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>ICCAT Advisory Committee Meeting. The Advisory Committee to the
>U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
>Tunas (ICCAT) is scheduled to meet Apr. 6-8, 1998, in Silver Spring, MD, to
>discuss implementation of ICCAT recommendations, research and monitoring
>activities, and other matters related to ICCAT species. [Fed. Register]
> .
> Shrimp Embargo and the WTO. On Apr. 6, 1998, the World Trade
>Organization announced a final report/ruling by its three-person dispute
>panel
>on U.S. shrimp trade restrictions to protect sea turtles. The ruling found
>U.S.
>law that conditions shrimp imports on the adoption by the exporting country
>of
>a specific sea turtle conservation policy, including the use of turtle
>excluder
>devices in shrimp trawls, is contrary to WTO policy. U.S. trade officials
>have
>not decided whether to appeal this ruling. [Los Angeles Times, Houston
>Chronicle, New York Times]
> .
> Organotin Paints. In early April 1998, the International Maritime
>Organization (IMO) announced an agreement to work toward banning
>anti-fouling paints containing organotins such as tributyl tin (TBT). IMO
>agreed to draft regulations to phase out and eventually prohibit such paints.
>Although no schedule for this action has been agreed to, IMO's Marine
>Environment Protection Committee resolved to draft a resolution for the 1999
>IMO Assembly urging nations to use less harmful alternatives to organotin
>paints. [Reuters]
> .
> TX Sea Turtle Strandings. In early April 1998, TX managers reported
>that 56 sea turtles were found dead on TX beaches in March 1998. This
>number is 45 more than were found dead in March 1997. During the first week
>of April 1998, 26 sea turtles were found dead or dying on TX beaches.
>Rewards for information on who's killing the turtles have increased to
>$50,000.
>[Assoc Press, Houston Chronicle]
> .
> U.S. Tuna Vessel Seizure. On Apr. 3, 1998, the Peruvian Navy was
>reported to have seized the U.S. tuna vessel Connie Jean, alleging that the
>vessel was fishing for tuna 8 miles off the Peruvian coast in the Bay of
>Bayovar
>without authorization. [Paris AFP via Foreign Broadcast Information Service]
> .
> 1998 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quotas. On Apr. 1, 1998, NMFS
>announced the total 1998 U.S. harvest quota of Atlantic bluefin tuna will be
>1,403 metric tons (MT), an increase from the 1997 quota of 1,344 MT due to
>carryover of unharvested 1997 quota. 1998 subquotas are 657 MT (general),
>53 MT (harpoon), 114 MT (incidental), 250 MT (purse seine), 277 MT (angling),
>and 52 MT (reserve). [NOAA press release]
> .
> Investigation of NMFS. On Mar. 31, 1998, the AK Marine
>Conservation Council wrote a letter asking the U.S. Dept. of Commerce's
>Inspector General to investigate NMFS for alleged mismanagement of
>fisheries. The Council accuses NMFS of emphasizing short-term harvest
>goals in the North Pacific ahead of long-term conservation goals. The
>Council
>is particularly concerned with possible interactions between fishery harvest
>and Steller sea lions. [Assoc Press]
> .
> Coral Reef Damage Payment. On Mar. 30, 1998, Mexican officials
>announced that Norwegian Cruise Line has agreed to pay compensation for
>damage to part of the Maya coral barrier reef near Cancun, by a Dec. 16,
>1998, grounding by the cruise ship Leeward. A committee of four Mexican
>scientists, two appointed by the cruise line, will study the damage and
>determine appropriate compensation. [Assoc Press]
> .
> Scallop Closures. On Mar. 30, 1998, NMFS announced the
>emergency closure of two areas off the mid-Atlantic coast to scallop harvest
>beginning Apr. 3, 1998, due to low sea scallop populations. These closures,
>one area offshore of VA while the second is offshore of NJ, were requested by
>the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils. [NOAA
>press release]
> .
> Horseshoe Crab Fishery. On Mar. 30, 1998, MD Governor Parris
>Glendening proposed emergency regulations to limit the harvest of horseshoe
>crabs. A proposed annual quota of 750,000 pounds would restrict the harvest
>to about 28% of the 1996 catch of 2.6 million pounds. [Assoc Press]
> .
> Shark Cartilage and Lung Cancer. On Mar. 30, 1998, at the 89th
>Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in New
>Orleans, LA, the Canadian biotechnology company AEterna Laboratories
>announced encouraging results from a three-month clinical trial using liquid
>shark cartilage extract to treat lung cancer tumors in humans. The shark
>cartilage product, AE-941, was reported to show a trend of efficacy without
>serious side effects related to its oral administration in treating patients
>with
>refractory metastatic lung cancer. [AEterna Laboratories press release]
> .
