Continued from page 1Salmon Along the Pacific Coast
{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]
Tribal Sale of Steelhead. On Aug. 27, 1997, a federal judge approved an agreement between the Oregon Fish Commission and 4 Indian tribes, overturning a 21-year OR state regulation prohibiting non-Indians from buying steelhead trout from tribal fishermen. [Assoc Press]
Snake River Sockeye. As of Aug. 12, 1997, a total of 22 sockeye had been observed passing upstream of Lower Granite Dam, about 10-times last year's return. It was not clear what proportion of these fish were wild sockeye and how many were products of the NMFS captive broodstock program. [NW Fishletter No. 41]
Steelhead ESA Listing. On Aug. 11, 1997, NMFS announced that 5 populations of western steelhead trout would be listed under the Endangered Species Act -- two as endangered (upper Columbia River in WA and southern CA) and three as threatened (Snake River Basin, central CA coast, and southcentral CA coast). These listings will become effective in 60 days. Decisions on listing 5 additional western steelhead populations was deferred for 6 months to address scientific disagreement on their status. [Assoc Press]
Salmon River Rafting Restrictions. On Aug. 11, 1997, managers of the Sawtooth National Forest, ID, imposed restrictions on rafters and kayakers floating the Salmon River. Rafters and kayakers will have to carry their boats around certain sections of the River to avoid disturbing spawning chinook salmon. In late August 1997, the U.S. Forest Service closed a portion of the Salmon River to public float trips until further notice after determining that travel restrictions through sensitive salmon spawning areas were being ignored. Commercial float operations have been abiding by regulations and will be allowed continued use of the River. {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.} [Assoc Press]
Secretary Babbitt on Salmon. On Aug. 10, 1997, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt was reported to have met with official of Northwest Indian tribes in Portland, OR, to express frustration over the failure of efforts to restore and recover Columbia River basin salmon stocks. While Secretary Babbitt indicated that he would ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to direct more attention to tribal concerns, tribal officials expressed concern with the limit on Bonneville Power Administration's salmon recovery expenditures. [Assoc Press]
Fraser River Protest. During a protest fishery staged by Canadian non-Native commercial fishermen against Canadian Indian commercial fishermen on the Fraser River on Aug. 9, 1997, two boats were seized by Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans enforcement officers. The event was staged to protest what were perceived as inequitable opportunities to fish. [Assoc Press]
Sacramento River Pumping Plant. On Aug. 8, 1997, ground was broken for a $11 million pumping plant and fish screen project near Glenn, CA, on the Sacramento River. This cooperative federal, state, and local project will replace three existing major water diversions with one consolidated, screened plant. [Dow Jones News]
Savage Rapids Dam. On Aug. 5, 1997, the Grants Pass Irrigation District's board of trustees voted 3-1 to spend an estimated $13.5 million to remove the Savage Rapids Dam on the Rogue River, OR and replace it with pumps. [Assoc Press]
NPPC Meetings. On Aug. 5, 1997, OR Gov. John Kitzhaber's chief salmon advisor Jim Martin told the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) that a 4-state plan to recovery salmon was necessary to avoid continued failure in the Columbia River basin. On Aug. 6, 1997, the NPPC was reported to have conceded that it had failed to restore Columbia Basin salmon, and listened to recommendations by scientific staff on how to improve the effectiveness of fishery programs funded by the Bonneville Power Administration. On Aug. 26, 1997, the NPPC met in Spokane, WA, to receive and consider cost estimates for removal of the four lower Snake River dams or John Dan Dam on the Columbia River. Estimates prepared by NPPC staff indicated that Bonneville Power Administration would lose generating capacity and revenue but could survive. [Assoc Press]
Elliott Bay Chinook Fishery. In early August 1997, Muckleshoot tribal officials wrote the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife seeking additional restrictions on the Elliott Bay chinook salmon sport fishery, claiming the run to the Green River was 27% smaller than predicted. The tribe is concerned that harvest of wild chinook will threaten the population necessary to sustain the Green River run. On Aug. 11, 1997, the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife excluded all sport fishing boats from Elliott Bay until Sept. 15, 1997, to protect Green River salmon. [Assoc Press]
Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery. In early August 1997, AK governor Tony Knowles asked the U.S. Dept. of State to investigate concerns that Russian interception of U.S. salmon may be partially at fault for this year's low return of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon. [Assoc Press]
Salmon/Steelhead at Bonneville Dam. On Aug. 4, 1997, Corps officials announced that fish passage facilities had been repaired and would be reopened on Aug. 5; few trapped fish were found. [Assoc Press]
AK Pink Salmon Price. On Aug. 1, 1997, a second salmon buyer in the Kodiak area signed an agreement with the United Seiners Assoc. for a minimum base price of $0.15 per pound for pink salmon; the first contract was obtained on July 28. Fishermen are fishing on a rotation basis until sufficient contracts are received to permit a completely open fishery. On Aug. 6, 1997, Kodiak fishermen agreed to resume fishing after 3 processors agreed to a minimum price of $0.12 per pound for pink salmon. On Aug. 7, 1997, southeast Alaska purse seine fishermen reached similar price agreements with processors (base price of $0.12 per pound, with an additional $0.03 per pound for refrigerated fish and a sliding scale share of later profits), and prepared to resume fishing on Aug. 9. [Assoc Press]
Pacific Salmon Treaty. On Aug. 1, 1997, the AK Marine Highway System announced its revised August schedule, with additional sailings to and from Bellingham, WA, and deletion of ferry stops at Prince Rupert, BC. On Aug. 4, 1997, BC fishermen held a 6-hour protest gillnet fishery in defiance of Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) regulations. They protested DFO's hesitance in scheduling an opportunity for BC gillnet fishermen to catch sockeye salmon migrating to the Skeena River. DFO is concerned that gillnet fishermen cannot be selective enough to protect intermingled and less abundant coho salmon and steelhead trout. On Aug. 4, 1997, U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley delivered a speech to the Montreal Board of Trade, commenting that the AK ferry blockade may have changed attitudes sufficiently to cause progress in achieving a negotiated agreement. On Aug. 5, 1997, Canada's Defense Minister Art Eggleton announced that the Canadian federal government will not allow BC Premier Glen Clark to cancel a U.S. Navy lease for marine weapons testing at Nanoose Bay, BC. On Aug. 5, 1997, in Ottawa, U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley said that his Aug. 4 remarks in Montreal had been "somewhat misinterpreted" and that the AK ferry blockade was an illegal act that did nothing to help resolve the salmon conflict. In early August 1997, catch statistics for Fraser River sockeye salmon indicated that Canadian fishermen had taken 86% of the harvest compared to 14% for U.S. fishermen. On Aug. 11, 1997, Canada opened its "Canada First" fishery for Fraser River sockeye, seeking to harvest these fish to reduce their numbers before they migrate so as to become available to WA state fishermen. The Canada First fishery continued through August 13. On Aug. 11, about 300 seiners, 400 gillnetters, and 300 trollers harvested about C$8 million worth of salmon. On Aug. 13, 1997, the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union scheduled a protest march to the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, BC, to demonstrate support for maintaining Canada's salmon and the jobs of CAW members in the fishery. On Aug. 22, 1997, AK lawyers sent letters to 70 companies that own fishing vessels involved in the AK ferry blockade, advising them that they would be subject to arrest and their vessels seized unless they posted a security deposit (bond) by Sept. 15, 1997. Another 20 vessel owners were to be served in person. {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%.} The House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans has tentatively scheduled an oversight hearing on U.S.-Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty negotiations for Sept. 18, 1997. [personal communication, Canadian Auto Workers press release, Assoc Press, Reuters, Dow Jones News, Wall Street Journal, United Press International]
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