Sushihunter
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http://www.redorbit.com/news/scienc...med_revisions_to_1985_uscanada_treaty_await/#
New Salmon Treaty Welcomed: Revisions to 1985 U.S.-Canada Treaty Await Signatures
Whatcom County salmon fishermen could find more varieties of fish in their nets and tugging on their lines next year, thanks to proposed changes to a treaty between the United States and Canada.
Negotiators announced the proposal May 22, and it is currently awaiting a signature from each government. If signed, it would reduce the amount of chinook salmon that could be caught in Southeast Alaska and along the west coast of Vancouver Island -- two main thoroughfares for fish migrating from Washington rivers.
That's good news for gillnetters in Bellingham Bay and for local charter-fishing businesses who roam the San Juan Islands. They expect larger catches of hatchery-raised chinook as a result of the reductions because more fish -- some estimate as many as 50,000 to 100,000 more -- will be swimming into northwest Washington waters, said Darrell Stacey, the owner of Eagle Point Charters in Squalicum Harbor.
"With all of these reductions, it's going to help us," said Jim Aggergaard, the owner of Catchmore Charters in Anacortes. "We're kind of at the end of the road in here. Every year's kind of a crapshoot in terms of what we're going to get for fish."
The proposal, which revises a 1985 treaty, calls for a 30 percent catch reduction of chinook salmon in British Columbia and a 15 percent reduction in Alaska, said Pat Pattillo of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which was one of the lead agencies in the negotiations.
To offset the money lost in the reductions, the proposal requests the U.S. Congress to allocate $30 million to Canada and $7 million to Alaska, Pattillo said. If approved the changes would take effect in 2009 and last through 2019.
"It's good to have a 10-year agreement because we don't want to have to do this too often," Pattillo said.
While spring stocks of Nooksack River chinook won't benefit -- they migrate through the Strait of Georgia along the east side of Vancouver Island, which is not impacted by the treaty, fall stocks of hatchery-raised chinook in Whatcom Creek could benefit. The Whatcom Creek fish tend to swim farther out in the ocean, said Earl Steele, manager of Whatcom Creek Hatchery and a Bellingham Technical College instructor.
While Steele said the hatchery is not releasing any fall chinook this year, the potential benefit of the 10-year agreement is long-term.
"I think we're going to see more fish come back here," Steele said.
Story from REDORBIT NEWS:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=1429461
Published: 2008/06/12 12:00:00 CDT
© RedOrbit 2005
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
New Salmon Treaty Welcomed: Revisions to 1985 U.S.-Canada Treaty Await Signatures
Whatcom County salmon fishermen could find more varieties of fish in their nets and tugging on their lines next year, thanks to proposed changes to a treaty between the United States and Canada.
Negotiators announced the proposal May 22, and it is currently awaiting a signature from each government. If signed, it would reduce the amount of chinook salmon that could be caught in Southeast Alaska and along the west coast of Vancouver Island -- two main thoroughfares for fish migrating from Washington rivers.
That's good news for gillnetters in Bellingham Bay and for local charter-fishing businesses who roam the San Juan Islands. They expect larger catches of hatchery-raised chinook as a result of the reductions because more fish -- some estimate as many as 50,000 to 100,000 more -- will be swimming into northwest Washington waters, said Darrell Stacey, the owner of Eagle Point Charters in Squalicum Harbor.
"With all of these reductions, it's going to help us," said Jim Aggergaard, the owner of Catchmore Charters in Anacortes. "We're kind of at the end of the road in here. Every year's kind of a crapshoot in terms of what we're going to get for fish."
The proposal, which revises a 1985 treaty, calls for a 30 percent catch reduction of chinook salmon in British Columbia and a 15 percent reduction in Alaska, said Pat Pattillo of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which was one of the lead agencies in the negotiations.
To offset the money lost in the reductions, the proposal requests the U.S. Congress to allocate $30 million to Canada and $7 million to Alaska, Pattillo said. If approved the changes would take effect in 2009 and last through 2019.
"It's good to have a 10-year agreement because we don't want to have to do this too often," Pattillo said.
While spring stocks of Nooksack River chinook won't benefit -- they migrate through the Strait of Georgia along the east side of Vancouver Island, which is not impacted by the treaty, fall stocks of hatchery-raised chinook in Whatcom Creek could benefit. The Whatcom Creek fish tend to swim farther out in the ocean, said Earl Steele, manager of Whatcom Creek Hatchery and a Bellingham Technical College instructor.
While Steele said the hatchery is not releasing any fall chinook this year, the potential benefit of the 10-year agreement is long-term.
"I think we're going to see more fish come back here," Steele said.
Story from REDORBIT NEWS:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/display/?id=1429461
Published: 2008/06/12 12:00:00 CDT
© RedOrbit 2005
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
