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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 08:10:45 -0500
From: Kate Wing <[log in to unmask]>
Russian Crab Quotas Reduced. In early March 1997, Russian
Fisheries Commission Chairman Alexander Rodin announced that
Pacific crab harvest quotas were being reduced to about 1/3 of
former quotas due to population damage from chemical pollution.
Japanese and American harvests were likely to be dramatically
reduced. [Interfax]
Royal Seafoods, Seattle. In early March 1997, officials of RGI
Seafoods Inc. announced that the company will cease
manufacturing by its Royal Seafoods subsidiary in Seattle, WA,
and will more all operations to Frionor USA Inc. in New Bedford,
MA, no later than May 31, 1997. [Dow Jones News]
Coral. On Mar. 5, 1997, Australian scientists, using underwater
lasers to measure coral growth, reported in Nature that corals
grow mostly at night. {On Mar. 26, 1997, the World Wildlife
Fund for Nature (WWF) released a report on coral reefs citing the
potential for coral extinction due to their vulnerability to
harmful effects of global warming. The report indicates 60 major
instances of coral bleaching occurred between 1979 and 1990,
compared to only 3 recorded cases in the previous 103 years.}
[Reuters, Dow Jones News]
Louisiana Gillnets. On Mar. 5, 1997, U.S. District Court Judge
Thomas Porteous Jr. ruled that, before a pending federal lawsuit
challenging LA's ban on gillnets can be heard, review of an
earlier-filed but similar state court lawsuit on appeal must be
completed. The gillnet ban took effect on Mar. 1, 1997. {On
Mar. 26, 1997, the LA Seafood Management Council and LA Chefs
for LA Seafood released a survey of LA resident attitudes on
gillnet use by commercial fishermen. Sport fishing groups
attacked the validity of the survey, charging that biased wording
of questions influenced the survey outcome.} [Assoc Press]
Bluefin Tuna. On Mar. 4, 1997, NMFS published new proposed
regulations in the Federal Register for the Atlantic bluefin tuna
fishery. The proposed regulations would prohibit fishing on
certain days, would require anglers report catches in a timely
manner, would provide catch subquotas for northern and southern
fisheries, would provide for a new permit system with annual
permit renewal and collection of fees, and would prohibit spotter
aircraft for all but the purse seine fishery. A series of four
public hearings on the proposal will be held along the Atlantic
coast between Mar. 18-27, with all comment due by Mar. 31,
1997. [personal communication, Federal Register, Assoc Press]
EU Threatens Japan with WTO Action. On Mar. 4, 1997, Japanese
officials reported that the European Union threatens to file a
World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute case if Japan does not
increase its imports of 8 marine products - mackerel, horse
mackerel, saury, sardines, yellowtail, scallops, scallop meat,
and codfish. Japan believes WTO exceptions allow it to set
maximum import amounts for species whose domestic catch is
limited. [Tokyo Kyodo via Foreign Broadcast Information Service]
Marine Biotechnology Briefing. On Mar. 3, 1997, the National
Sea Grant Program held an all-day briefing on marine
biotechnology at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. Three
panels (fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood safety; bio-medicine
and pharmaceuticals from marine natural products; and water
quality - bioremediation and habitat restoration) will feature
presentations by 12 scientists. [National Sea Grant College
Program announcement]
Swordfish Limited Access. On Mar. 3, 1997, NMFS published
proposed regulations in the Federal Register amending the
Atlantic swordfish fishery management plan to establish a limited
access program for the Atlantic swordfish fishery, with
eligibility criteria based upon historical participation in the
fishery. Limited entry permits would be transferable in
restricted circumstances related to vessel replacement. A series
of 12 public hearings is scheduled along the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts and in the Caribbean between Mar. 21 and Apr. 28, with
Apr. 28, 1997, being the deadline for public comment. [personal
communication]
Japanese Sardine Decline. On Mar. 1, 1997, Japanese fishing
industry officials reported that, due to a severe decline in the
harvest of sardines by Japanese fishermen, sardines for canning
are being imported from the United States and Mexico. The price
of sardines in Japan has increased substantially. [Dow Jones
News]
U.S.-Russia Maritime Boundary and Pollock. In late February
1997, Russia requested that the United States allow Russia to
harvest as much as 10% of the U.S. pollock quota (150,000 metric
tons) in the Bering Sea in exchange for Russian ratification of a
1990 U.S.-Russian Maritime Boundary Agreement. Although the
Agreement was ratified by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 16, 1991, no
action was taken by the former Soviet Union before it collapsed.
