Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 11:43:01 -0500
From: Gene Buck <[log in to unmask]>
Info Summary for U.S. Congress and Staff -- Part 1
Fisheries Groups:
I'm appending part of a regular update I prepare for congressional
staff on fisheries and marine mammal public policy issues as I see
them -- a selection of issues which I view as having potential
public policy implications for the U.S. Congress. My role is to
provide objective, non-partisan, unbiased public policy analysis for
Congress. Thus, it is useful weekly to pass this summary by those
subscribing to this list to solicit input about areas where my
objectivity could be improved, where someone's bias shows through
and should be adjusted, and where there are simply other issues of
which I am unaware. Anyway, what follows is today's summary.
Generally I add new items every morning, and remove items after they
have been on the summary for about a month. Items in the summary
are modified as I receive new information.
In deference to those who have to pay for communications time, I
post the entire summary once each month on the first Friday of the
month, for those who do not monitor the group each week or wish the
more complete format. This is longer the first Friday posting for
July 1996 (posted July 3, 1996).
NOTE: Archived copies of "first Friday" longer summaries for
February 1994 through the present are now available at:
"http://www.lsu.edu/guests/sglegal/public_html/"
I would appreciate your feedback on this summary. Comments should
be directed to me ([log in to unmask]). I will post this summary
each Friday on this list as long as I continue to receive helpful
feedback on issues.
To further assist me in providing a broad scope of information
resources to Congress, I would appreciate being added to any mailing
lists of publications, news releases, newsletters, etc. relevant to
marine mammals and fisheries. Where there is a subscription cost, a
sample copy would provide a basis for deciding whether or not a
subscription could be justified. Thanks for your assistance in this
matter.
Gene Buck
Congressional Research Service - ENR
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540-7450
e-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
Summary follows:
New info and changes since 06/28/96 are bracketed {...}.
Marine Fisheries
{New England Groundfish. On July 1, 1996, the Associated Fisheries
of Maine filed an amended complaint in U.S. District Court,
challenging the legality of Magnuson Act regulations aimed at
restoring depleted haddock, cod, and yellowtail flounder. The group
claims the regulations seriously disadvantage the industry while
providing little conservation benefit.} [Assoc Press]
{Italian Driftnets. On July 1, 1996, EU Fisheries Commissioner Emma
Bonino told Italy to respect international regulations on
large-scale driftnets or face possible U.S. trade sanctions on
Italian fishery products. Bonino reported that EU fishery
enforcement patrols during June found that 15 of 16 Italian vessels
inspected were using driftnets averaging twice the allowable
length.} [Reuters]
{Atlantic Salmon Treaty Quotas. In late June 1996, Denmark was the
only nation opposed to stringent limits on Greenland's harvest of
Atlantic salmon at the annual meeting of the North Atlantic Salmon
Conservation Organization, thus allowing Greenland to establish a
potentially higher quota. The International Council for the
Exploration of the Sea had recommended a complete moratorium on
harvest, based on improved stock assessment calculations that
formerly may have grossly inflated fish abundance.} [Bangor Daily
News via Greenwire]
Fishing Moratorium. On June 27, 1996, Chinese Ministry of
Agriculture officials announced that all offshore fishing will be
prohibited for the months of July and August in areas of the
southern Yellow and northern East China Seas to protect fish stocks,
especially hairtail. A similar ban was imposed in 1995. [Assoc
Press, Reuters]
Seafood Deception Lawsuit. On June 27, 1996, the South Dakota
Supreme Court affirmed a lower court decision and unanimously ruled
that a seafood salesperson could legally sue their employer for
deceit and deceptive trade practices. The seafood dealer had been
found guilty of mislabeling by substituting cheaper grades of fish
and overstating the weight of lobster. The salesperson claimed that
their reputation had been marred by the employer's dishonest
actions. [Assoc Press]
Straddling Stocks Agreement. On June 26, 1996, the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations approved and ordered favorably reported the
Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982
Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish
Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, with one declaration, for
Senate floor action on advice and consent concerning ratification.