> Salmon Along the Pacific Coast
> .
> Bristol Bay Price-Fixing Lawsuit. On Apr. 10, 1998, Superior Court
>Judge Peter Michalski rejected the petitions of two Seattle-area salmon
>processors to be dropped as defendants in the $1 billion Bristol Bay
>fishermen's antitrust class action case. On Apr. 14, 1998, an Anchorage
>attorney announced that the one of the Japanese companies charged in this
>case has offered $6.25 million to settle all claims against it. Court
>approval of
>the settlement is required. [Assoc Press]
> .
> 1998 Commercial and Sport Salmon Fishery. On Apr. 10, 1998, the
>Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted restrictive salmon seasons for
>1998, with no harvest of coho salmon provided for areas south of the northern
>OR coast. North of the northern OR coast, coho and chinook quotas were
>reduced about 40% from 1997 harvests. At the Columbia River mouth, sport
>fishermen will be able to keep only specially marked hatchery coho salmon.
>Seasons for chinook salmon are a patchwork along the coast to protect
>proposed and listed populations and to reduce the incidental harvest of coho
>salmon. [Assoc Press]
> .
> Tribal Steelhead Harvest. On Apr. 8, 1998, NMFS officials notified
>Nez Perce tribal officials of a proposed cut in the allowable tribal harvest
>of
>Snake River "B-run" steelhead trout, listed under the Endangered Species Act
>as a threatened species, from 20% of the returning adults to a maximum of
>7% of the returning adults. This is likely to dramatically limit the fishery
>for fall
>chinook salmon, where steelhead trout are taken incidentally. [Assoc Press]
> .
> WA Salmon Restoration. On Apr. 1, 1998, WA Governor Gary Locke
>signed a package of seven bills into state law related to salmon, including
>measures creating a Governor's Salmon Recovery Office, a framework for
>salmon habitat restoration, a scientific review panel for salmon recovery
>plans,
>a streamlined permit process for volunteer salmon restoration projects, a
>required marking program to distinguish hatchery chinook salmon, and a
>program for planting salmon eggs in streams where wild salmon have
>disappeared. Together, these measures provide about $36 million for salmon
>protection and restoration activities. [Assoc Press]
> .
> Savage Rapids Dam. On Mar. 31, 1998, the OR Water Resources
>Commission decided to cancel a 1994 additional water permit for the Grants
>Pass Irrigation District because the District had not acted as directed by
>the
>Commission on removing the Dam, which prevents coho salmon from reaching
>upstream spawning habitat in the Rogue River drainage. The Commission's
>action sends this case to a hearings officer for review before a final
>commission decision, likely in November 1998. {In mid-April 1998, NMFS
>officials sent the Grants Pass Irrigation District an example of the
>complaint
>that NMFS intends to file, asking a judge to prohibit dam operation, unless
>the
>District agrees by late April 1998 to remove the dam on the Rogue River, OR.
>The complaint also would seek a ruling that diversion of water from the river
>constitutes a "take" of threatened coho salmon under the Endangered
>Species Act. On Apr. 22, 1998, NMFS filed a petition in U.S. District Court
>seeking an injunction to halt irrigation operations associated with the
>Savage
>Rapids Dam, on the Rogue River, OR, until the Grants Pass Irrigation District
>complies with the Endangered Species Act. NMFS negotiations with the
>Irrigation District to improve anadromous salmon and trout passage at this
>dam have been unsuccessful.} [Assoc Press, NOAA press release]
> .
> Pacific Salmon Treaty. On Mar. 31, 1998, U.S. and Canadian
>negotiators (six for each nation) began two days of preliminary discussions
>in
>Washington, DC. On Apr. 15-16, 1998, U.S. and Canadian negotiators began
>a second round of discussions in Vancouver, BC, on how to cooperatively
>manage salmon and allocate harvest for the 1998 season. Interim
>arrangements are being sought by June 1998. Talks are scheduled to
>continue in Portland, OR, on May 11, 1998. [Assoc Press, Reuters]
> .
> Three Sovereigns Briefings. In late March 1998, nine delegates from
>the Pacific northwest were scheduled to arrive in Washington, DC, to brief
>congressional staff on a regional plan for a "Three Sovereigns Fish and
>Wildlife
>Governance Process" to oversee salmon recovery in the Columbia River basin.
> The three "sovereigns" include 1) four Pacific northwest states; 2) 13
>Columbia basin tribes; and 3) the federal government. Two versions of a
>draft
>agreement on this Process will be introduced at a series of public hearings
>in
>the four Pacific northwest states, beginning Apr. 8, 1998. [Assoc Press]
> .
>
>
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