U.S. and Russian negotiators are scheduled to meet in
Petropavlovsk in April 1997 to consider a U.S. counteroffer,
that could involve increased cooperation in U.S. and Russian
management of the Bering Sea pollock fishery. If the Agreement
is not ratified by Russia, U.S. managers fear increased Russian
pollock harvests in a disputed area that the 1990 Agreement had
transferred to U.S. jurisdiction, where the United States has
managed the pollock fishery for 6 years. [Assoc Press]
Japanese Oil Spill. On Feb. 25, 1997, the Japanese federal
government decided to reimburse half the estimated 4 billion Yen
that coastal municipalities spent for oil spill cleanup. Total
federal, local, and private expenditures for cleanup were
estimated to be about 17.8 billion Yen. At the opening of the
13th session of the Russian-Japanese Commission on Fisheries in
Moscow on Mar. 3, 1997, Japanese officials reported that the
Jan. 2, 1997 Nakhodka fuel oil spill had inflicted heavy damage
to Japan's fisheries. On Mar. 17, 1997, the National Federation
of Fisheries Cooperative Associations filed claims for 2.3
billion Yen with the International Oil Pollution Compensation
Fund (London) for compensation for oil spill cleanup costs. A
second filing is planned to cover compensation for actual damages
to the fishing industry. [Interfax, Tokyo Kyodo via Foreign
Broadcast Information Service, Dow Jones News]
Salmon Along the Pacific Coast
1995 Biological Opinion Lawsuit. On Mar. 31, 1997, oral
arguments are scheduled in U.S. District Court in Portland, OR,
on the 1995 lawsuit by American Rivers, the Sierra Club, and
others against NMFS challenging implementation of NMFS's 1995
biological opinion on operation of the Columbia River hydropower
system. [NW Fishletter No. 30]
{IDAHO'S 1997 SALMON PLAN. ON MAR. 27, 1997, ID GOVERNOR PHIL
BATT RELEASED THE STATE'S 1997 STRATEGY FOR SALMON MANAGEMENT,
RELYING ON HEAVY SPRING RUNOFF TO CARRY MOST JUVENILE SALMON
DOWNSTREAM AND MINIMIZING THE USE OF BARGES. WHEN THE FLOW IS AT
LEAST 100,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND AT LOWER GRANITE DAM, THE
STRATEGY RECOMMENDS THAT ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THE JUVENILES BE
BARGED. THE STRATEGY RECOMMENDS AGAINST USING RESERVOIR WATER
FROM THE CLEARWATER RIVER BASIN OR FROM THE SNAKE RIVER ABOVE
HELL'S CANYON TO BENEFIT FALL CHINOOK SALMON.} [ASSOC PRESS]
{WA SALMON REPORT. ON MAR. 27, 1997, THE WA DEPT. OF FISH AND
WILDLIFE RELEASED A DRAFT REPORT ON RESTORATION OF WILD SALMON.