[Congr. Rec.]
Mercury in Fish. In mid-June 1996, Thai government officials
announced that elevated levels of mercury had been detected in fish
sampled near natural gas platforms in the Gulf of Thailand. [Jour.
of Commerce via Greenwire]
Fishery Issues Stall EU-Canada Cooperation Accord. On June 26,
1996, Canada and the European Union were unable to conclude a broad
cooperation accord due to difficulties with provisions condemning
extra-territorialism, which Canada perceives as admitting its action
during a 1995 dispute over turbot was illegal. Later this year, the
International Court of Justice is to rule on the legality of
Canada's actions during the turbot dispute. [Dow Jones News,
Reuters]
Seabird Deaths. In mid-June 1996, mortalities of as many as 10,000
seabirds (e.g., common murres) offshore of the central Oregon coast
raised concerns about changing oceanic conditions. Warmer ocean
conditions are believed to have depressed normal upwelling and
changed nearshore production patterns, resulting in starvation of
the seabirds. Murres have also abandoned usual nesting colonies.
[Assoc Press]
MA Fish Promotion. On June 25, 1996, the MA Governor's Seafood Task
Force in cooperation with 125 MA retailers and restauranteurs began
their "Making a Splash" promotion featuring mackerel, dogfish (cape
shark), whiting, red hake, and herring to encourage development and
use of less utilized species. [Assoc Press]
Kodiak Cold Storage. In mid-June 1996, the Kodiak Chamber of
Commerce's Economic Development Committee received an optimistic
consultant's report on the feasibility of constructing a cold
storage facility in Kodiak, AK, to mitigate problems of large
fluctuations in seasonal unemployment. [Assoc Press]
Rhode Island Oil Spill. On June 25, 1996, NMFS approved the
reopening for lobstering of a 15-square mile area off southern Rhode
Island, the last remaining area closed after the Jan. 19, 1996
North Cape oil spill. An adjacent area had been opened to
lobstering on June 19, 1996. Organoleptic tests completed on June
18 found no traces of oil in 101 lobsters. [Assoc Press]
Greenpeace Industrial Fishing Protest. On June 23-24, 1996, the
Greenpeace vessel MV Sirius confronted 10 Danish and one Scottish
vessel seeking industrial fish, such as sand eels and other small
fish, off the east coast of Scotland at a fishing area known as the
Wee Bankie. Greenpeace seeks to have industrial fishing banned in
areas that they consider ecologically sensitive fish feeding
grounds, such as the Wee Bankie, to promote fish stock recovery in
the North Sea. The British Navy's armed fishery cruiser, Shetland,
was dispatched to monitor the area. [Assoc Press, Reuters]
Coral Reef Damage. On June 20, 1996, a Cypriot cargo ship, Million
Hope, carrying 26,000 tons of potassium and phosphate, hit Red Sea
coral reefs in a protected area south of Sharm el-Sheikh and spilled
a small quantity of engine oil. The ship remains partially
submerged in the reef area. [Reuters]
Florida Net Ban. On June 19, 1996, Franklin County (FL) Judge Van
Russell ruled that FL Marine Patrol officers can only measure the
perimeter of a shrimp net opening, and not its length (unless the
perimeter exceeds 66 feet), to determine whether the net violates
the FL constitutional amendment banning use of large nets. Judge
Van Russell issued an injunction to implement his ruling. Shrimpers
had brought legal action contending the Marine Patrol had illegally
changed its policy on net measurement. The FL Marine Fisheries
Commission is appealing the Judge Van Russell's ruling, which only
applies to Franklin County, and the Judge's injunction is stayed
pending action on the appeal. On June 25, 1996, FL Governor Lawton
Chile's Cabinet voted to prohibit shrimping in certain waters of
Franklin, Wakulla, and Gulf Counties to better protect juvenile
shrimp production areas. [Assoc Press]
Coral Reef Symposium. On June 23-28, 1996, more than 1,000
scientists, legislators, and environmentalists from 90 nations are
meeting in Panama for the 8th annual International Coral Reef
Symposium. [Reuters]
Sport Fishing Penalty. On June 21, 1996, two South Carolina sport
anglers pleaded guilty to taking five times their limit in spottail
bass and were each sentenced to $2,500 fines, loss of fishing
licenses for a year, and 50 hours of community service. This was
noted as the first time restitution had been ordered in a SC
criminal case involving marine sport fishing. [Assoc Press]
Coast Guard Boarding Refused. On June 20, 1996, the CA fisherman
who denied a Coast Guard request for boarding in mid-May 1996
appeared in court to face criminal charges on resisting Coast Guard
officers and refusing to permit them to inspect his vessel. A
preliminary hearing has been set for July 11, 1996, in San Jose, CA.
