The following weekly news summary was compiled by the Congressional Research Service from a variety of information sources. New info and changes since 7/17/98 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 7/23/98 double bracketed {{...}}
Cleve Steward, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, Tel. 425-670-3584
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{{Cattle Grazing Lawsuit Appeal.
On July 22, 1998, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, by a 3-0 ruling, overturned a lower court ruling requiring OR ranchers grazing cattle on U.S. Forest Service lands to obtain a state permit under the Clean Water Act to regulate pollution from these cattle on salmon streams. The Appeals Court ruled that states could only require permits for point sources, not non-point agricultural sources.}} [Assoc Press]
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On July 22, 1998, Australian officials announced that they would appeal a World Trade Organization (WTO) decision that Australia had acted contrary to its WTO obligations by prohibiting imports of Canadian salmon.} [Dow Jones News]
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On July 15, 1998, the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance and Defenders of Wildlife served notice of intent to sue the Dept. of the Interior, Dept. of Commerce, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative over forest protection and timber trade concerns also threatening salmon.
These groups contend that the Softwood Lumber Agreement with Canada is fostering catastrophic deforestation in Canada under minimal environmental restrictions that, in turn, is adversely affecting forest ecosystems, including salmon. [Defenders of Wildlife press release]
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On July 14, 1998, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt participated in ceremonies to begin the removal of McPherrin Dam and a second dam on Butte Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River north of Sacramento, CA, to open 20 miles of stream to spring-run chinook salmon spawning. The total project cost is about $9.5 million.
On July 15, 1998, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt participated in ceremonies marking the removal of Jackson Street Dam on Bear Creek, Medford, OR. This irrigation dam blocks chinook salmon access to 20 miles of spawning habitat and increases siltation in this Rogue River tributary. A $1.8 million irrigation diversion completed in 1996 facilitated dam removal. [Assoc Press, Dow Jones News, San Francisco Chronicle]
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On July 13, 1998, Big Rock Brewery Ltd. (Calgary, Alberta) announced its partnership with BC's Pacific Salmon Foundation, donating a portion of sales revenue from a specialty beer, Chinook Pale Ale, for local community programs benefitting salmon restoration. [Big Rock Brewery/Pacific Salmon Foundation press release]
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On July 8, 1998, Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans managers announced the closing of the Fraser River and Georgia Strait to fishing to protect early Stuart River sockeye salmon, due to low water levels and high water temperatures. Preliminary counts indicate this population may be significantly lower this year than the 175,000 fish predicted earlier.
On July 13, 1998, DFO officials estimated that 15,000 sockeye salmon have been illegally caught from the Early Stuart run in the previous three weeks, with 51 illegal nets identified in the Fraser River.
Controversy has arisen over aboriginal rights to take fish for food and ceremonial purposes as opposed to federal conservation concerns.
On July 15, 1998, DFO officials announced additional closures to reduce the sport catch of Early Stuart run sockeye salmon, after Native protests. {On July 16, 1998, officials of the Ucluelet First Nation announced that they would go fishing regardless of regulations to protest what they consider biased fishery policy inequitably benefitting sport anglers.
On July 17, 1998, officials of BC's Sport Fishing Advisory Board called for a complete ban on all sockeye salmon fishing in portions of Johnstone Strait to protect early Stuart run sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River.
On July 22, 1998, Sto:lo natives halted their protest fishery for sockeye salmon on the Fraser River.} [Assoc Press, Canadian Press, Sport Fishing Advisory Board press release]
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As of July 2, 1998, only about 2.5 million of a projected 30 million sockeye salmon had returned to AK's Bristol Bay drainages, suggesting a low return for the second year in a row. As of July 4, no fishing had yet been allowed in three of the five management districts and only about 1.9 million sockeye had been caught. As of July 6, 1998, commercial fishermen on the lower Yukon River had harvested only a third of the average catch of king (chinook) salmon, the lowest total catch since statehood in 1959.
