baltimore. [MD Sea Grant Program press release]
.
Ocean International Acquisition. On July 8, 1997, Corsaire
Snowboard Inc. (San Diego, CA) announced that it had signed a letter of
intent to acquire a
controlling interest in Ocean International Production SA de CV (Puerto
Penasco, Sonora,
Mexico) for 4 million common shares. Ocean
International has exclusive contracts with 150 fishermen in the Sea of Cortez
and processes crab. {On July 15, 1997, Corsaire Snowboard Inc. announced
that it was nearing completion of its acquisition of Ocean International
Products SA de CV.} [Dow Jones News, Corsaire Snowboard press release]
.
Taiwanese Investment in Alaska. On July 7, 1997, Taiwan's
Nationalist Party approved a loan of $16 million by it's Central Investment
Holding Company to be matched by $16 million from the Alaska Seafood
Center to build a seafood packing operation in Anchorage, AK. The $126
million project will also be funded by a $50 million low-interest loan from
the
state of AK, $35 million in leased equipment, and $9 million in bank loans.
[Dow Jones News]
.
Japan-Taiwan Fishery Accord. On July 4, 1997, Taiwanese officials
announced that Japan and Taiwan had reached a tentative accord on fishing in
disputed waters between the two nations, that would allow Taiwanese
fishermen to fish in waters adjacent to the Tiaoyutai/Senkaku Islands.
[Taipei
Chung-Kuo Shih-Pao via Foreign Broadcast Information Service]
.
Japan-Russia Fishery Agreement. On July 4, 1997, Russia and
Japan negotiators meeting in Moscow were reported to have concluded a
preliminary fisheries accord on jurisdiction in waters surrounding four
disputed
islands lying between the two nations. The accord seeks to provide for the
safety of Japanese boats fishing in this area. Talks will reconvene in
September 1997 in Tokyo to determine how much Japan will pay Russia for
access, what areas can be fished, and how much fish can be caught. [Tokyo
Kyodo via Dow Jones News, Tokyo Asahi Shimbun via Foreign Broadcast
Information Service, Interfax]
.
New England Seafood Cases. On July 2, 1997, the Coast Guard boarded a
RI vessel fishing in
closed waters 130 miles off Provincetown, MA;
in addition, the vessel was fishing with an illegal net liner. The vessel's
catch was seized and will be sold, with the proceeds held in escrow until the
case is decided. On
July 6, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded a NY vessel fishing in the
Nantucket Lightship closed
area 70 miles south of Cape Cod, MA; the catch of butterfish and whiting was
seized and will be
sold, with the proceeds held in escrow until the case is decided. [U.S.
Attorney's Office press
release, Assoc Press]
.
Japanese Oil Spill. On July 2, 1997, the Panamanian-registered
tanker Diamond Grace ran aground on a shallow reef 22 miles south of Tokyo,
spilling about 390,000 gallons of light crude oil. Japanese authorities fear
oil could reach coastal fishing areas north and east of the spill site. On
July
5-6, 1997, Japanese officials completed cleanup of the spilled oil, using
almost 400 oil-skimming
vessels. On July 5, 1997, fishermen resumed fishing on an
experimental basis. [Assoc Press, Dow Jones News]
.
Great American Fish Count. From July 1 through July 14, 1997,
volunteer divers and snorkelers will participate in a fish survey in four
National Marine Sanctuaries -- Flower Garden Banks, TX; FL Keys; Channel
Islands, CA; and
Monterey Bay, CA. This activity is jointly coordinated by NOAA's Marine
Sanctuary program,
the Marine Conservation Network, the American Oceans Campaign, and the Reef
Environmental
Education Foundation. [NOAA press release, Assoc Press]
.
Bumble Bee Seafoods Sale. On July 1, 1997, International Home
Foods, Inc. announced completion of the purchase of the canned seafood
business of Bumble Bee Seafoods, Inc. for $163 million cash and assumption
of certain liabilities. [Dow Jones News]
.