[Assoc Press]
1995 Beach Cleanup Report. On June 20, 1996, the Center for Marine
Conservation reported that 135,000 volunteers in the annual beach
cleanup held September 1995 removed 2.5 million pounds of trash from
U.S. shores and beaches. This amount was 300,000 pounds less than
in 1994 due to more hurricanes and fewer volunteers in the
Caribbean. [Reuters]
Distinctive Crab Labeling. On June 19, 1996, Maryland state
officials unveiled distinctively labeled containers to be used to
identify blue crabs processed in Maryland. [Assoc Press]
EASTFISH. On June 14, 1996, the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization announced that it had signed an agreement with Denmark
to create a fish marketing and information service -- EASTFISH -- to
assist in the transition to competitiveness for fishing industries
of central and eastern European nations. [Reuters]
Arrowtooth Flounder Processing. In mid-June 1996, a Univ. of
Alaska scientist at the Kodiak Fishery Industry Technology Center
announced development of a new non-chemical process to neutralize an
enzyme that rapidly degrades myosin, making arrowtooth flounder turn
mushy and difficult to process or market. [Assoc Press]
Dairy Use of Fish Oils. On June 14, 1996, U.S. District Court
Judge Joseph Tauro issued a temporary restraining order requiring a
Boston area dairy to cease television ads implying a rival dairy's
milk smells and tastes fishy because that dairy uses shark and
halibut oil as vitamin supplements. [Assoc Press]
Sea of Okhotsk Agreement. On June 13, 1996, the United States and
Russia signed a bilateral agreement recognizing that all fishing
within the international waters (peanut hole) in the central Sea of
Okhotsk completely surrounded by the Russian economic zone should be
conducted in line with Russian Federation rights, duties, and
interests. In addition, the United States agreed to observe all
Russian efforts to preserve fishery resources in the Sea of Okhotsk
and cooperate with Russia in actions against fishing vessels of
third countries. [Interfax]
FL Approves Fishing Pier. On June 13, 1996, FL Governor Lawton
Chiles and his Cabinet voted 5-2 to approve a controversial 900-foot
fishing pier south of Jupiter Inlet, near Juno Beach. Controversy
developed because three species of endangered or threatened sea
turtles dig more than 1,400 nests within a half-mile of the pier
site, making this an increasingly concentrated sea turtle nesting
beach. The pier will be minimally lighted and closed at night
during sea turtle nesting season. [Assoc Press]
Exxon Agreement with Seattle Fish Processors. On June 11, 1996,
U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland released his opinion
overturning a secret 1991 agreement whereby Exxon Corp. would have
recovered about $730 million in punitive damages from the Exxon
Valdez settlement awarded seven Seattle, WA fish processors. Judge
Holland ruled that the processors had settled with Exxon and were
due nothing further. Exxon is likely to appeal Judge Holland's
decision. [Assoc Press]
NTSB Concern for Older Fishing Vessels. On June 11, 1996, National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials reported that lax fire
safety standards endanger an estimated 230,000 people working on
fishing vessels built prior to 1991 and not currently required to
meet more recent safety requirements. The NTSB recommended that the
Coast Guard and other regulators require older fishing vessels to
phase-in new safety requirements including smoke detectors and water
sprinkler systems. [Assoc Press]
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Regulations. On June 10, 1996, NMFS announced
regulations, effective June 18, 1996, increasing the allocation of
1996 Atlantic bluefin tuna quota to the Angling category and
reopening the large school/small medium category for additional
harvest. [NMFS press release]
Weakfish Appeal Withdrawn. On June 10, 1996, the U.S. Dept. of
Justice filed a notice of withdrawal on its appeal of a Feb. 1996
U.S. District Court order overturning a U.S. Commerce Dept. ban