On July 6, 1998, AK Governor Tony Knowles formed a cabinet-level task force to investigate the economic impact of poor salmon returns in the Kuskokwim River, Bristol Bay, and Yukon River. This task force is scheduled to tour western AK from July 14-17, 1998, and will report to the governor by July 20. As of July 8, 1998, AK fishery managers reported the return of sockeye salmon to Bristol Bay was the lowest its ever been recorded; a total of about 4.6 million sockeye had been caught and the revised catch estimate was reduced from 21 million fish to 10.7 million fish. [Assoc Press, Anchorage Daily News]
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On July 2, 1998, Judge Janice M. Stewart was scheduled to decide whether NMFS can delay the coho listing decision until the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on any appeal NMFS may file. On July 3, 1998, Judge Stewart denied OR's request for a stay of the Aug. 3 deadline for NMFS decision on listing pending an appeal. Subsequently, NMFS officials stated that they appeared to have little choice but to list OR coastal coho salmon as a threatened species. OR officials announced that they plan to ask the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals if it will stay the Aug. 3 deadline pending decision on an appeal. {In mid-July 1998, the U.S. Dept. of Justice filed an appeal of U.S. Magistrate Janice Stewart's June 1 ruling against NMFS's decision not to list coastal coho salmon under the Endangered Species Act.} [Assoc Press, Dow Jones News]
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On June 29, 1998, BC salmon fishermen threatened to use their vessels to interrupt operations at the Canadian Maritime Experimental Test Range used by the U.S. Navy at Nanoose Bay, BC. On June 30, 1998, the WA Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to adopt emergency rules proposed by the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to modify seasons and gear restrictions to provide for the 22% reduction in catch of Canadian coho salmon. About 15% reduction will occur in the commercial catch and 7% reduction in the sport catch. On July 1, 1998, some BC commercial fishermen suggested that they might consider blocking the Alaska Highway in protest. On July 2, 1998, BC commercial fishermen announced that they are abandoning plans to disrupt the Nanoose torpedo test range or blockade the Alaska Highway and will conduct more peaceful protests. On July 3, 1998, Canadian and WA state officials announced a one-year interim agreement on sharing the Fraser River sockeye salmon harvest, with WA state fishermen limited to a five-week fishing season for a maximum of 24.9% of the total estimated allowable catch of 5.37 million fish. On July 3, 1998, U.S. Dept.of State officials announced that the United States and Canada have agreed to prohibit commercial salmon fishing in disputed waters Dixon Entrance waters along the U.S.-Canadian maritime boundary between southeast AK and BC; discussions are scheduled to continue through July 8 on possible additional measures to address BC coho salmon concerns. On July 9, 1998, U.S. and Canadian officials announced that discussions between Canada and Alaska on managing the 1998 salmon harvest had collapsed without an agreement on coho salmon. AK officials reported that AK's offer included a proposal to reduce by 75% to 80% the Noyes Island purse seine interception of sockeye salmon bound for BC's Nass and Skeena Rivers and a proposal to prohibit chum salmon fishing in Portland Canal due to conservation concerns. However, Canadian officials believed AK's proposals provided insufficient assurance that coho salmon interception would be reduced, and suggested that an independent objective expert be retained to review coho salmon science and management. On July 14, 1998, AK Dept. of Fish and Game (ADF&G) officials announced that, in response to Canadian information, they were reducing AK fishing effort on sockeye salmon to increase protection for fish heading for BC's Skeena and Nass Rivers. ADF&G did not reopen a Noyes Island purse seine fishery and reduced the fishing period in the Tree Point gillnet fishery. On July 14, 1998, BC Premier Glen Clark released a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien asking for 1) direct intervention with President Clinton, 2) imposition of transit fees on U.S. salmon vessels transiting Canadian waters, and 3) federal participation in a C$300 million BC lawsuit against U.S. fishing. [Wall Street Journal, Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans press release, Assoc Press, Reuters, White House press release, ADF&G press release] Back to top or back to home page or back to Whats New On June 27, 1998, a 50-year habitat conservation plan among the Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD), the Chelan County PUD, NMFS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, American Rivers, and the Colville, Yakama, and Umatilla Tribes to aid salmon recovery was signed in Wenatchee, WA. The agreement formalized the completion of negotiation on a habitat conservation plan by the PUDs to guarantee that their three mid-Columbia River dams (Rock Island, Rocky Reach, and Wells) will have no net impact on migrating salmon and steelhead trout -- a standard defined as meaning at least 91% of migrating salmon and 95% of downstream migrating juvenile salmon will survive passage through each dam and reservoir. The PUDs can choose how to meet these standards and intend to employ fish bypass systems, surface spillway improvements, diversion screens, and water spills, and to replace the 9% "unavoidable" loss of fish with hatchery fish (replace 7% loss), and fish habitat improvement (replace 2% loss). Chelan County PUD will pay $35 million for habitat improvements, while Douglas County PUD will pay $10 million. Total costs approaching $120 million are anticipated over the 50-year agreement period. [Assoc Press, Office of the Vice President press release, American Rivers press release, Dow Jones News, NOAA press release] ‹
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Pacific Salmon Treaty.
WA PUD Agreement.
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