Recent Salmon and Fish news on September 20

On Sept. 23, 1997, the Skokomish Indian Tribe filed suit against the City of Tacoma, WA, seeking $100 million for damages to salmon and steelhead trout by the Cushman hydroelectric project on the North Fork of the Skokomish River. [Assoc Press]

Snake River Sockeye.

As of Sept. 23, 1997, none of the 24 endangered sockeye salmon reported as having passed Lower Granite Dam in August 1997, have been detected arriving at Redfish Lake, ID. [Assoc Press]

NPPC Meetings.

At its Sept. 17, 1997, meeting in Helena, MT, the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) announced its recommendations on how Bonneville Power Administration is to spend $127 million on fish and wildlife recovery efforts. The NPPC approved $94 million in projects for 1998, and delayed or canceled another $40 million in projects pending additional review. Nearly $20 million for new fish hatcheries was delayed until a comprehensive review of all hatcheries is completed, about $15 million in habitat improvements was delayed until high priority habitat areas could be identified, a $4 million law enforcement effort was terminated, and a $3.7 million squawfish predation program was reduced. [Assoc Press, NPPC Congressional Update, NPPC news release]

Salmon Spearing Penalty.

On Sept. 16, 1997, a Valley County, ID, magistrate sentenced a Boise man to 5 days in jail and a $845 fine for illegally spearing a spawning chinook salmon in the South Fork of the Salmon River. The fish was a hatchery-raised salmon, and NMFS declined to pursue federal charges against the man. [Assoc Press]

Salmon Recovery Lawsuit.

On Sept. 16, 1997, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lawsuit (American Rivers v. NMFS), previously dismissed in April 1997 because a 60-day notice had not been given, could proceed based upon a Supreme Court ruling that allows environmental lawsuits challenging arbitrary government action without the 60-day notice. The Court of Appeals returned the case to U.S. District Judge Malcolm Marsh, who could rule that the salmon recovery plan complies with environmental law and then send the case back to the Court of Appeals for a ruling on the substance of the dispute. The lawsuit by 8 environmental and fishing organizations alleged that recovery plan reliance on downstream transportation of juvenile salmon in barges was detrimental to salmon recovery. [Assoc Press]

Yakima Hatchery Dedication.

On Sept. 11, 1997, the Yakima Indian Nation dedicated a $15 million salmon hatchery on the Yakima River, that will concentrate on restoring salmon through supplementation and acclimation. [Assoc Press]

Salmon River Rafting Restrictions.

In early September 1997, the U.S. Forest Service closed an additional 6-mile stretch of the upper main Salmon River in the vicinity of Stanley, ID, to public and commercial use after spawning salmon were discovered using this area.

On Sept. 10, 1997, the U.S. Forest Service closed a 45-mile stretch of the Upper Main Salmon River to all floating trips, due to extensive salmon spawning activity.

On Sept. 16, 1997, an Upper Salmon River outfitter made a "protest" float of a 3-mile stretch of the river that had been closed; the outfitters license has been temporarily suspended. The outfitter charges the Sept. 10 closure was illegal since the order was not signed by the Forest Supervisor. [Assoc Press]

USDA Salmon Purchases.

On Sept. 5, 1997, USDA officials announced that, due to lower AK salmon harvests, they were reducing purchases of pink and chum salmon for the national school lunch program to $7 million, down from the $12 million announced in June 1997. As much as $2 million of the purchase would be spent on processed salmon in pouches and in nugget form, with the remainder used to purchase canned pink salmon

In addition, USDA will purchase 220,000 pounds of canned pink salmon for shipment to the Ukraine, where proceeds from the sale of this product will fund humanitarian work. [Assoc Press, Reuters]

Umpqua Cutthroat Trout.

On Sept. 3, 1997, the Douglas County (OR) Board of Commissioners voted to sue the federal government for alleged failure to use the best scientific information available in its listing of Umpqua River searun cutthroat trout as endangered. The Commissioners believe the Umpqua fish are a viable population and seek to have them removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Species. [Assoc Press]

Pacific Salmon Treaty.

