Links to news items from 1995, 2000, 2003
On Mar. 20, 1995, the WA Dept. of Fish and Game announced an emergency closure of sport fishing for spring chinook salmon in Columbia River tributaries above Bonneville Dam due to an estimated record low return of 12,000 fish. [Assoc Press] .
On Mar. 21, 1995, Canadian fisheries officials announced that the 1995 Fraser River sockeye salmon return is estimated to be 10.7 million fish, with a target spawning escapement of 2.9 million fish; thus, the harvest will be about 7.8 million salmon. [Assoc Press] .
On Mar. 20, 1995, NMFS released its 500-page final draft salmon recovery plan for public comment. A series of 8 public hearings on the draft plan will be held throughout the Pacific Northwest from May 15 through June 6, 1995. The draft plan establishes numerical criteria for determining when listing salmon populations can be considered to be recovered.
Elements of the draft plan include buy-backs to reduce fishing pressure, changes in harvest regulations to better protect fall chinook salmon, limiting hatchery production of salmon to the 1994 level of 197 million fish, captive propagation of wild salmon, and changes to operations of the hydropower system announced on Mar. 1. [Assoc Press] .
On Apr. 14, 1995, the winter troll season for chinook salmon in SE Alaska will close, with total catch projected to be only slightly more than a quarter of last winter's 56,000 fish. As of Apr. 11, 1995, total catch was about 14,300 chinook. [Assoc Press]
On Apr. 10, 1995, Alaska Governor Tony Knowles announced a $20 million plan to protect salmon habitat and improve recreational access in Cook Inlet tributaries, including the Kenai and Susitna River drainages. [Reuters, Assoc Press]
On Apr. 7, 1995, the two Idaho members of the Northwest Power Planning Council announced a draft proposal, applicable only to 1995, for assisting the downstream migration of juvenile spring/summer chinook salmon from the Snake River drainage. The plan includes operation of lower Snake River reservoirs at minimum operating pool levels with target water flows of 100,000 cubic feet per second at Lower Granite Dam. Drawdown of Dworshak Reservoir would be limited to a maximum of 40 feet below full pool until after Labor Day. [Assoc Press]
On Apr. 7, 1995, members of the Colville Confederated Tribes began receiving checks in partial compensation for damages, including destruction of salmon spawning grounds and flooding of tribal land, caused by the 1930s construction of Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River, WA. The tribes had filed a claim for compensation in 1951. Annual compensation payments by Bonneville Power Administration will continue as long as Grand Coulee remains in operation. [Assoc Press]
On Apr. 7, 1995, the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted recommendations for the 1995 salmon fishery. These recommendations provide for a limited commercial and sport fishery for coho salmon off Washington State only, with slightly improved chinook salmon harvests off California and Oregon. In addition, a small Treaty tribe harvest of chinook salmon would be allowed off Washington State. [Assoc Press]
On Nov. 8, 1995, the National Research Council issued a new report entitled Upstream: Salmon and Society in the Pacific Northwest. The report acknowledged the importance for managers to protect the genetic diversity of salmon, and that hatcheries should be used only when and where they will not harm wild, native salmon populations. The report also suggested reducing fishing effort and encouraging more discriminating fishing strategies. Barge transportation of downstream migrating juvenile salmon was deemed the most biologically effective and cost effective approach. Too little time and effort was reported to have been spent on protecting spawning habitat of wild salmon. [Assoc Press]
On Nov. 8, 1995, British Columbia's Fisheries Minister David Zirnhelt requested that the Canadian Government provide emergency aid to B.C. salmon fishermen. Landed value of B.C. salmon in 1995 was $90 million -- far below the four-year average of $210 million. [Assoc Press]