Canadian DFO Controversy. An article in the July 1997 issue of
Canadian Geographic is reported to allege that the DFO intervened to prevent
Atlantic cod from being considered for listing as an endangered species.
[Assoc Press]
.
Research Fish Kill? On June 30, 1997, NMFS captured a large school
of redfish by purse seine between East and West Ship Islands on MS's Gulf
Coast as part of a research program tagging redfish to estimate the species'
population. On July 1, 1997, recreational charter boats reported between 500
and 1,000 dead redfish in the area. NMFS scientists believe the mortality
occurred when redfish were held for a long period of time in the purse seine.
[Assoc Press]
.
Coast Guard Accident Report. On June 30, 1997, the U.S. Coast
Guard released a 44-page report on a Sept. 1996 fishing vessel collision with
a
towed oil barge off Cape Ann, MA, wherein 3 fishermen died. The report
faulted the tugboat towing the barge for not slowing down or changing
direction as it traveled
through an area crowded with tuna fishermen, and faulted the crew of the
fishing vessel for failing
to post a lookout. Coast Guard recommendations include hearings on
revocation of the tugboat
mate's
license, modification of fishing ground descriptions to include additional
cautions, and more stringent licensing for commercial fishermen. [Assoc
Press]
.
Norton Sound Crab Fishery. On June 30, 1997, AK Dept. of Fish and
Game officials announced that no fishermen had registered to fish in the
Norton Sound red king crab fishery beginning July 1, 1997. The quota for the
entire fishery was reduced from 340,000 pounds last year to 80,000 pounds
this year, based on the small legal crab population found in trawl surveys.
[Assoc Press]
.
Regional Council Appointments. On June 30, 1997, Secretary of
Commerce William A. Daley announced the appointment of 30 individuals to
various Regional Fishery Management Councils, including an Indian Tribal
representative to the Pacific Council, as enacted in P.L. 104-297. [Assoc
Press]
.
Heinz Acquisition. On June 30, 1997, H.J. Heinz Co. announced that
its affiliate, H.J. Heinz Co, Ltd. of London had acquired John West Foods
Limited (Liverpool, UK), a brand of canned tuna and fish, from the
Anglo-Dutch Unilever Group.
Annual sales of John West brand products exceeds $250 million. [H.J. Heinz
Co. press release]
.
South Korean Fish Import Quotas. On June 30, 1997, South Korea
will terminate its fish import quota system, leaving Japan as the only
developed nation using quotas to limit fish imports. [Dow Jones News]
.
Telephone Cable Lawsuit. On June 27, 1997, defense attorneys filed
a motion to delete reference to a Coast Guard report in a lawsuit brought by
Pacific Telecom Cable Inc. against an OR commercial seafood company
whose trawler was alleged to have severed an underwater telephone cable
linking Oregon with Japan on May 23, 1995. The lawsuit seeks damages of
more than $2 million. [Assoc Press]
.
Atlantic Herring and Mackerel Fishery. On June 26, 1997, the
House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and
Oceans held a hearing on H.R. 1855, proposing a moratorium on the use of
large fishing vessels in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries. On
July
16, 1997, the House Committee on Resources has tentatively scheduled
markup on H.R. 1855, proposing a moratorium on the use of large fishing
vessels in the Atlantic herring and mackerel fisheries. [Federal Register,
personal communication]
.
High Seas Driftnet Fishing. On June 26, 1997, a Canadian Air Force
P-3 aircraft reported sighting a vessel using driftnets in the North Pacific,
1,100 miles northwest of Midway Island. On July 1, 1997, the Guam-based
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Basswood intercepted a 130-foot fishing vessel,
reportedly claiming Chinese registry, and has been following the vessel while
checking to verify its port of registry. Although refuted by China on July
3,
1997, the vessel claimed it was registered to China and appeared headed for
its claimed homeport at Zhoushan Dao Island. With registry refuted, the
vessel was considered "stateless" and subject to U.S. law. On July 7, 1997,
the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Basswood continued to pursue the 140-foot Cao
Yu 6025. On July 9, 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard seized and boarded the
Cao Yu 6025 70 miles southwest of Kyushu Island, Japan in the East China
Sea; the vessel and crew are being taken to Guam for prosecution, {with
arrival estimated on July 20.} Aboard the vessel were 12 miles of driftnet
and
{120 tons of fish,} including tuna, swordfish, and sharkfin. [Assoc Press,
U.S.
