The following news summaries were compiled by Gene Buck, Senior Analyst in the Congressional Research Service. Capital letters denote new information that did not appear in previous summaries.
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NMFS Oversight Hearing.
On July 24 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing to review the authority and decision-making processes of NMFS's Northwest Region. [personal communication]
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On June 26, 1997, the House Committee on Appropriations approved and ordered reported a bill appropriating funds for the Dept. of the Interior for fiscal year 1998, including a one-year moratorium on federal assumption of subsistence fishery management in Alaska. [Assoc Press]
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On June 26, 1997, the ID Fish and Game Commission authorized the first chinook salmon sport fishery since 1964 on the South Fork of the Salmon River due to a surplus return of hatchery fish. Fisherman would be able to fish a 6-mile stretch of the river three days a week from July 10-Aug 2, if NMFS concurs. In addition, the Commission extended the salmon sport fish season on the Little Salmon River through July 13. [Assoc Press]
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On June 24, 1997, Russian and Japanese fishery associations concluded an agreement providing that Japan be granted a 26,000 metric ton harvest of salmon from Russian coastal waters in exchange for $60 million and a commitment to cease driftnet fishing. The Russian association anticipates using the income to promote fishery science and development of 60 Russian salmon farms. [Interfax]
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In the June 19, 1997 issue of Nature, Dartmouth College (NH) scientists reported that salmon could be matched to their spawning drainage by comparing the unique strontium isotope composition "signatures" of fish and drainage water. [Assoc Press]
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On June 19, 1997, eight U.S. Senators from the Pacific Northwest urged the Clinton Administration to open discussions on extending the $435 million limit on salmon restoration expenditures by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) beyond the year 2001, so as to assure rate stability and assist BPA in negotiating power contracts extending beyond 2001. [Assoc Press]
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During June 1997, a collaborative NATURES (NATUral Rearing Enhancement System) project by Long Live the Kings, NMFS, WA state Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and the Weyerhaeuser Co. released 100,000 juvenile fall chinook salmon in several batches in southwest WA. These fish were specially reared to test if hatchery salmon can be produced with wild-like fish characteristics capable of increasing their survival rate. [Dow Jones News]
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On June 12, 1997, AK Governor Tony Knowles announced that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture will buy as much as $12 million worth of AK pink and chum salmon by competitive bid for use in federal supplemental food programs. [Reuters, Assoc Press]
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On June 12, 1997, private sector associations from Russia and Japan signed an agreement to cooperate in fighting poaching of salmon and trout from Russian waters. Russian officials will be stationed in Japanese ports to check permits of Russian fishermen and measure catch against quotas. Poaching has made it difficult for Japanese fishery associations to predict import volumes, causing volatile prices for salmon and trout. ON JULY 3, 1997, INVESTIGATORS RAIDED A HOKKAIDO COMPANY ON SUSPICION THAT IT WAS SENDING JAPANESE FISHERMEN TO RUSSIA TO CATCH SALMON UNDER RUSSIAN QUOTAS FOR SALE IN JAPAN. [Dow Jones News] Back to top or Back to home page On June 11, 1997, the state of MT filed suit in U.S. District Court against the Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers seeking to have Hungry Horse and Libby Dams in the Flathead and Kootenai drainages operated in compliance with the Northwest Power Planning Council's 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program that would limit drawdowns requested by NMFS for salmon because of concerns that resident fish would be harmed. MT Gov. Racicot also announced that the MT Dept. of Environmental Quality will issue a notice of violation and an administrative order directing the Bureau of Reclamation to operate Hungry Horse Dam so as to minimize downstream effects on the Flathead River. [NW Fishletter #36] Back to top or Back to home page On June 9, 1997, more than 250 members of the United Seiners Assoc. remained in port in Kodiak, AK, after voting on June 7 to not fish until processors agree in writing in advance on a price for salmon. Many Assoc. members were reported to have not fished last year due to low prices. In mid-June 1997, more than 40 Sand Point seine and gillnet fishermen were reported to have joined Kodiak seiners in deciding not to fish for salmon until they had a contract guaranteeing a market price in advance of fishing. On June 16, 1997, about 65 members of the Chignik Seiners Assoc. voted to join the protest and not fish until a price contract was obtained. On June 22, 1997, the United Seiners Assoc. accepted an offer guaranteeing a base price for delivered salmon, including a percentage of the wholesale price that processors receive for the fish. [Assoc Press] Back to top or Back to home page On June 5, 1997, PacifiCorp and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation adopted an agreement with gives the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation control over releases of water from Upper Klamath Lake at Link River Dam to benefit threatened salmon on the lower Klamath River. Subsequently the Klamath Water Users Assoc. filed a lawsuit, asking the Court to issue a temporary restraining order to block the agreement. In mid-June 1997, U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan turned down the Association's request to stop the water releases, but Judge Hogan scheduled a June 30, 1997 hearing to listen to irrigators' concerns. [Assoc Press]
Russian Salmon Poaching.
MT Legal Action.
AK Salmon Strike.
Klamath Water Agreement.