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Summary of the Pacific Salmon Agreement Reached by United States and Canadian Negotiators Fact Sheet released by the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, June 3, 1999 Negotiators representing Canada and the United States have reached a comprehensive agreement that would resolve long-standing disputes relating to Pacific salmon and the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The agreement is the result of an intensive series of negotiations that has extended over several years. It has been submitted to the US and Canadian governments for formal approval. Key features of the agreement The agreement establishes abundance-based fishing regimes for the major salmon intercepting fisheries in the US and Canada. These regimes, which allow catches in fisheries to vary from year-to-year, are designed to implement the conservation and harvest sharing principles of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Larger catches will be allowed when abundance is higher and, importantly, catches will be significantly constrained in years when abundance is down. This type of regime will be more responsive to the conservation requirements of salmon than the fixed ceilings that existed under the original Treaty arrangements. Two bilaterally-managed regional funds would be established. The funds would be used to improve fisheries management and aid the country's efforts to recover weakened salmon stocks. Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, the US will contribute $75 million and $65 million dollars ($US) to a northern and a southern fund, respectively, over a four-year period. The agreement includes provisions to enhance bilateral cooperation, improve the scientific basis for salmon management, and apply institutional changes to the Pacific Salmon Commission. Principal benefits of the agreement The agreement ushers in a new age of cooperation between the US and Canada concerning the management of salmon. The agreement addresses the conservation and harvest sharing principles of the 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty. The agreement brings stability to the management of fisheries that affect shared salmon stocks. The agreement provides a firm and complementary base for other salmon recovery efforts, such as habitat restoration, underway in both countries to restore depleted stocks of salmon. An overview of the agreement 1. Fishery regimes. Most elements of the agreement are contained in several new "chapters" that replace earlier expired versions of Chapters 1-6 of Annex IV of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Additionally, an understanding was reached regarding management of certain northern fisheries affecting coho salmon, a topic not specifically covered in previous agreements. Most of the new fishery arrangements will be in effect for ten years, beginning in 1999. The arrangement concerning the US share of Fraser sockeye will be in effect for twelve years, also beginning in 1999. The governments would agree that the new fishery regimes are consistent with all the principles of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, and that compliance with those regimes constitutes satisfaction of all obligations under those principles. Transboundary Rivers (Chapter 1). This agreement specifies arrangements for sockeye, coho, chinook, and pink salmon management for several rivers that flow from Canada to the Pacific Ocean through the Alaskan panhandle, including the Stikine, Taku and Alsek rivers. An attachment to the agreement describes programs and associated costs for joint enhancement of sockeye salmon in the Taku and Stikine rivers. Northern British Columbia and Southeast Alaska (Chapter 2). This agreement addresses the management of sockeye and pink salmon fisheries in southeast Alaska and northern British Columbia. It specifies how the fisheries will be managed to achieve conservation and fair sharing of salmon stocks that intermingle in the border area. The fixed catch ceilings contained in the expired agreements are replaced with abundance-based provisions that allow harvests to vary from year to year depending on the abundance of salmon. Of particular note, because they resolve long-contentious issues, are agreements governing Alaska's purse seine fisheries near Noyes Island (District 104) and the gillnet fishery at Tree Point (District 101), and Canada's various marine net fisheries and its troll fishery for pink salmon in Canadian Area 1. Chinook Salmon (Chapter 3). Because they pass through fisheries regulated by many jurisdictions in both Canada and the US, chinook salmon have been the focus of increasing concern and controversy and in recent years. Although some chinook populations are relatively healthy, particularly the "far north migrating stocks" that tend to migrate to the marine waters near Alaska to grow and mature, others have been so diminished in recent years that they have been "listed" by the US federal government under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Many factors in addition to harvest have contributed to the decline of these stocks. The conservation-based fishery regimes established by this new agreement will help to ensure the effectiveness of public and private investments in habitat restoration