Coast Guard information release]
.
Dumping and Dungeness Crabs. In late June 1997, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency gave permission for the Army Corps of
Engineers to dredge the lower Columbia River channel to permit larger ships
to move upstream.
However, the U.S. Small Business Administration registered concerns that the
Corps 6- to
12-fold expansion of existing dredge spoil dump sites could bury Dungeness
crab and harm the
fishery for this resource. [Assoc Press]
.
MA Sues Over Scup. In late June 1997, the state of MA filed suit in
U.S. District Court against the federal government, charging that a quota
system for scup (porgies) unfairly penalizes MA fishermen. Although MA
fishermen landed an estimated 3 million pounds of scup in 1996, new quotas
for 1997 would limit their harvest to 362,000 pounds. State managers claim
that previous landing data are poor and misleading since fishermen were not
required to report their catch. [Assoc Press]
.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. On June 25, 1997, NMFS announced that it
was postponing the closure of the southern area (from Delaware southward)
Angling category fishery for large school and small medium bluefin from June
27 to July 20, 1997. [NMFS announcement]
.
Van Camp Seafood Sale. A June 25, 1997, hearing on the proposed
sale of Van Camp Seafood Co., Inc. to Tri-Union Seafoods LLC for approx. $92
million was set
by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, San Diego, CA. The Van
Camp sale motion states that Tri-Union will pay $8.5 million if, within 3
years
of sale closing, Tri-Union merges with more than 50% of the securities or
assets of Bumble Bee Seafoods Inc. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court continued
the June 25, 1997, hearing on the sale motion until July 9, 1997. On July 8,
1997, International Home Foods Inc. (the recent purchaser of Bumble Bee
Seafoods) offered $110 million for Van Camp Seafood Co. Inc.'s assets. The
sale of Van Camp to IHF would require Dept. of Justice approval due to
concentration of the canned tuna market. The Tri-Union Seafoods offer for
Van Camp expires on
July 12, 1997. [Dow Jones News]
.
Jamaican Fishing Vessel Interception. On June 23, 1997, the
British warship HMS Liverpool, with a detachment of U.S. Coast Guard law
enforcement personnel aboard, intercepted and questioned the Jamaican
fishing vessel, Silver Dollar, about 1.5 miles inside Jamaican national
waters.
Although the U.S. and Jamaican governments had signed an agreement on
May 7, 1997, allowing U.S. authorities to enter Jamaican waters to board
and/or search vessels with Jamaican government approval, the agreement had
not yet entered into force. ON JUNE 27, 1997, the Jamaican government
protested the incident to U.S. diplomats, demanding an apology and
compensation. On July 8, 1997, the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica issued a
statement accusing the Jamaican government of provocative behavior, stating
that the Jamaican vessel had not been detained, boarded, or searched. [Dow
Jones News, Assoc Press]
.
SALMON ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
.
NMFS Oversight Hearing. On July 24, 1997, the House Resources
Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively
scheduled an oversight hearing to review the authority and decision-making
processes of NMFS's Northwest Region. [personal communication]
.
{{Hatchery Impacts. On July 15, 1997, the Independent Scientific
Review Panel reported 35 recommendations to the Northwest Power Planning
Council (NPPC) after reviewing fish and wildlife projects proposed for FY1998
funding, including
one recommendation that the Council not approve funding for new fish
hatcheries in the Columbia
River basin until the impact of such facilities on wild fish and river
ecology is better understood.
Other
recommendations concerned measures addressing juvenile salmon migration
and resident fish. Public comment on the Panel's recommendations will be
received through Aug. 26, 1997.}} [NPPC Congressional Update]
.