on East Coast weakfish (gray trout) harvest. The lower court held
that Secretary of Commerce Brown exceeded his authority by closing
the weakfish fishery. [Assoc Press]
NMFS Violator's Vessel Purchased. On June 10, 1996, the Boston
Herald reported that NOAA's New England Fishing Vessel Buyback
Program paid $300,000 for the vessel of an individual facing
criminal charges on a federal fisheries violation for landing
scrubbed female lobsters. However, $100,000 of the $400,000
purchase price was withheld by NOAA to ensure than any penalties
resulting from the violation are paid. [Reuters]
Chesapeake Bay. On June 10, 1996, the Chesapeake Bay Program
released a study reporting that underwater grasses in the Bay
declined 8% (5,500 acres) in the past year. This was the second
year of decreasing habitat cover following five years of increasing
abundance of these grasses. Overall, grass acreage has increased
almost 60% since 1984. On June 19, 1996, Virginia Institute of
Marine Science officials announced that field survival tests of
sterilized Asian oysters would begin in Chesapeake Bay by the end of
1996, a year earlier than previously anticipated. [Assoc Press]
Oceans Day. June 8, 1996 was the annual celebration of World Oceans
Day, first declared during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
[Dow Jones News]
Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. In early June 1996, LA scientists
detected the reappearance of the low-oxygen "dead zone" that can
extend from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Texas.
Development of the dead zone was delayed this year due to lower
runoff. In 1995, the dead zone grew to an estimated 7,000 square
miles off the LA coast. [Assoc Press]
Tributyltin Enforcement. On June 5, 1996, VA Attorney General James
Gilmore threatened to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) over failure to regulate tributyltin (TBT). VA enacted a law
to restrict TBT use. However, VA officials assert that this
disadvantaged VA shipyards since EPA has never established a
national TBT standard as directed by federal law in 1988. [Richmond
Times-Dispatch via Greenwire]
Driftnet Patrol. In early June 1996, the European Commission
announced that it had chartered a patrol vessel for four and a half
months to monitor driftnet fishing in the Mediterranean Sea and
Northeast Atlantic. [Agence Europe via Reuters]
Treaty Whiting Allocation. On June 5, 1996, NMFS announced that the
Makah tribe of Washington State had been allocated 15,000 metric
tons of Pacific whiting (hake) under historic Treaty rights. This
is the first year for this Treaty allocation. Three other coastal
tribes are entitled to similar rights but have not expressed an
interest in receiving an allocation. On June 26, 1996, the West
Coast Seafood Processors Assoc., the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative
(Newport, OR), and the Fishermen's Marketing Assoc. (Eureka, CA)
filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court (Portland, OR) seeking to
void the allocation of whiting to the Makah tribe. The groups
contend the allocation was arbitrary for a tribe having no treaty
rights to the fish and violated the Magnuson Act. [Assoc Press]
WWF Action Plan and Status Report. On June 6, 1996, the World Wide
Fund for Nature published a status report entitled "Marine Fishes in
the Wild," including a 10-point action plan to deal with concerns
related to the condition of marine fisheries. [personal
communication, Reuters]
Brunswick Brand Sale. On June 5, 1996, Brunswick Corp. (Lake
Forest, IL) announced that it had agreed to sell assets related to
its Starcraft and MonArk fishing boat brands to Starcraft Marine LLC
(New Paris, IN). [Dow Jones News]
Mercury Warning for King Mackerel. On June 4, 1996, the State of
Florida issued a warning against consumption of king mackerel larger
than 39 inches from the Gulf of Mexico due to elevated levels of
mercury. Consumption should be limited for king mackerel between 33
and 39 inches, with no restrictions on smaller king mackerel.
