American Sportfishing Association March 2006 Policy Watch
For more information on ASA Government Affairs activities, contact Gordon
Robertson, VP and Government Affairs lead, x237 or Carol
Forthman, director, Ocean Resource Policy, x244.
ASA Actively Involved in West Coast Salmon Season Issue
The decision regarding the closure of the 2006 ocean salmon season will
take place this week. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will
meet today, April 3, through April 5 to vote on passing an emergency rule
and to subsequently accept one of three options for the season. The options
are: closing the 2006 season, repeating the reduced harvest of 2005 and
a compromise between the two. According to a March 31 letter from the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), NMFS has indicated it is still inclined
to pursue a total closure of the 2006 ocean salmon season.
ASA has been working closely with West coast members on this issue and
is supporting grassroots efforts to maintain a 2006 season. Gordon Robertson,
ASA VP, attended a March PFMC meeting and public hearing in California
where he presented remarks in favor of keeping the season open. ASA is
also working on the state and federal levels to address the issue. To prevent
closure of the 2006 ocean salmon fishery based on weak stocks from one
river source, ASA urges its members and partners to write to
the Secretary of Commerce, the White House, California’s governor
and their Members of Congress to urge them to direct the NMFS to work with
the Council to pass an emergency rule to forestall complete closure, and
instead provide for a season that will address population concerns without
the severe economic impact of closure. As of April 3, through ASA’s
Web site, close to 4,000 users have sent letters.
At its March meeting, the Pacific Fishery Management Council presented
three options for the harvest of salmon off of California and part of the
Oregon coasts. This decision was triggered by a lower projected number
of Chinook spawning salmon returning to the Klamath River in 2006. The
number is below the 35,000 conservation target for the third consecutive
year. However, this has occurred in more than half of the years since 1970
and for more than three consecutive years on several occasions. It is ASA’s
position that the Klamath River is not overfished, but that the Klamath
Basin is suffering from competing uses, particularly for water. ASA supports
a limited season for the Klamath fishery and on March 29, urged the PFMC
to adopt an emergency rule and adopt the option that allows for the same
season as in 2005.
Additional ASA Actions
ASA has sent letters to the Pacific Fishery
Management Council, Governor Schwarzenegger and Natural Resources Secretary
Chrisman, urging them not to close the season, but to find a reasonable
way to protect the Klamath population while allowing for a season. ASA
has also had personal conversations with the California Secretary and the
Director of the California Department of Fish And Game. At the federal
level, ASA met on March 15 with Jim Balsiger, Deputy Assistant Administrator
of NOAA Fisheries, to express our concerns. ASA sent a letter to
Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez with copies to Assistant Administrator
for Fisheries Bill Hogarth, as well as the Chairman of the White House
Council on Environmental Quality and 40 California Members of Congress.
ASA has contacted all California, Oregon and Washington state members of
ASA and requested that they express their concerns. ASA also placed an
alert and automated letters to the Secretary of Commerce, the Pacific Fishery
Management Council, their Senators and Member of Congress on ASA’s
Web site. ASA continues to press at the state, regional and federal level
for reasonable action.
ASA Seeks Long term Solutions for Northwest Salmon Issues
ASA realizes that the proposed closure for California and Oregon is only
the current crisis for northwest salmon, and has written to the Chairman
of the White House Council on Environmental Quality requesting that the
administration seek a long term solution to salmon management on the west
coast. There are many factors, including water withdrawals, structural
barriers, pollution and disease organisms that have lead to the current
situation. If these are not adequately addressed, restrictions on
salmon harvest will not be sufficient to reestablish the salmon resource.
Federal Manufacturers’ Excise Tax Update
ASA is still waiting for the final version of the IRS Director's Industry
Directive concerning scenarios and factors determining how excise taxes
should be paid by sportfishing manufacturers. As of March 30, 2006, the
document is still being reviewed by the IRS. ASA members will be notified
when the document is available.
ASA Attends Southeastern Conference on Coastal Ecosystem Management
In March, ASA attended a conference on fishery ecosystem management in
Wilmington, North Carolina. The conference was held by the University of
North Carolina, Wilmington, and attracted government leaders and other
interested groups from throughout the Southeast. The conference was focused
on discussing how to implement ecosystem approaches in fishery management,
especially in the Southeastern U.S.
ASA Visits Members of Congress in Support of USFWS
As
part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) annual meetings with
Congress, ASA participated in visits to three members of Congress and moderated
a panel of Congressional staff and Fish and Wildlife Service staff on issues
impacting the Service's fishery management programs.
ASA Participates in the Federal Budget Reviews
In March, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), formerly
the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA), hosted
a two day budget review meeting where federal fish and wildlife agencies
outlined their Congressional budget requests for fiscal year 2007. ASA
assisted in drafting comments on a number of the agency budgets. The resulting
position paper will be used by AFWA, ASA and other organizations to garner
support for adequate fishing funding.
ASA Submits Comments on Cape Hatteras Plan
ASA submitted comments on the proposed plan for protecting threatened
and endangered species at Cape Hatteras. ASA commented that the U. S. Park
Service had improperly stressed recreational vehicle access and ignored
actions to address other potential impacts to the protected species. The
Park Service proposal also failed to adequately account for the severe
economic impacts of its proposals.
ASA Meets on Magnuson-Stevens Bill
ASA met with House Resource Committee staff to discuss recreational issues
for the House of Representatives Magn–Stevens Reauthorization
proposed bills. Two bills have been introduced, one by Representative Pombo
(R-CA) and the other by Representative Gilchrest (R-MD). Of the two,
ASA supports Rep. Pombo's bill as it more closely follows the Senate bill.
The Gilchrest bill has several sections that are both unworkable and would
adversely affect sportfishing. No hearings have yet been scheduled.
007 Farm Bill Continues to Progress
ASA continues to work with a number of partners in the conservation community
and on Capitol Hill to form a coalition supportive of language increasing
fisheries participation in the 2007 Farm Bill. During the March North
American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, ASA staff attended
multiple Farm Bill meetings which brought unique opportunities to meet
with large groups of conservation organizations and state resource agency
officials.
