Ukiah Daily - March 13, 2006
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, last week, condemning them for failing to declare the 2005 salmon season a disaster. The letter comes amid reports that the Salmon season in California may have to be closed this year.
According to the letter, the NOAA should have known that salmon runs would be in crisis in 2005 because of a mass salmon die-off in 2002 when 78,000 salmon in the Klamath River died due to an infestation of the parasite Ceratomyxa Shasta. At the time fish biologists warned that a salmon disaster would occur in three to four years.
"I am mystified as to why NOAA fisheries has yet to make any disaster determination for the last year's salmon season off the coast of California and Oregon," Thompson said. "With reports that this year's season could be completely closed, the failure of NOAA fisheries to make a decision has placed additional economic and emotional strain on the regions commercial and recreational fishing communities."
Last May, 37 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 3 members of the Senate, asked that Gutierrez to expedite the disaster determination process. Ten months later, the job remains undone, Thompson said in his letter.
By failing to make a determination, Thompson said that NOAA fisheries denied Congress the time needed to secure federal disaster relief fishing families and businesses. The 2005 salmon season had to be shortened to 11 weeks from 27 in California. Biologists from the Pacific Fisheries Council are currently deliberating whether or not to close the salmon season for 2006.
Thompson requested that Gutierrez make a disaster determination by March 15. Thompson also asked that NOAA inform him and the other representatives from Oregon and California, how they plan to address the current salmon season and help the affected communities in the event of closures.
Thompson's letter comes on the heals of an announcement by the NOAA that types of commercial fishing that are cause long-term environmental damage, such as bottom trawling, will be prohibited in more than 150,000 square miles of ocean along the West Coast.
The prohibited area covers the West Coast from Canada to Mexico and reaches up to 200 nautical miles offshore. The plan was developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council at the urging of national review panels who feel the government should do more to protect fragile ocean habitat. The plan is aimed at replenishing fish stocks by providing much needed habitat for commercially valuable fish.
"This is the first time we have taken such an extensive approach to protecting offshore habitat," said Bob Lohn, head of NOAA Fisheries Services Northwest Region. "Over the long run we expect that, not only will we have a healthier ocean but the fishing will get better as well."
Both environmental and fishing industry groups were involved in the creation of the plan which the NOAA says will less than 10 percent of the total revenue for commercial fishing. That loss is expected to be made up as fisherman move their operations to areas that remain open, according to an NOAA press release.
Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net