Saving Seafood

Washington Congressional Democrats Voice Opposition to Mining in Upper Skagit River Watershed

May 23, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Marie Cantwell (D-WA):

Today, nine members of the Washington congressional delegation, led by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voicing opposition to a proposed mine in the headwaters of the Upper Skagit River in British Columbia due to its potential impact on Washington state.

Those signing include: U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Rick Larsen (WA-2), Derek Kilmer (WA-6), Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Kim Schrier (WA-8), Adam Smith (WA-9), and Denny Heck (WA-10).

“We write in opposition to a proposed mining development in the Upper Skagit River Watershed in British Columbia, Canada,” the members of Congress wrote. “This proposed mine in the Skagit River headwaters could negatively impact Washington state’s tourism and recreation economy, the public health of citizens, and our state’s cultural and natural resources, including economically and ecologically valuable fish populations that are dependent upon the health of the transboundary watershed.”

Imperial Metals, a British Columbian mining company, has submitted a proposal to conduct exploratory copper and gold mining operations on unprotected land in the Upper Skagit River Watershed. However, copper is highly toxic to salmon, and concerns have been raised that heavy metals from mining could pollute the river, harming fisheries as far downstream as Puget Sound and threatening recreation on the Skagit River.

The “Treaty Between the United States and Canada Relating to the Skagit River and Ross Lake, and the Seven Mile Reservoir on the Pend d’Oreille River,” ratified on December 14, 1984, resolves disputes related to hydropower electric generation at the Ross Dam and includes the British Columbia-Seattle Agreement, which preceded the ratification of the Treaty.

In their letter, the members highlighted one primary component of the Treaty: the protection of wilderness, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities in the Skagit River Watershed – goals that are undermined by the mining proposal.

“Mining in the Upper Skagit River Watershed could be detrimental to the Endangered Species Act-threatened fish and other sensitive wildlife populations, such as salmon and orca. This watershed provides over 30 percent of the freshwater flowing into Puget Sound and supports a diverse fish and wildlife population that are of local, regional, and national importance, including the largest population of threatened steelhead and Chinook salmon in Puget Sound and the largest run of chum salmon in the contiguous United States,” the members continued.

The full text of the letter can be found below. 

May 22, 2019

Secretary Pompeo,

We write in opposition to a proposed mining development in the Upper Skagit River Watershed in British Columbia, Canada. This proposed mine in the Skagit River headwaters could negatively impact Washington state’s tourism and recreation economy, the public health of citizens, and our state’s cultural and natural resources, including economically and ecologically valuable fish populations that are dependent upon the health of the transboundary watershed.

The Skagit River flows from its headwaters in British Columbia through the North Cascades National Park and Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Forest to Puget Sound. Imperial Metals Corporation has applied for a permit to conduct mineral exploration for up to five years in an area known as the “donut hole”—a vast acreage of unprotected land surrounded by the Skagit Valley Provincial Park and the E.C. Manning Provincial Park located at the headwaters of the Skagit River.

On December 14, 1984, the “Treaty Between the United States and Canada Relating to the Skagit River and Ross Lake, and the Seven Mile Reservoir on the Pend d’Oreille River” was ratified. The Treaty resolved disputes related to hydropower electric generation at the Ross Dam and included the British Columbia-Seattle Agreement, which preceded the ratification of the Treaty. A primary component of the Treaty and the Agreement is the protection of wilderness, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities in the Upper Skagit River Watershed. We believe that this proposed exploration undercuts the spirit of the Treaty and the Agreement.

Mining in the Upper Skagit River Watershed could be detrimental to the Endangered Species Act-threatened fish and other sensitive wildlife populations, such as salmon and orca. This watershed provides over 30 percent of the freshwater flowing into Puget Sound and supports a diverse fish and wildlife population that are of local, regional, and national importance, including the largest population of threatened steelhead and Chinook salmon in Puget Sound and the largest run of chum salmon in the contiguous United States.

Additionally, the proposal names copper—a metal highly toxic to the native salmon—as a targeted goal of this mining. The potential for releases of copper and other heavy metals would pollute waters downstream. This would pose a substantial human health risk to the State of Washington, City of Seattle, and the Tribes dependent upon this watershed. It also threatens Washington state’s outdoor recreation economy, which generates 201,000 jobs, $26.2 billion in consumer spending, and $7.6 billion in wages and salaries.

We believe mineral development in the Upper Skagit River Watershed undermines the intent of the Treaty and the Agreement and places in jeopardy the cooperation we have shared with Canada on the protection of the Watershed for 35 years. For these reasons and those outlined above, we call your attention to this imperative issue.