[Assoc Press]
Southeast Sea Turtle Mortalities. By mid-June 1996, the NC Wildlife
Resources Commission and NMFS had counted 229 sea turtle strandings
along NC beaches, only 118 less than the total for all 1995.
{Between Apr. 28 and June 15, 1996, a total of 102 turtles stranded
on SC beaches, more than twice the number recorded for the same
period in 1995.} Primarily {juvenile} loggerhead turtles appear to
be suffering from an undetermined illness, appearing to waste away
with flippers and shells decomposing while the turtles remain alive
less than 48 hours. In late June, 1996, NMFS imposed special
restrictions on shrimp trawlers along the Georgia coast for 30-days
(June 24 through July 24, 1996) in response to high levels of sea
turtle stranding and mortality. Shrimp trawlers are prohibited from
using soft turtle excluder devices (TEDs) and required to use hard
TEDs in large try nets. {In late June 1996, increased numbers of
dead turtles began to wash ashore along the FL panhandle.} [Assoc
Press]
European Fishing Fleet Restructuring. On June 4, 1996, United
Kingdom officials announced that Britain would not comply with EU
fleet reduction efforts until Spanish and Dutch quota hopping
concerns were addressed. At a June 10, 1996 EU Fisheries Council
meeting, British Fisheries Minister Tony Baldry called the European
Commission proposal to reduce fishing fleets by as much as 40%
unacceptable until the concern for quota hoppers is addressed.
Currently Spanish vessels take 46% of the British hake quota, while
Dutch vessels take 44% of Britain's North Sea plaice quota.
[Reuters, Agence Europe via Reuters, Financial Times via Greenwire]
Bluefin Tuna Oversight Hearing. On June 13, 1996, the House
Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans held an
oversight hearing on management of bluefin tuna. [Congr. Record]
Japan Considers Fishery Trade-Environment Legislation. On June 14,
1996, the proposed legislation that would impose restrictions on
tuna imports from nations who fish Atlantic tuna indiscriminately
was to have been introduced at a meeting of the House of
Representatives' Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
This measure seeks to balance trade with needed environmental
protection, with consideration for possible World Trade Organization
concerns. In addition, the bill urges the Japanese Government to
work to establish an international regime to manage tuna resources
worldwide. [Dow Jones News]
Marine Fish Kills and Red Tide. On June 5, 1996, FL Dept. of
Environmental Protection officials announced that Apalachicola Bay
was being closed to oyster harvesting due to red tide. About 15% of
the total U.S. oyster harvest comes from this area. [Assoc Press]
Petition to Close MA Striped Bass Fishery. On June 6, 1996, the MA
Marine Fisheries Commission and the Director of the Division of
Marine Fisheries rejected a Coastal Conservation Association of MA
petition to ban the commercial harvest and sale of wild striped
bass. [MA Division of Marine Fisheries press release]
Shark Evaluation Workshop. On June 4-6, 1996, NMFS's Southeast
Fisheries Center was to have convened a scientific meeting to review
the status of coastal and pelagic shark resources along the Atlantic
coast. The meeting will evaluate the likelihood of stock rebuilding
under current and alternative quota levels, and will provide the
scientific basis for setting 1997 quotas and bag limits. [NMFS
letter]
North Pacific Council. In June 1996, the NPFMC will meet jointly
with the International Pacific Halibut Commission to discuss halibut
bycatch reduction. [Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans press
release]
Salmon Along the Pacific Coast
{Mitchell Act Hearing. The House Resource Committee's Subcommittee
on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans has indefinitely postponed an
oversight hearing on Mitchell Act hatcheries in the Columbia River
basin, which had been tentatively scheduled for July 16, 1996.}
[personal communication]
Plum Creek Habitat Conservation Plan. On June 27, 1996, the Plum
Creek Timber Co. signed a 50-year habitat conservation plan with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine
Fisheries Service, for management of 170,000 acres of timber in
Washington State's Cascade Mountains. In exchange for new
management initiatives (e.g., large buffer areas along streams and
wetlands protection), Plum Creek will be able to log areas
previously restricted for endangered species protection. However,
environmental groups have voiced concerns about the inability to
respond to changing conditions under this plan. [Assoc Press, Plum
Creek Timber Co. press release]
Salmon Price-Fixing Suit. On July 12, 1996, Alaska Superior Court
Judge John Reese has scheduled a hearing on whether to certify as a
class action the $720 million lawsuit alleging 26 seafood processors
and 10 Japanese trading companies with conspiring since 1989 to fix
the price of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon. [Assoc Press]
Nez Perce Logging OK. On June 24, 1996, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals unanimously upheld Dec. 1994 lower court ruling that
logging on three large U.S. Forest Service timber sales in the Cove
and Mallard drainages in Idaho's Nez Perce National Forest would not
harm salmon, saying the Forest Service adequately studied possible
effects on Snake River chinook salmon. [Assoc Press]
Klamath Salmon Case. On June 24, 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld a lower court decision that offshore commercial and sport
salmon fishing had to be limited to protect the fishing rights of
Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes to Klamath River salmon in California.
The challenge was based on the contention that the tribes lacked
fishing rights since their reservations were created by executive
order, rather than by treaty. [Assoc Press]
Supplementation Hatchery Groundbreaking. On June 19, 1996,
ground-breaking ceremonies were held for the first large-scale
supplementation hatchery for spring chinook salmon on the Yakima
River near Cle Elum, WA. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
provided $14 million for hatchery construction. The hatchery is
expected to be operating by April 1997. [Dow Jones News, BPA press
release]
Sport Canning of Salmon. In mid-June 1996, Alaska's Attorney
General issued an opinion that barter of sport-caught salmon is
illegal. The opinion outlined three criteria for identifying
illegal barter, which can occur when sport fish are canned by
non-professional processors. [Assoc Press]
Outfitters' Appeal. On June 17, 1996, four Salmon River, ID,
outfitters were to have filed an appeal of U.S. Forest Service
restrictions limiting rafting on sections of the Salmon River during
salmon spawning season. [Assoc Press]
Sacramento River Spring Chinook Lawsuit. On June 17, 1996, CA State
Senator Tom Hayden announced that he had joined the Natural
Resources Defense Council and Environmental Protection Information
Center in filing a lawsuit on June 12th in San Francisco Superior
Court seeking a court order to compel the CA Fish and Game
Commission to begin the process of placing the Sacramento/San
Joaquin River spring chinook salmon on the CA state endangered
species list. The lawsuit seeks a reduction in pumping of water
from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and other protective measures
during the time the spring chinook are migrating through these
waters. [Assoc Press, Sacramento Bee via Greenwire]
Oregon Budget Cuts. On June 12, 1996, officials of the Oregon
Dept.of Fish and Wildlife announced a 4% budget cut in response to a
projected $6.8 million shortfall in revenues, primarily due to
severely reduced salmon sport fishing license revenues. About 40
employees will be released in addition to 11 OR State Police fish
and game officers. [Assoc Press]
Salmon Recovery Plan Injunction. On June 12, 1996, a coalition of
10 fishing and environmental groups filed a motion for preliminary
injunction in U.S. District Court, Portland, OR, accusing NMFS, the
Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation of failing to
implement water flow guidelines detailed in the March 1994
biological opinion on Snake River salmon. In mid-June 1996, the
State of Oregon joined this lawsuit as a friend of the court.
