Posts Tagged ‘salmon’
PORTLAND – The following is a statement from Dave Schamp, Chairman of Coastal Conservation Association’s Oregon Board of Directors and a chief petitioner for the Protect Our Salmon Act (POSA), in response to changes made by the Oregon Attorney General’s Office to the ballot title for the Act.
“The changes made by the Attorney General’s office do not reflect the intent of the initiative, which is to end the non-selective over-harvest of Oregons native fish runs while maintaining a healthy commercial salmon fishing industry. The objective is to transition to commercial gear capable of selectively harvesting abundant hatchery fish and allowing for the release of wild fish.”
“We are disappointed with the changes that were made by the Attorney General’s office. The over-harvest of Oregon’s native salmon runs has been ignored far too long by many leaders in Oregon. Since launching POSA it has become very clear that when the public understands the horrific and wasteful toll that gillnets take on various forms of marine life — including endangered fish stocks — and that a better method of harvest exits, reform is strongly supported. CCA Oregon membership has increased sharply since launching POSA, providing another indication of the commitment to these needed reforms.”
“Banning the use of gill nets and tangle nets and using selective gear that allows for the release of wild fish is an effective, achievable way to create a sustainable commercial and recreational fishery for the citizens of Oregon. It provides a greater return on the investment that taxpayers have contributed to salmon recovery, and is consistent with Oregon’s commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of the state’s natural resources. Now more than ever, CCA members remain committed to advancing these vital reform efforts, and we intend to amend and re-file the ballot initiative to address the interpretation of the Attorney General’s office.”
Tags: net ban, oregon, salmon, selective harvest
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Coastal Conservation Association is launching a ballot initiative to help save the last remnants of Oregon’s iconic wild salmon runs, and to create a sustainable salmon fishery for current and future generations. The Protect Our Salmon Act would ban the use of gill nets and tangle nets in Oregon waters, including the Columbia River. The Act calls for the use of commercial fishing practices that selectively harvest returning hatchery fish, while protecting endangered wild salmon, steelhead and other species.
“Oregon’s failure to protect and enhance our wild salmon runs threatens the state’s credibility as a leader in sustainability,” said Dave Schamp, Chairman of Coastal Conservation Association’s Oregon Board of directors and a chief petitioner of the initiative. “Each year taxpayers, electric utility rate payers and others collectively contribute about $1 billion to recovery efforts, yet wild salmon, an important natural and economic resource for our state, remain on the brink of extinction.”
While habitat, hydro and hatchery improvements are important to salmon recovery efforts, a key issue has been overlooked: the method of harvest. Currently, the commercial fishing gear used in the Columbia River (gill nets and tangle nets) is non-selective and kills large numbers of ESA-listed and wild salmon and steelhead. Gill nets are designed to “gill” fish snared in the nets, leading to injury, suffocation and death before unharmed release is possible. Nearly all marine life that gets caught in a gill net dies, from salmon and steelhead to seals and seabirds. Oregon is one of the few places in the country to still allow gill nets, a method clearly at odds with the state’s long-standing commitment to sustainable practices.
To minimize any economic impact to commercial fishermen who currently use gill nets or tangle nets, the Act establishes a fund (and appropriate oversight) to compensate commercial fishermen for the transition to alternative, selective gear.
The Act does not affect any tribal fishing rights, or the right to use any fishing gear allowed under tribal fishing rights in the waters of the state of Oregon established by laws, treaty or otherwise.
CCA members will immediately begin to gather signatures to place this issue on the ballot in November of 2010.
“Banning the use of gill nets and tangle nets and using selective gear that allows for the release of wild fish is an effective, achievable way to create a sustainable commercial and recreational fishery for the citizens of Oregon,” said Schamp. “It provides a greater return on the investment that taxpayers have contributed to salmon recovery, and is consistent with Oregon’s commitment to the responsible and sustainable use of the state’s natural resources.”