Read the full release here

SEEKING HELP: Senators ask for funding to help fishing industry

November 1, 2017 — LINCOLN CITY, Oregon — In a bipartisan push led by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, all eight West Coast Senators—Merkley, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) — today called on congressional leaders and the Trump administration to include disaster aid for fisheries in the next 2017 disaster funding package.

As the Senators pointed out in letters to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and to congressional appropriations leaders, commercial fishing is a bedrock of the economy in many coastal communities, and leaving recent fisheries disasters unaddressed could have negative ripple effects for years to come.

“While the impacts of an extremely low run in a fishery or a complete fishery closure are harder to visualize than the impact of flood or wind damage, a collapsed fishery is indisputably a disaster for local and regional communities,” wrote the Senators. “Fishermen and women can make their yearly living during a single fishing season, and must continue to pay mortgages on their vessels, mooring fees, maintenance and feed their families while their income is almost entirely eliminated during a fishery closure or disaster.”

“It is essential that the Senate treat fishery disasters appropriately, and provide emergency funding that can enable fishermen and communities to recover from lost catches in the form of grants, job retraining, employment, and low-interest loans,” the Senators concluded.

Currently, the Secretary of Commerce has declared nine disasters for fisheries in 2017, and another disaster assistance request is pending in southern Oregon and northern California. As fishery seasons move forward in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, it is likely there will also be fishery disaster declarations in those regions.

Read the full story at the News Guard

Sens. Cantwell, Murray, WA Democratic Reps. Urge Immediate Action from Feds to Protect Native Salmon from Fish Farm Fiasco

Members: Agencies must also immediately halt permitting of new and expanding net pens

August 31, 2017 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the office of Senator Maria Cantwell:

Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), joined by Reps. Adam Smith (WA-09), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Denny Heck (WA-10), and Suzan DelBene (WA-01), wrote an urgent letter to the heads of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to press the two agencies to take quick and decisive action to address the impacts of hundreds of thousands of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon in Washington state waters.

Citing the importance of wild salmon fisheries to Tribes, fishermen, and ecosystems in the state, the members of Congress are calling on NOAA and the Army Corps to direct federal resources to mitigate the risks of this incident, including the capture of the escaped farmed salmon. The letter also calls on the Army Corps to work to stop all permitting for new net pens or expansions to existing pens, as well as prioritize requests to update or maintain existing pens.

“Pacific salmon are central to our economy, our culture, and our environment in the Pacific Northwest, and are a critical part of marine and estuarine ecosystems in Washington state,” the members wrote. “The released Atlantic salmon pose a threat to wild Pacific salmon, including multiple endangered and threatened stocks in the region. Tribes, fishermen, and state agencies are working to respond to the escapement but the scale of the release calls for immediate and direct federal response…”

The farmed salmon escaped from a damaged facility owned by Cooke Aquaculture on August 19th and 20th. Since the breach, farmed Atlantic salmon have been found as far afield as Canadian waters on the West side of Vancouver Island, as well as the Skagit and Nooksack Rivers. The released Atlantic salmon pose a threat to wild Pacific salmon, including multiple endangered and threatened stocks in the region. Farmed salmon tend to be larger and could outcompete wild salmon for critical resources such as prey and preferred habitat, which is important for spawning.

Tribes and federal and state agencies have worked tirelessly towards restoration of wild salmon populations in Puget Sound. At a time when stocks of many types of wild Pacific salmon are at historic lows, the escape of thousands of farmed salmon could be a devastating setback.

The members also asked the agency heads to conduct a review of the integrity and operation of all currently operating net pen structures to address concerns of further accidents at existing facilities.

Text of the letter can be found below.

Dear Acting Administrator Friedman and Mr. Lamont,

We write to request the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) immediately act to minimize the impact of the Atlantic salmon net pen failure near Cypress Island in Skagit County, Washington. The released Atlantic salmon pose a threat to wild Pacific salmon, including multiple endangered and threatened stocks in the region. Tribes, along with federal and state agencies have worked tirelessly to restore wild salmon in Puget Sound and the escapement of thousands of farmed salmon could be a devastating setback.