THE REPORT RECOMMENDED A SEPARATE MANAGEMENT OF WILD AND HATCHERY
SALMON, ADOPTION AND ENFORCEMENT OF REGULATIONS TO BETTER CONTROL
CATASTROPHIC FLOODS THAT DAMAGE SPAWNING AREAS, ENFORCEMENT OF
LAWS REQUIRING PROPER CULVERTS AND OTHER POTENTIAL OBSTACLES TO
SALMON MIGRATION, GIVING ESCAPEMENT FOR SPAWNING PRIORITY OVER
HARVEST. TEN PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE CONDUCTED ON
THE DRAFT DURING APRIL AND MAY, WITH A REVISED VERSION OF THE
DRAFT TO BE ACTED UPON BY THE WA FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION.}
[ASSOC PRESS]
Umpqua River Cutthroat Trout. By Mar. 25, 1997, NMFS is
scheduled to release an opinion on whether construction of the
$43 million Milltown Hill Dam, on Elk Creek near Yoncalla, OR,
could harm the endangered Umpqua River cutthroat trout. The dam
would block fish migration as well as destroy as much as 18 miles
of stream habitat for trout and salmon. On Mar. 10, 1997, a
coalition of sport and commercial fishing groups filed notice in
U.S. District Court of their intent to sue NMFS for alleged
failure to protect Umpqua River cutthroat trout adequately after
they were listed as endangered. These groups are concerned that
NMFS has not designated critical habitat for this species.
[Assoc Press]
Dam Operation Lawsuits. On Mar. 20, 1997, a coalition of 8
fishing and environmental groups (including the Pacific Coast
Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Trout Unlimited, Sierra
Club, American Rivers, and others) notified the Bureau of
Reclamation of their intent to sue the agency for allegedly
failing to take sufficient action to manage irrigation and dam
operations to protect Snake River salmon. These groups also
filed a notice of intent to sue the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) for allegedly failing to ensure that Idaho
Power Co. Dams did not jeopardize migrating salmon. {ON MAR.
26, 1997, THE COLUMBIA RIVER ALLIANCE (REPRESENTING ELECTRIC
UTILITIES, BARGE OPERATORS, AND IRRIGATORS) FILED A NOTICE OF
INTENT TO SUE NMFS, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THE BUREAU OF
RECLAMATION, AND BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION OVER EQUITABLE
CONSIDERATION FOR THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF IRRIGATION AND DAM
OPERATIONS.} [Assoc Press]
Northwest Forest Plan. On Mar. 18, 1997, NMFS endorsed the
Clinton Administration's Northwest Forest Plan for U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management federal lands as an
excellent anchor for salmon recovery efforts in Oregon. This
conclusion will allow NMFS to streamline consultation on federal
projects potentially affecting species protected under the
Endangered Species Act. [Assoc Press]
March 1996 Salmon Suit. On Mar. 17, 1997, Federal Judge Malcolm
Marsh is scheduled to hear arguments on the March 1996 lawsuit
wherein tribal and environmental groups allege that federal
managers are too slow and unfocused in pursuing salmon recovery
measures. [Assoc Press]
OR Coho Salmon Recovery Plan. In mid-March 1997, OR state
legislators revised their funding proposal for the Governor's
salmon recovery plan, guaranteeing the first $15 million while
providing the remaining $15 million contingent upon the federal
government not listing central and northern OR coastal coho under
the Endangered Species Act. On Mar. 17, 1997, the OR chapter of
the American Fisheries Society (AFS) wrote a letter to NMFS
expressing concerns that the governor's coho salmon restoration
plan does not provide necessary guidance or strength to recover
coho salmon. AFS questioned the assumptions of the plan's
habitat model, reliance on Oregon logging regulations to protect
salmon habitat, and the absence of changes in agricultural
practices such as grazing. On Mar. 18, 1997, the OR House voted
56-2 to approve the state's coho salmon recovery plan and a $30
million funding program using the state general fund if private
funding is unavailable. [Assoc Press, Portland Oregonian via
Greenwire]
1997 Pacific Salmon Fishery. On Mar. 7, 1997, the Pacific
Fishery Management Council adopted 4 options, including one
providing no non-Indian salmon fishing off the coast of WA and
northern OR, for Mar. 31-Apr. 1 public hearings on managing the
1997 salmon season. Other options would allow limited commercial
and sport fishing for coho and chinook salmon. For the 3rd
consecutive year, no coho salmon fishing would be allowed off
most of OR and all of CA. The Council will decide among the 4
options at meetings to be held Apr. 7-11, 1997, in Millbrae, CA.
