The following weekly news summary was compiled by the Congressional Research Service from a variety of information sources. New info and changes since 4/7/2000 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 4/13/2000 are double-bracketed {{...}}
Cleve Steward Sustainable Fisheries Foundation Tel. 425-670-3584
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SALMON ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
Salmon Field Hearing.
On April 27, 2000, the House Resources Committee has scheduled an oversight field hearing in Pasco, WA, on hydropower, river management, and salmon recovery issues on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. [personal communication]
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{{Salmon Dumping.
On Apr. 12, 2000, Wards Cove Packing Co. (Seattle) reached a no-contest plea agreement in Juneau Superior Court and was fined $60,000 for dumping 3.2 million pounds of "surplus" salmon in Icy Strait, AK, in July 1999.}} [Assoc Press]
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{Columbia Hydropower Hearings.
On Apr. 12, 2000, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held an oversight hearing to review how pending federal decisions on restoring endangered salmon could affect operation of the federal Columbia River hydropower system.
On Apr. 18, 2000, the Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a field hearing on this same issue at Cascade Locks, OR.} [personal communication]
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{Tern Removal Lawsuit.
On Apr. 10, 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein, responding to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 4 environmental groups, issued a temporary restraining order on the Army Corps of Engineers plan to destroy Caspian tern habitat and harass terns on Rice Island in the Columbia River estuary to encourage terns to move in hopes that will reduce tern predation on migrating juvenile salmon. The plaintiffs in this case seek to force the Corps to complete an environmental impact statement on their plan. A program of tern harassment on Rice Island was to have begun on Apr. 11.} [Seattle Times, National Audubon Society press release]
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Elk Creek Dam.
On Mar. 30, 2000, a coalition of 5 environmental and fishing groups filed suit in U.S. District Court (Portland, OR), arguing that the Army Corps of Engineers has violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to consult NMFS on Elk Creek Dam (on a tributary of the Rogue River, OR) and its impacts on threatened coho salmon. These groups would like a judge to order the half-constructed dam to be notched so salmon will not have to be trapped and hauled around the dam to reach spawning habitat. [Assoc Press]
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Bristol Bay Salmon Lawsuit.
On Mar. 28, 2000, lawyers for more than 5,000 Bristol Bay fishermen filed an appeal with the AK Supreme Court, in their class-action lawsuit alleging price-fixing by salmon processors and Japanese buyers. The lawsuit had been dismissed in AK Superior Court in July 1999 for lack of evidence. The appeal seeks to have the lawsuit remanded to Superior Court for a jury trial. [MSNBC]
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Pacific Council Salmon Management.
On Mar. 27-28, 2000, the Pacific Fishery Management Council held a series of hearings on regulatory options for the years 2000 ocean salmon season. Additional public comment will be taken at the Council's Apr. 3-7, 2000 meeting in Portland, OR. [personal communication]
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Dam Breaching.
In late March 2000, Corps of Engineers officials reported that, at recent hearings in 4 Pacific Northwest states, supporters of dam breaching outnumbered opponents by a ratio of 3-to-1. Additional public comment is being accepted by the Corps through Mar. 31, 2000.
In late March 2000, officials of the Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would extend the public comment period for an additional month, until Apr. 30, 2000, on their draft study of strategies to restore Snake River salmon and steelhead trout. {On Apr. 10, 2000, American Rivers released its 15th annual list of "Most Endangered Rivers," naming the lower Snake River as its top selection due to concerns for dam removal. The 3rd river on their list, the Ventura River (CA), reflects concerns for breaching Matilija Dam.} [Assoc Press, Portland Oregonian, MSNBC, American Rivers press release]
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WTO Dispute Regarding Canadian Salmon.
On Mar. 21, 2000, Australia's Minister of Trade Mark Vaile announced that Australia would not appeal a World Trade Organization (WTO) decision allowing Canada to export uncooked salmon to Australia since strict quarantine provisions would be applicable to these imports. However, Tasmanian state officials remain adamant about defying the WTO by retaining a ban on importing Canadian salmon, opening the possibility that WTO could permit Canada to impose retaliatory sanctions on Australian imports. The Australian Workers Union called for rolling bans on the handling of Canadian products. [Australian Assoc Press, Australian Broadcasting Company]
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WA Management.
Mar. 20, 2000 is the deadline for comments on draft Puget sound chinook salmon recovery framework regulations http://www.salmoninfo.org ] developed by the Tri-County Salmon Recovery Group. [Seattle Herald, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle Times]
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