On Aug. 28, 1997, more than 70 Canadian salmon trollers from the west coast of Vancouver Island left their fishing area to fish without hooks illegally in Johnstone Strait to protest their lack of access to sockeye salmon that are migrating through the Inside Passage this year to avoid warmer ocean waters. Although the Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) issued citations to protesters, fishermen were later instructed to tear up their tickets as a conciliatory gesture from the DFO. In early September 1997, Canadian officials indicated the "Canada First" fishing strategy had been successful so far, with Canadian commercial fishing harvesting more than 7 million Fraser River sockeye salmon while U.S. commercial fishermen caught less than 1 million. Rather than the 21% of the Fraser River sockeye desired by the United States, U.S. fishermen have taken about 13%. In early September 1997, the BC government release a legal opinion, commissioned by the province, that concluded the United States was violating international law with respect to salmon management. In early September 1997, the deadline for posting security bond by BC fishing vessel owners named in Alaska's lawsuit was extended from Sept. 15 to Sept. 30.

On Sept. 8, 1997, the BC government, various Canadian worker unions, and BC individuals representing various aspects of the province's fishing industry filed suit in U.S. District Court against the United States and the States of WA and AK, attempting to force the United States to resume negotiations by seeking about $234 million in damages from the alleged illegal management of and overfishing by U.S. fisheries. Canada claims the disproportionate U.S. salmon harvest violates the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and U.S. legislation implementing the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

On Sept. 10, 1997, the deadline for posting C$10,000 security bonds by BC fishing vessel owners named in Alaska's lawsuit was extended for a second time from Sept. 30 to mid-October 1997.

On Sept. 10, 1997, the BC government filed court papers accusing the Canadian federal government of trespassing on provincial territory at the Nanoose Bay weapons testing range since the federal lease for the facility has expired.

On Sept. 11, 1997, the AK Marine Highway System announced its fall and winter schedule, with no ferry stops scheduled for Prince Rupert, BC. The summer 1998 schedule is due at the printers on Oct. 7, 1997.

On Sept. 11, 1997, President Clinton and Canadian Prime Minister Chretien spoke briefly about salmon. In mid-September 1997, President Clinton wrote a letter to AK's U.S. Senate delegation, stating that the United States would take appropriate countermeasures if alleged illegal activities by Canadians reoccurred.

On Sept. 17, 1997, the House International Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a hearing on Canadian policy issues that included the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

On Sept. 18, 1997, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held an oversight hearing on U.S.-Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty negotiations. [Assoc Press, Reuters, Dow Jones News]

Aquaculture

Coastal America Ecosystem Learning Center.

On Sept. 23, 1997, the National Aquarium in Baltimore was designated as a Coastal American Ecosystem Learning Center. Coastal America is a partnership among federal, state, and local governments and private entities to address coastal ecology problems. [National Aquarium in Baltimore press release]

Norwegian Salmon.

On Sept. 9, 1997, the European Commission announced plans to propose that the European Council establish a "residual" anti-dumping duty of 0.32 ECU per kilogram on farmed Norwegian salmon to protect the EU farmed salmon industry from risk that any Norwegian exporters do not observe a May 1997 agreement on salmon exports. This residual duty would not be applied unless Norwegian exporters violated the May 1997 agreement. [Agence Europe via Reuters]

Salmon Loss to Algal Blooms.

In early September 1997, International Aqua Foods Ltd. announced that it had lost some of its salmon inventory at 4 Vancouver Island, BC, salmon farm sites near Tofino and Coal Harbor due to severe algal blooms. Six additional BC farm sites were unaffected. [Dow Jones News, International Aqua Foods press release]

Freshwater Fisheries

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Hearing.

The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled a hearing on H.R. 2376, a bill to reauthorize and amend the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act for Sept. 25, 1997. [personal communication]

Mining Impact Report.

On Sept. 16, 1997, the Mineral Policy Center was scheduled to release its report "Golden Dreams, Poisoned Streams" focusing on the effects of mining on water resources. [personal communication]

Redband Rainbow Trout Agreement.

In mid-September 1997, ranchers joined the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, OR Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in signing a voluntary agreement to increase protection afforded redband rainbow trout and tui chub in the Catlow Valley in southwest OR, by restoring damaged stream habitat. [Assoc Press]