[Assoc Press]
Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Hearing. On June 11, 1996, the Senate
Environment and Public Works' Subcommittee on Drinking Water,
Fisheries, and Wildlife held a hearing on implementation of Pacific
Northwest salmon and recovery measures, including installation of
the surface collector at Lower Granite Dam. [Congr. Record, Assoc
Press]
ESA Salmon and Steelhead Listings. On June 7, 1996, a coalition of
20 conservation and fishing groups filed a challenge in U.S.
District Court in San Francisco to NMFS's court-ordered timetable
for listing steelhead trout submitted on May 28. The coalition
seeks to minimize any further delay in listing. On June 14, 1996,
NMFS announced the following schedule for ESA listing decisions on
additional species: chum salmon (Feb. 1997), sockeye salmon (Sept.
1997), chinook salmon (Dec. 1997), and cutthroat trout (Jan.
1998). On June 26, 1996, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston made
public an order, {in response to the June 7, 1996 lawsuit, that NMFS
decide by July 31, 1996,} whether it will list Pacific coast
steelhead trout under the Endangered Species Act. [Seattle
Post-Intelligencer via Greenwire, Assoc Press]
Pacific Salmon Treaty. On June 13, 1996, AK Dept. of Fish and Game
announced that sport catch of chinook salmon in southeast Alaska
would be reduced on June 15 to one fish 28 inches or longer per day
to better conserve chinook salmon spawning in BC waters. On June
20, 1996, Canadian DFO officials announced an estimated BC harvest
of 7.325 million salmon, with no fishing on the Fraser River except
for a possible October chum salmon opening. The anticipated 1996
harvest is about one-quarter of the average annual catch of 27
million salmon. On June 24, 1996, the three U.S. Commissioners to
the Pacific Salmon Commission representing the States of Alaska,
Washington and Oregon, and the Northwest Tribes signed a multi-year
agreement on chinook salmon harvest quotas and restoration of
damaged salmon habitat. The 1996 Southeast Alaska troll chinook
salmon catch will be set between 140,000 and 155,000 fish, excluding
Alaska hatchery production. The 1995 limit was 230,000 fish, but
the fishery was halted by court action after a catch of about
175,000 chinook. The agreement among U.S. parties relies on
in-season salmon abundance (Alaska's method) rather than preseason
forecasts (the method used by Canada, Washington, and Oregon) as the
basis for determining harvest quotas, and will be reviewed in 2003
to determine if renegotiation is necessary. Canadian officials have
requested that the 1996 Southeast Alaska chinook harvest be limited
to 60,000 fish. [Assoc Press, Reuters]
Aquaculture
Largemouth Bass Culture. On June 19, 1996, the Aquaculture
Committee of the Mississippi AgriBusiness Council met to consider
the merits of allowing the commercial sale of largemouth black bass
produced by aquaculture operations. [Assoc Press]
Catfish Loan Fraud. In mid-June 1996, a federal grand jury in
Oxford, MS, indicted a farm loan bank and two of its officers for
allegedly lying to the Farmers Home Administration to recover
proceeds from a $975,000 catfish grower loan. [Assoc Press]
MN Underwater World Opening. On June 14, 1996, the second
Underwater World aquarium in the United States will open at the Mall
of America in Bloomington, MN. [Assoc Press]
First Aquaculture in the EEZ Approved. On June 6, 1996, the New
England Fishery Management Council voted unanimously to approve an
alternate site location for the Westport Sea Scallop Project, a
Saltonstall-Kennedy Act funded project of the MA Institute of
Technology Sea Grant Program and others, to accommodate user
conflicts at the originally proposed site. Final regulations on the
9 sq. mile site in the offshore exclusive economic zone are
anticipated to be published in the Federal Register in early fall
1996. The approval process for the project spanned more than two
years. [personal communication]
....
end of Part 1
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