Tags: ballot initiative, columbia river, gill nets, oregon, salmon
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$4.5 million federal grant to speed removal of derelict fishing gear from Puget Sound
The marine resources of Puget Sound received a tremendous boost yesterday when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the Northwest Straits Commission will receive a $4.5 million grant to remove derelict gill nets lost or discarded in Puget Sound. Since its inception in 2006, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Washington has strongly supported funding for the Northwest Straits Commission and has lobbied federal and state officials to take action to remove these silent killers.
“Ghost nets haunt our waters,” said Bryan Irwin, Executive Director of CCA in the Pacific Northwest. “These invisible killers of ESA-listed salmon, marine mammals and other marine life take a devastating toll. We commend NOAA for not only recognizing this serious environmental challenge, but also targeting these funds to remove 3,000 high-priority derelict gill nets from Puget Sound. The project is an important first step toward the real solution of ending the use of these dangerous nets in our waters.”
Lost and abandoned gill nets create a vicious cycle of destruction. They continuously ensnare fish, crabs and marine mammals which then die, attracting additional predators, which then also become ensnared. The nets also wreak havoc on marine habitat. Carried by currents and tides, they scrape the floors of rivers and bays, scouring the fragile ecosystems.
In addition to supporting funding for derelict net removal, CCA Washington has also called upon state officials to move boldly to reduce the ongoing loss of fishing gear and to hold offenders accountable. Proposed measures include mandatory identification tags for active gear, and mandatory reporting of lost gear.
“CCA Washington applauds the efforts of the Northwest Straits Commission, Senator Patty Murray, Congressman Norm Dicks and Congressman Rick Larsen for working to remove these destructive nets,” concluded Irwin. “These nets lie under the water’s surface destroying marine life around the clock, out of the sight and mind of the general public.”
Tags: CCA Pacific Northwest, ghost nets, Puget Sound, salmon
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Increased Mitchell Act Hatchery Funding illustrates Congressman’s continued commitment to restoring Northwest salmon runs
Vancouver, WA – The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2010 spending bill for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes a significant increase in funding for Mitchell Act Hatcheries in the Columbia River basin. Coastal Conservation Association, the largest marine conservation organization in the Pacific Northwest, applauded the increased funding and the tireless efforts of Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA) to advocate for the recovery and preservation of Northwest salmon runs.
The Mitchell Act hatcheries currently provide for the release of between 50 and 60 million juvenile salmon and steelhead in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Congressman Dicks requested the long-overdue increase in funding for the 17 federally-funded Mitchell Act fish hatcheries to implement the recent recommendations of an independent scientific panel. The purpose of the funding is to better align Mitchell Act hatchery operations with the objectives of recovery, conservation and selective harvest reforms.
Both the House Appropriations Committee and the full House agreed to Congressman Dicks’ request, approving an increase of $10 million (from $16 million to $26 million) for the Mitchell Act hatcheries. The increase will fund activities that will increase production and ensure the hatcheries are operated in a manner consistent with requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to avoid harm of listed salmon populations.
“Congressman Dicks has a long history of advocacy on behalf of salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest,” said Bryan Irwin, executive director of CCA in the Pacific Northwest. “In spite of these tough economic times, he was instrumental in securing this significant win for our endangered salmon runs, and for our region. We are grateful that Congressman Dicks continues to play a leading role in salmon recovery efforts.”
Citing the congressionally-chartered Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) that examined hatchery operations in the Columbia River basin, the Congressman has focused on the group’s recommendation that recovery of wild salmon and steelhead will be impossible without limiting or ending the genetic impacts caused by hatchery fish spawning with wild fish. The additional funds proposed for Columbia River hatcheries in the next year could provide for physical barriers to segregate wild and hatchery populations, and could also fund efforts—such as clipping the adipose fin—to distinguish hatchery fish from wild fish and avoid the harvest of the wild salmon and steelhead needed for recovery.
Tags: CCA Pacific Northwest, hatcheries, Mitchell Act, salmon
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