[Assoc Press]
WA Timberlands Habitat Conservation Plan. On Mar. 6, 1997, the
WA State Supreme Court refused to reinstate a lawsuit seeking to
block WA from implementing a habitat conservation plan covering
1.63 million acres of state timberland. [Assoc Press]
Canada-Australia WTO Dispute. On Mar. 5, 1997, Canadian
officials announced that they would make a formal request to the
World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Dispute Settlement Body on
Mar. 20, 1997, that a dispute panel be convened on the issue of
Australia's ban on imports of uncooked salmon. [Dow Jones News]
AK Salmon Marketing Proposals. On Mar. 5, 1997, AK Governor
Tony Knowles announced two legislative proposals to increase
markets for AK salmon -- 1) loans of as much as $100,000 would be
available to fishermen who desire to market their own fish, and
2) seafood plants would be excused from as much as half the
state's raw-fish tax normally paid on salmon processed and could
match the tax savings with their own money for salmon marketing
or new processing equipment for innovative salmon products. In
mid-March 1997, the State of Alaska released a report of a
January 1997 meeting on proposals to help market AK salmon. The
report stated that the AK Dept. of Fish and Game would include
peak fish quality as a criteria for timing salmon harvest
periods, and that the Dept. of Commerce and Economic Development
would work with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to develop
a quality grading scale. In addition, state officials would ease
the inspection schedule for major processing plants and
streamline reporting requirements. [Assoc Press]
Hatchery Coho Lawsuit. On Mar. 4, 1997, federal and state
managers agreed to release an additional 1 million
hatchery-reared juvenile coho salmon in the Columbia River above
Bonneville Dam to resolve a lawsuit brought by 4 Tribes. [Assoc
Press, Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce via Greenwire]
BC Steelhead Trout Closure. On Mar. 3, 1997, British Columbia
officials announced the emergency closure of 6 Vancouver Island
drainages to sport fishing for steelhead trout due to low
abundance. Closures will extend through May 31 to protect
spawning fish, with the maximum fine of $100,000 for fishing
during the closure. [Assoc Press]
Health Sea Reorganization. In late February 1997, Health Sea
(Juneau, AK) released two executives and laid off about 30
employees at its Arlington, WA plant as it reorganized and
reduced emphasis on mainstream grocery marketing of value-added
salmon products. Most corporate operations will be moved from
Juneau to Kake, AK, a new company called Kake Foods Inc. will
assume administrative functions, and emphasis will be placed on
marketing value-added salmon products in gourmet shops and
through catalogs. [Assoc Press]
Aquaculture and Aquaria
Chinese Crawfish Antidumping Decision. On Mar. 20, 1997, the
U.S. Dept. of Commerce preliminarily ruled that Chinese
crawfish tails are being illegally dumped on the U.S. market for
less than their fair market value.
A preliminary tariff adjustment to raise the price of imported
crawfish on the U.S. market would remain in effect until a final
determination is issued on June 2, 1997. [Assoc Press]
AL Oyster Farmer Assistance. On Mar. 11, 1997, about 380 AL
oyster farmers participated in a waterway trash cleanup program,
developed to provide assistance to oyster farmers whose
livelihood has been disrupted by state harvesting bans. Funds to
pay oyster farmers were provided by a grant from the AL Dept. of
Economic and Community Affairs. [Assoc Press]
Clayoquot Sound Salmon Farm Vandalism. On Mar. 9, 1997, vandals
cuts nets at a Clayoquot Sound salmon farm near Tofino, BC, owned
and operated by Pacific National Group, releasing as many as
50,000 juvenile chinook salmon, which are unlikely to survive in
the wild. The harvest value of these fish was projected at more
than C$1.2 million. Recent protests focused on the salmon farm
company's license extension and fears that salmon farming could
harm wild salmon, but an agreement had been reached in early
March for relocation of the salmon farm. [Dow Jones News, Assoc
Press]
....
end of Part 2
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