and other aspects of salmon recovery. The new chinook regime encompasses marine and certain freshwater fisheries in Alaska, Canada, Washington, and Oregon. All chinook fisheries will be managed based on abundance, replacing the fixed catch quotas that applied in previous regimes. Two types of fisheries have been designated: (1) those that will be managed based on the aggregate abundance of chinook salmon present in the fishery, and (2) those that will be managed based on the status of individual stocks or stock groups in the fishery. The three that have been designated for aggregate abundance-based management (called "AABM" fisheries) are ocean fisheries that occur in large areas and affect a complex aggregation of many stocks. They are: the Southeast Alaska troll, net and sport fishery; the Northern British Columbia troll and Queen Charlotte Islands sport fishery; and the West Coast Vancouver Island troll and outside sport fishery. All other ocean and freshwater fisheries impacting chinook salmon have been designated for individual stock-based management (called "ISBM" fisheries). Fisheries in this category include, but are not limited to: the central British Columbia troll, net, and sport fisheries; the southern B.C. marine net, troll and sport fisheries (other than the west coast Vancouver Island troll and outside sport fishery); and, all net, sport and troll marine and freshwater fisheries in Washington, Oregon and the Snake River basin in Idaho. Each of the three AABM fisheries will be managed to achieve a specific harvest rate that varies based on an index of abundance of salmon present in that particular fishery for that particular year. Because each fishery is comprised of a different group of stocks that have different survival rates, the allowable catch will vary between fisheries and between years. Larger catches will be allowed when abundance is higher and, importantly, catches will be increasingly constrained when abundance is down. A schedule of harvest rates and abundances indices, and the resulting annual catch target, has been developed for each AABM fishery. The ISBM fisheries generally occur in marine waters closer to the rivers of origin, or directly in the rivers. These fisheries often are aimed at harvesting hatchery-produced salmon or species other than chinook. The catch in these fisheries is comprised of a relatively small number of chinook stocks, some of which are currently depressed. Accordingly, these fisheries will fall under a "general obligation" that specifies certain reductions in exploitation rates relative to a "base period." The general obligation requires Canada to maintain at least a 36.5% reduction in fishing mortality on identified depressed chinook stock groups relative to the base period. The general obligation requires the US to maintain at least a 40% reduction relative to the same base period. In those cases where the general obligation is insufficient to achieve escapement objectives for natural stocks, additional reductions are specified.. The agreement provides a degree of flexibility to allow management agencies to decide how best to distribute the harvest impacts across their various fisheries to reflect domestic fishery priorities, provided the over-all reductions are achieved. For some chinook stocks, the total reductions will have to be much greater than the general obligation, due to the need to provide extra protection for certain very depressed stocks. The general obligation will not apply to hatchery stocks or healthy natural stocks that are achieving escapement objectives and can support harvest. In addition to predetermined harvest schedules, the agreement contains provisions that specify conditions under which even greater harvest reductions will apply. These so-called "weak stock" provisions serve as a safety valve to afford additional protection to stocks that may fail to respond to the recovery programs. Fraser River Sockeye and Pink Salmon (Chapter 4). Although much of the structure of the previous agreements relating to the Fraser River is retained, the new agreement requires a substantial reduction in the US share of Fraser sockeye. The reduction will be phased in over the next three years and completed by the 2002 fishing season. When completed, the US share in Washington State will be 16.5% of the total allowable catch. (By way of contrast, the US share specified in the first four years of the Pacific Salmon Treaty was approximately 26%.) To mitigate the effect of the reduced share on commercial fishermen in Washington State, the state legislature and the U.S. Federal Government will be asked to contribute to a license buy-back program. This program will result in the removal of a significant portion of the sockeye fishery in Washington. Because the buy-out affects only the non-Indian share, the usual 50/50 sharing rule in Washington will be altered. This resulting shares will be 68% for the treaty tribes and 32% for the non-treaty fishery. This revised sharing rule applies only to sharing of Fraser sockeye. The U.S. share of Fraser pink salmon will be 25.7% of the total allowable catch. Coho Salmon (Chapter 5). The coho agreement essentially provides a blueprint and specifications (biological criteria) for a conservation-based regime for border area fisheries in southern British Columbia and