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*******
Note to list members: These reports from the U.S. Congressional
Research Service, are generally posted once a week and are made
available by way of friendly staff in congress.
This posting consists of new material from these summaries, obtained
by extracting only the material in {curly brackets}. In some cases,
when new material is inserted into an existing paragraph, the new
material may not make much sense by itself. Hint: if the lines in a
paragraph are very uneven, it is probably because the new material
was added to an existing paragraph, and the old stuff was cut out.
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SECTION: MARINE FISHERIES
SC Non-Compliance. On June 8, 2000, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC) found the state of SC to be out of compliance with
Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Shad and River
Herring because SC lacks a sport fishing creel limit for American shad or
hickory shad. The Secretary of Commerce will be notified of this finding
within 10 days, whereafter the Secretary will have 30 days to review the
issue and take final action. The Secretary of Commerce could place a
moratorium on SC's shad and river herring fisheries.[ASMFC press release]
National Ocean Day. On June 8, 2000, the House Resources Subcommittee on
Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has scheduled a hearing on
H.Res.415, expressing the sense of the House that a National Ocean Day
should be established to recognize the significant role of the ocean.[personal
communication]
Grouper Seizure. On June 6, 2000, personnel from the Coast Guard Cutter
Marlin boarded a fishing vessel off the FL coast. The vessel occupants were
illegally fishing with cut grouper and shark as bait, so their catch, gear,
and bait was seized and the vessel escorted to Fort Myers for possible NMFS
prosecution.[personal communication]
Large Trawler Fishing Demands. On June 6, 2000, Philippine government
officials began discussing the demand by Muslim rebels holding 21 hostages,
that the Philippine government prohibit large trawlers from fishing in
waters off the southern Philippines. Armed escorts of large foreign-owned
trawlers are alleged to have attacked local fishermen. The hostages have
been held at Jolo, 590 miles south of Manila, since their kidnapping on Apr.
23, 2000.[Assoc Press]
ASMFC Meeting. On June 5-8, 2000, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Committee (ASMFC) is meeting in Portland, ME. Their agenda includes a
review of lobster abundance and consideration of whether additional
regulations are needed to prevent depletion of this fishery, a discussion of
whether more extensive regulation of the menhaden fishery might be
warranted, and a review and possible modification of regulations applicable
to the northern shrimp fishery. On June 6, 2000, ASMFC's American Lobster
Management Board received an independent peer review of the ASMFC's lobster
stock assessment, concluding that lobsters in the northwest Atlantic Ocean
are experiencing high abundance, but fishing rates are unacceptably high and
likely to harm the fishery. The peer review panel recommended a
precautionary approach to lobster management, with the primary goal of
increasing egg production. On June 7, 2000, the ASMFC's Northern Shrimp
Section approved a public information document for Amendment 1 to the
Northern Shrimp Fishery Management Plan for public review and comment, with
meetings to be scheduled during August 2000. The proposed amendment would
increase the options (e.g., catch limits, entry limitation, and days-at-sea
restrictions) available for managing this fishery.[Assoc Press, ASMFC
press release]
Shipping Lanes. On June 1, 2000, the United Nations' International
Maritime Organization and U.S. officials concluded an agreement to modify
shipping lanes and port approach routes along the Pacific coast to move
vessels further offshore and better protect nearshore marine habitats,
especially the Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones, and Channel Islands
National Marine Sanctuaries.[Environmental News Network]
Japan-PRC Fishery Agreement. On June 1, 2000, the 1997 fishery agreement
between Japan and the People's Republic of China (PRC) took effect. On June
4, 2000, two PRC fishing vessels were seized by Japanese fisheries
enforcement officers for fishing in Japanese waters without permits.[Assoc
Press]
Navy Dredging. On May 30, 2000, the U.S. Navy signed an agreement with
federal, state, and Jacksonville, FL, city government officials to launch a
project called XL/ENVEST, wherein sediment dredged from the Mayport Naval
Station harbor and fly ash from the Jacksonville Electric Authority's
coal-fired electricity generating facility will be recycled into
construction building blocks. Dredged sediments, without fly ash, would be
recycled into artificial reef materials.[Florida Times-Union]
On June 8, 2000, the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) voted 14-1 to find the state of VA out of
compliance with Amendment I to the Fishery Management Plan for Horseshoe
Crab because VA's state plan fails to meet the required landing cap, which
is 25% below VA's average landings from 1995-1997. The Secretary of
Commerce will be notified of this finding within 10 days, whereafter the
Secretary will have 30 days to review the issue and take final action. The
Secretary of Commerce could place a moratorium on VA's horseshoe crab
fishery.[ASMFC press release, Fed. Register, Boston Globe, Assoc Press,
MSNBC, Virginian-Pilot]
On June 19, 2000, the Federal
District Court is scheduled to hold another hearing on the crabber lawsuit
against NMFS over the shortened season and reduced snow crab quota.[personal
communication, Anchorage Daily News]
In early June 2000, Governor
Sunia of American Samoa issued an Executive Order banning the collection and
export of live rock, coral containing living organisms often used in
aquariums.[American Geophysical Union press release, Columbia Univ. press
Reuters]
SECTION: SALMON ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
WA Management. On June 7, 2000, the WA Dept. of Ecology announced two
optional approaches for regulating shoreline protection, with a series of
public hearings scheduled before a final version is chosen later this year.
