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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
Bluefish. Starting Aug. 25, 2000, new regulations for recreational and
commercial fishing for bluefish in federal waters off the South Atlantic
coast will take effect, including a 10 fish per day bag limit for
recreational anglers and new commercial vessel permits. Commercial
fishermen may sell fish only to federally permitted dealers. Party or
charterboats must also carry a valid party or charterboat permit.[Savannah
Morning News]
Canadian Groundfish. In the Aug. 24, 2000 issue of Nature, a Canadian
scientist published an analysis concluding that stocks of bottom-dwelling
fish, such as cod and haddock, recover from massive population declines far
more slowly than previously thought. Data also indicated that the greater
the percentage stock decline over 15 years, the less likely the stock was
going to recover to the size from which it had declined.[Canadian Press]
Menhaden. On Aug. 22, 2000, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC) approved Draft Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Menhaden
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for public review and comment. A series of
public hearings will be scheduled along the Atlantic coast in late September
and early October 2000, to discuss the proposal to replace 6 variables used
in the current FMP to monitor changes in stock size and population
recruitment with more biologically based reference points.[ASMFC press
release]
Diesel Fuel Prices. On Aug. 22, 2000, about 200 fishing vessel blocked a
bay in Sichon district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand, in protest
over steadily rising diesel fuel prices. On Sept. 1, 2000, Thai fishermen
have threatened to stage a nationwide mass protest and strike to call
attention to the lack of government action to halt soaring fuel prices.[Bangkok
Post]
Spiny Dogfish. On Aug. 21, 2000, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC) unanimously voted to take emergency action to close state
waters immediately, for at least 180 days, to the commercial harvest,
landing, and possession of spiny dogfish. States are required to submit
evidence of closure by Oct. 15, 2000. This action was taken because of low
adult female abundance and evidence of recruitment failure, complementing a
similar closure in federal waters, effective Aug. 1, 2000. At least 4
public hearings on this closure will be scheduled and announced. If
warranted, this emergency closure can be extended. The ASMFC is in the
process of developing a spiny dogfish fishery management plan for fisheries
in state waters.[ASMFC press release, Boston Globe]
Marine Reserves and Fishing. On Aug. 18, 2000, representatives of the
Kenya Wildlife Service, the Fisheries Dept., and Malindi fishermen met to
discuss the opposition by fishermen to the expansion of the Malindi Marine
Park Reserve. Fishermen claim the expansion was done without consultation
them and that, since the expansion, substantial loss of fish traps to divers
and owners of diving businesses has occurred when fishermen continue to fish
in the restricted areas.[Daily Nation]
On Aug. 18, 2000, the projected harvest level for the
October 15, 2000 Bristol Bay red king crab fishery was announced as 8.3
million pounds -- about 20% lower than the 1999 quota of 10.7 million
pounds, which was caught in 5 days of fishing.[Anchorage Daily News,
Assoc Press]
Scallop Lawsuit. On Aug. 14, 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Kessler
refused to grant an injunction requested by the Conservation Law Foundation
and the American Oceans Campaign that would have prevent scallop harvesting
in the Nantucket Lightship Area and Closed Area I.[Garden State Seafood
Assoc Weekly Update]
On Aug. 21, 2000, the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) met in Alexandria, VA, declining to lift a
proposed moratorium on VA horseshoe crab harvest in consideration of VA's
proposed modification of its horseshoe crab management. The Commission did
agree to review a proposal to allow states that don't use their entire
harvest quota to transfer the difference to other states.[ASMFC press
release, Virginian-Pilot, NOAA press release, Assoc Press]
On Aug. 18, 2000, after Canadian federal fisheries official
agreed to consider the Burnt Church reserve's management plan, native
leaders removed barricades blocking a public highway in New Brunswick. A
joint plan is also being negotiated that would allow for joint patrol and
enforcement by native and federal fisheries officers. On Aug. 19, 2000,
Canadian federal fishery officers seized 107 lobster traps from Nova
Scotia's St. Mary's Bay. Altogether about 900 traps have been seized in
waters off New Edinburgh, southwest Nova Scotia, where Mi'kmaq from the
Indian Brook reserve fish. On Aug. 22, 2000, federal Dept. of Fisheries and
Oceans enforcement officers seized 553 lobster traps, seized one boat, and
arrested 2 Natives in New Brunswick's Miramichi Bay. During this encounter,
one officer was injured when hit in the face by a thrown rock. Royal
Canadian Mounted Police emergency response tactical teams are reported to be
in the area.[Reuters, Canadian Press, Assoc Press, Halifax Herald]
SECTION: SALMON ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
On Aug. 18, 2000, the United Cook Inlet Drift
Association petitioned the AK Board of Fisheries to reopen fishing on
abundant pink and chum salmon. In an emergency teleconference meeting on
Aug. 22, 2000, the AK Board of Fisheries unanimously rejected the petition
to allow commercial fishing for pink and chum salmon in Cook Inlet for fear
that coho salmon would be targeted.[Anchorage Daily News, Assoc Press]
SECTION: AQUACULTURE AND AQUARIA
On Aug. 23, 2000, the BC
provincial government announced accelerated implementation of the salmon
farm loss prevention and recovery measures originally introduced as part of
the October 1999 Salmon Aquaculture Policy framework.[BC Salmon Farmers
Assoc press release]
SECTION: FRESHWATER FISHERIES
NV Reservoir Fish Mortality Event. On Aug. 23, 2000, NV Div. of Wildlife
officials announced that a complete fish kill of an estimated 5,500 trout in
Knott Creek Reservoir on Aug. 10-11, 2000, was due to above- average water
temperatures causing extensive algae growth and subsequent low oxygen levels
as this algae decomposed. The reservoir had been managed as a "trophy"
fishery.[Assoc Press]
Zebra Mussels. On Aug. 17, 2000, federal divers, for the first time, found
large numbers of young zebra mussels in the Lower St. Croix River, WI.
Until this discovery, only isolated zebra mussels had been seen and were not
considered a threat to 41 species of native mussels, including 2 species on
the federal list of threatened and endangered species.[Assoc Press]
SECTION: MARINE MAMMALS
Whale Watching Report. On Aug. 22, 2000, the International Fund for Animal
Welfare released a draft report "Whale Watching 2000: Worldwide Tourism
Numbers, Expenditures, and Expanding Socioeconomic Benefits" [
http://www.ifaw.org/press/2000report.doc ] concluding that whale watching
expenditures more than doubled between 1994 and 1998, with this $1 billion
activity occurring in almost 500 communities in at least 87 countries. In
1998, about 47% of all whale watching occurred in the United States.
On Aug. 20, 2000, a letter of protest on Japan's north
Pacific research whaling signed by the United States, United Kingdom,
Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Netherlands, and Germany (and possibly
other nations) was reportedly scheduled to be delivered to Japan's Foreign
Minister Yohei Kono. In addition to 6 minke whales, Japan's whaling fleet
is reported to have killed 4 Bryde's whales and 1 sperm whale.[International
Fund for Animal Welfare press release, Humane Society of the
United States press release, Reuters, London Times, Assoc Press, BBC News]
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