{Wild Coho Salmon. On July 14, 1997, NMFS published interim
regulations for protecting wild coho salmon in northern CA and southwestern
OR. Prohibitions against incidental take would be waived in OR for salmon
hatcheries, ocean harvest and freshwater sport fishing for other species,
habitat improvement projects, and research as long as they comply with the
provisions of OR's coho salmon restoration plan. However, cattle grazing and
logging activities that harm salmon could be punished with fines as high as
$100,000 plus a year in jail. In CA, the waiver from regulations would apply
only to ocean fishing and some research. These regulations take effect on
Aug. 15, 1997, with comments accepted through Sept. 15, 1997.} [Assoc
Press, NMFS press release]
.
Kuskokwim River Chum Salmon Fishery. On July 9, 1997, AK Dept.
of Fish and Game managers closed the Kuskokwim River to commercial and
sport fishing for chum salmon in response to low numbers of fish; subsistence
fishing will be allowed to continue. [Assoc Press]
.
Upper Columbia River Basin Ecosystem Management Plan. On
July 9, 1997, officials of the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management,
and other federal agencies have scheduled a meeting at Boise State Univ. to
introduce draft environmental impact statements for the four-year, $35
million
Upper Columbia River Basin Ecosystem Management Project. [Assoc Press]
.
Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery. On July 4, 1997, the AK Dept. of Fish
and Game imposed an emergency closure of the Naknek-Kvichak district
fishery for sockeye; catches are poor and spawning escapement is low since
warm, dry weather has kept most of the fish offshore. The Togiak District
fishery was ordered to close early on July 9. In early July 1997, the Univ.
of
Washington's Fisheries Research Institute issued a revised forecast of
returning Bristol Bay sockeye stocks, reducing the estimated catch by about
30% to fewer than 17 million fish. {On July 14, 1997, AK Dept. of Fish and
Game officials reported that this year's Bristol Bay sockeye harvest may be
the smallest since 1988. The sockeye harvest estimate has been reduced
from 25 million to 15 million fish. Although the reason for the weak returns
is
not clear, decreased marine survival is suspect. On July 16, 1997, the
sockeye harvest estimate was lowered to 13 million fish, which would be the
lowest catch in 19 years.} [Assoc Press]
.
Russian Salmon Poaching. On July 3, 1997, investigators raided a
Hokkaido company on suspicion that it was sending Japanese fishermen to
Russia to catch salmon under Russian quotas for sale in Japan. [Dow Jones
News]
.
ID Chinook Salmon Fishery. On June 26, 1997, the ID Fish and
Game Commission authorized the first chinook salmon sport fishery since
1964 on the South Fork of the Salmon River due to a surplus return of
hatchery fish. Fisherman will be able to fish a 6-mile stretch of the river
three days a week from July 10-Aug 2. In addition, the Commission extended
the salmon sport
fish season on the Little Salmon River through July 13. [Assoc Press]
.
El Nino. In late June 1997, a network of as many as 35 salmon farms
on the west coast of British Columbia's Vancouver Island initiated a mackerel
observation program to report and track mackerel schools moving northward
on warmer El Nino currents. BC fisheries officials are contemplating
directed
fisheries for mackerel to minimize mackerel predation on wild salmon. {{On
July 18, 1997, the Peruvian government reinstated a coastwide ban on
anchovy fishing, based on lowered harvests related to El Nino conditions. In
mid-July 1997, Chilean officials projected a significant increase in anchovy
harvest due to displacement of anchovy southward from Peru by warmer El
Nino currents.}} [Dow Jones News, Dow Jones News]
.
Russian Allocation of Salmon to Japan. On June 24, 1997, Russian
and Japanese fishery associations concluded an agreement providing that
Japan be granted a 26,000 metric ton harvest of salmon from Russian coastal
waters in exchange for $60 million and a commitment to cease driftnet
fishing.
The Russian association anticipates using the income to promote fishery
science and development of 60 Russian salmon farms. [Interfax]
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END OF PART ONE -- GO TO PART TWO
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