Option B is more stringent and would meet protection requirements for salmon
recovery. Option A would allow local governments more flexibility in
creating their own regulations.[Seattle Herald]
Southeast AK Chinook Lawsuit. On June 5, 2000, the Alaska Sportfish
Council, a group of Southeast AK fishing charter operators, filed suit in AK
Superior Court (Ketchikan), seeking to block the AK Dept. of Fish and Game
(ADF&G) from enforcing restrictions on chinook salmon harvest. The
restrictions, implementing the Pacific Salmon Treaty with Canada, were
announced a week earlier. The Council alleges adequate public notice was
not given, and that the specific regulations are not necessary to accomplish
the objectives of the management plan.[Anchorage Daily News]
Methow Irrigation Lawsuit and Consent Decree. On June 2, 2000, NMFS filed
suit against the Methow Valley Irrigation District, alleging its diversion
dam was killing salmon and steelhead trout protected under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). NMFS seeks to have the District convert its open
irrigation ditches to a more modern system of wells and pressurized
pipelines. On June 5, 2000, the directors of the Methow Valley Irrigation
District approved a consent decree with NMFS over diversion of water from
the Methow and Twisp Rivers. The decree calls for the District to comply
with the ESA and prevent fish kills with slower velocity irrigation water
and improved fish screen on irrigation ditches. On June 6, 2000, a
scheduled hearing before U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle on NMFS lawsuit
against the Irrigation District was postponed for 10 days.[Assoc Press]
Hanford Reach. On May 31, 2000, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt
recommended that President Clinton designate the Hanford Reach of the
Columbia River as a new national monument.[Seattle Times, Environmental
News Network]
On June 7, 2000, Canadian enforcement officials
reported that illegal driftnet activity in the North Pacific appeared to be
far less in 2000 than it was in 1999, with only one ship spotted using
illegal gear in international waters so far in 2000. This vessel was not
caught.[Washington Post, Coast Guard press release, personal
communication, Reuters]
SECTION: AQUACULTURE AND AQUARIA
JSA Meeting. On June 8, 2000, the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture is
scheduled to meet in Washington, DC. The meeting agenda includes an update
on a policy framework for offshore marine aquaculture, an update from an
aquaculture effluents task force, an update from a shrimp virus work group,
and the aquaculture research and development strategic plan.[personal
communication]
Atlantic Salmon Escapes. On June 5, 2000, the Scottish Executive announced
that a record 395,000 salmon escaped in 10 major farm escape incidents
during the first 5 months of 2000. These escapes were said to exceed the
wild catch by a four to one ratio. During 1999, a total of 15 incidents
resulted in the escape of 225,000 salmon.[Daily Telegraph]
Black Carp. On June 2, 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published
notice that it is reviewing information on the non-native black carp for
possible addition to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act.
Black carp have been imported to the United States to control snails and
grubs in aquaculture ponds, but could pose a risk to endangered and
threatened native mollusks if black carp should escape into the wild.[Fed.
Register]
SECTION: FRESHWATER FISHERIES
Fishery Conservation Partnership. On June 6, 2000, the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation announced a partnership with the United Fishing
Association Conservation Foundation for $250,000 in fishery conservation
projects.[National Fish and Wildlife Foundation press release]
On June 7, 2000,
Canada's Fisheries Minister Herb Dhaliwal addressed the NASCO meeting,
calling for a new collective international approach to save wild Atlantic
salmon.[Assoc Press, personal communication, Canadian Press]
SECTION: MARINE MAMMALS
EU Dolphin Deaths. On June 7, 2000, Britain's fisheries minister announced
that British observers had recorded dolphins being killed by intensive
pair-trawl fishing for sea bass by Scottish and French fishermen; government
officials pledged that action would be taken to reduce this mortality.[BBC
News, London Times]
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