Pacific salmon are central to our economy, our culture, and our environment in the Pacific Northwest, and are a critical part of marine and estuarine ecosystems in Washington state. Pacific salmon support treaty rights for Tribes throughout the region, commercial and recreational fishers, as well as predators like the endangered Southern resident orcas. On August 19th, potentially hundreds of thousands of farmed Atlantic salmon were released into the Puget Sound ecosystem due to the structural failure of a net pen. While the fish farm facility was permitted under Washington state law, the escapement may negatively impact resources under the jurisdiction of NOAA, the Army Corps, and other federal agencies. Most concerning is the threat farmed Atlantic salmon pose to the wild Pacific salmon populations stocks in Puget Sound. Farmed salmon tend to be larger and could outcompete wild salmon for critical resources such as prey and preferred habitat, which is important for spawning.

Tribes, fishermen, and state agencies are working to respond to the escapement but the scale of the release calls for immediate and direct federal response including mitigation, scientific support, and funding to improve response and capture of the released Atlantic salmon. Further, as other net pens remain in our waters, we request the Army Corps halt all permitting for new net pens or expansions to existing net pens, while prioritizing permit requests to upgrade and maintain existing net pens. In addition, we ask NOAA and the Army Corps to review the integrity and operation of all existing net pen structures to determine any additional threats to wild salmon in the area and prevent any further escapement of farmed salmon into our waters.

We appreciate your ongoing work to restore Pacific salmon in Puget Sound and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Sincerely,

Senators to Trump Administration: Don’t cut Coast Guard budget

March 15, 2017 — Mexico isn’t going to pay for that wall and neither will the Coast Guard, if a bipartisan group of U.S. senators have their way.

According to reports, the FY 2018 Presidential Budget Request could seek an almost 12 percent cut in the service’s budget, apparently in an effort to help pay for increased expenditures elsewhere in the Department of Homeland Security.

A letter sent by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Gary Peters (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and eighteen other senators urges Office of Management and Budget Administrator Mick Mulvaney not to make what could be a $1.3 billion dollar cut to the Coast Guard budget.

The senators note that President Trump has committed to stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the country, protecting its borders, investing in national security, and improving support to armed service members and their families. The Coast Guard plays an outsized role in all these areas and  the senators say thatits budget should be increased rather than gutted.

“We are concerned that the Coast Guard would not be able to maintain maritime presence, respond to individual and national emergencies, and protect our nation’s economic and environmental interests. The proposed reduction… would directly contradict the priorities articulated by the Trump Administration,” wrote the Senators. “We urge you to restore the $1.3 billion dollar cut to the Coast Guard budget, which we firmly believe would result in catastrophic negative impacts to the Coast Guard and its critical role in protecting our homeland, our economy and our environment.”

Read the full story at Marine Log

Read the full letter here

Washington’s senators call for salmon, crab fishing seasons to be declared “disasters”

December 7, 2016 — Several commercial fisheries on the U.S. West Coast should be declared disasters, a move that would make federal funds available to those affected by poor fishing seasons, United States senators representing Washington state said.

Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell called for a declaration of commercial fisheries failures for six pending fishery disaster requests, in a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

“Fishing communities up and down Washington’s coast have suffered through several years of lower-than-expected catch. A federal fishery disaster declaration would make communities eligible for funding for projects such as fisheries recovery, job training, and infrastructure investments in the communities hardest hit,” the senators said in a statement.

Washington’s maritime industry supports almost 60,000 jobs directly and contributes USD 30 billion (EUR 28 billion) in economic activity each year, not including the shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, and outfitters that benefit indirectly, they said. The senators stated that fisheries are also of tremendous significance to the state’s tribal fishermen, who have been harvesting fish on Washington’s coast for thousands of years.

“Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters,” Senators Murray and Cantwell said.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Senators Murray, Cantwell Push to Declare Six Fisheries Disasters in Washington State

December 5th, 2016 — The following was released by the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA):

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker calling for a declaration of commercial fisheries failures for six pending fishery disaster requests.

Fishing communities up and down Washington’s coast have suffered through several years of lower-than-expected catch. A federal fishery disaster declaration would make communities eligible for funding for projects such as fisheries recovery, job training, and infrastructure investments in the communities hardest hit.

Washington’s maritime industry supports almost 60,000 jobs directly and contributes $30 billion in economic activity each year, not including the shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, manufacturers, and outfitters that benefit indirectly. The fisheries are also of tremendous significance to the state’s Tribal fishermen, who have been harvesting fish on Washington’s coast for thousands of years.

“Commercial, recreational, charter and tribal fisheries are an integral part of Washington’s maritime economy, as well as our culture and heritage,” the Senators wrote. “Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters. We appreciate your full and fair consideration of these requests.”