Washington State. The specifics of the regime will be cooperatively and bilaterally developed over the next year, in time to implement in 2000. The new regime will include rules that will establish harvest limits in specified border area fisheries. The rules will be designed to limit exploitation rates on natural coho stocks to sustainable levels, taking into account all fisheries affecting the stocks, thereby improving the long term prospects of sustainable, healthy fisheries in both countries. For 1999, the parties will conduct their respective coho fisheries consistent with those that occurred in 1998. Southern British Columbia and Washington State Chum Salmon (Chapter 6.) This chapter incorporates certain refinements to the provisions that trigger fisheries directed at chum salmon in the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. These refinements will have only a minor impact on the allocation of catches, but will improve the effectiveness of the regime. Additionally, at the request of the US, Canada has agreed to require the live release of chum salmon in certain of its net fisheries in its southern boundary areas at those times of the year when" summer chum"--a species recently listed as "threatened" under the ESA--may be present in the area. Both countries agreed to collect better data relating to these fish. II. Regional bilateral funds. The agreement establishes two funds which would be managed bilaterally and which would address science, restoration, and enhancement needs relating to salmon production. The Northern Boundary and Transboundary Rivers Restoration and Enhancement Fund ("Northern Fund") would address needs in northern and central British Columbia, southeast Alaska, and the Alsek, Taku and Stikine rivers. The Southern Boundary Restoration and Enhancement Fund ("Southern Fund") would address needs in southern British Columbia, the states of Washington and Oregon and the Snake River basin in Idaho. The Northern and Southern funds would be constituted by an allocation of $75 million and $65 million dollars ($US), respectively, by the United States, provided over four years. Either country, as well as third parties, may contribute to the funds in the future upon agreement of the Parties. For each of the regional funds, a bilateral committee composed of three representatives appointed by each of the two countries will be responsible for the approval of expenditure of moneys generated by the funds. Annual expenditures will not exceed the annual earnings from the invested principal of each of the funds; only the interest generated by the funds would be expended. Expenditures will be suspended upon the expiration of the relevant chapters of Annex IV, and may continue only after new fishing arrangements are agreed by the Parties. The funds will be utilized for activities relating to the development of improved information for resource management (including data acquisition and improved scientific understanding of factors affecting salmon production); rehabilitation, restoration, and/or improvement of natural habitat to enhance the productivity and protection of Pacific salmon; and enhancement of wild stock production using low-technology methods. III. Renewed Cooperation on Scientific and Institutional Matters. The agreement includes a commitment by the two countries to improve how scientific information is obtained, shared, and applied to the management of the resource. Among other things, the agreement encourages staff exchanges between the management agencies, bilateral workshops, and participation in the public domestic management processes of the other country. Additionally, a new bilateral Committee on Scientific Cooperation has been established. To be comprised of up to eight persons nominated by the two national sections of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC), the Committee will be charged with assisting the Commission in setting its scientific agenda, advising on research and monitoring needs, and assisting in arranging peer review and evaluation of scientific reports. The Commission also will be encouraged to resolve scientific issues through its various technical committees and asked to elaborate rules and procedures, as necessary, for the implementation of the process set out in Article XII of the Treaty for addressing technical disputes. IV. Habitat. The agreement highlights the importance of habitat protection and restoration to achieving the long-term objectives of the Parties relative to salmon. While the primary focus of the agreement is on setting provisions that govern the management of fisheries, it is well understood that achieving optimum production of salmon will depend on other initiatives as well. These include, but are not limited to, maintaining adequate water quality and quantity, the achievement of improved spawning success and migration corridors for adult and juvenile salmon, and other measures that maintain and increase the production of natural stocks. The PSC will be directed to report annually to the Parties to identify stocks for which measures beyond harvest controls are required and the non-fishing factors that limit production, options for addressing these factors, and progress of the Parties in implementing measures to improve production. Ocean and Marine Conversation [End of Document]