The outstanding requests currently before the Department of Commerce include:

  • 2014 Fraser River sockeye salmon. Requested in January 2015 by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy Greene, Sr., and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles.
  • 2015 Grays Harbor coho salmon. Requested by Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp on November 23, 2015.
  • 2015 South Puget Sound coho salmon. Requested by Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Policy Representative Joseph Peters in May 2016, by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan on June 22, 2016, and by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen on July 5, 2016.
  • 2015 Dungeness crab. Requested by Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Charles Woodruff on June 23, 2016.
  • 2015 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.
  • 2016 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

Full text of the letter can be found below.

 

The Honorable Penny Pritzker

Secretary of Commerce

United States Department of Commerce

1401 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, D.C. 20230

 

Dear Secretary Pritzker:

 

We write to urge you to use your authority under Section 312 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. § 1861a) to declare commercial fishery failures for six pending Washington state fishery disaster requests. The importance of these fisheries to the Pacific Northwest is enormous, and their failure has far reaching consequences for tribal, commercial and recreational fishermen across Washington state and the Pacific Northwest.

 Commercial, recreational, charter and tribal fisheries are an integral part of Washington’s maritime economy, as well as our culture and heritage. The maritime industry in Washington state alone directly employs 57,700 people and contributes $30 billion in economic activity annually. In turn, fisheries support industries such as shipbuilders, hotels, restaurants, gear manufacturers, and outfitters. However, several years of lower-than-expected returns have compounded the economic and cultural effects that local fishery disasters have had on coastal communities.

In addition to the economic impacts on the commercial maritime industry, fishery disasters limit the opportunity for Tribal subsistence and ceremonial harvests. Fishery disasters result in a significant nutritional, cultural and financial burden for Washington state tribes, adding to the importance of a swift response to fishery disasters. Tribes have been fishing the coastal waters of Washington state for thousands of years and the federal government has a responsibility to uphold their treaty fishing rights.

Given the vast impact that these disasters have had on communities across Washington state, we request an expedited review of the following requests, currently before the Department of Commerce:

·         2014 Fraser River sockeye salmon. Requested in January 2015 by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Makah Tribal Council Chairman Timothy Greene, Sr., and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman Frances Charles.

·         2015 Grays Harbor coho salmon. Requested by Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp on November 23, 2015.

·         2015 South Puget Sound coho salmon. Requested by Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Policy Representative Joseph Peters in May 2016, by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Jeromy Sullivan on June 22, 2016, and by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen on July 5, 2016.

·         2015 Dungeness crab. Requested by Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Charles Woodruff on June 23, 2016.

·         2015 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

·         2016 statewide coho salmon. Requested by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September, 14, 2016.

 

Prompt declaration of these disasters will help meet the needs of communities struggling as a result of these disasters. We appreciate your full and fair consideration of these requests

Sincerely,

__________________________

Patty Murray

U.S. Senator  

__________________________

Maria Cantwell

U.S. Senator

###

Senators Cantwell and Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Protect Pacific Northwest Seafood

WASHINGTON — september 29, 2015 — The following was released by the office of Senator Maria Cantwell:

Today, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to change the market name of “Alaska pollock” to “pollock”. The change aims to better distinguish the pollock harvested in Alaskan waters from Russian pollock passing itself off as “Alaskan pollock” in stores nationwide. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).

In 2012, 113 million pounds of Russian pollock were sold to U.S. consumers as “Alaska pollock.” Senators Cantwell and Murkowski believe the labeling move is necessary because the Alaskan Pollock fishery is far more sustainable and produces higher quality products compared to international Pollock fisheries.

“Today, all Pollock can be labeled as Alaskan – no matter where it’s caught. The Alaskan Pollock fishery is one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world, and consumers have a right to know if the Pollock they see in the grocery store, or on a menu, is real, sustainable Alaskan Pollock caught by American fishermen,” said Senator Cantwell.

“Alaska is known world-wide for our top quality seafood. When consumers seek out the words, ‘Alaska, wild-caught’ at the grocery store, they shouldn’t be deceived by what they are actually getting,” said Senator Murkowski. “The change in nomenclature is necessary to avoid ongoing misrepresentation of the origin of pollock that is purchased and consumed in the U.S.”  

This bill also makes a similar change to golden king crab, which can only be legally labeled as brown king crab, even though it is known as golden king crab today.

The Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) support these efforts and have previously cited several reasons for the requested change:

•             The use of “Alaska pollock” as an acceptable market name is misleading to consumers;

•             “Alaska pollock” is understood by consumers to connote a geographic origin, not a particular kind of food from any geographic origin;

•             The use of “Alaska pollock” as an acceptable market name is inconsistent with other similar fish species; and

•             U.S. government programs support other efforts to provide accurate information to consumers about the seafood they purchase.