Cantwell calls for emergency increase in sardine quota
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today formally requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service enact an emergency rule to increase the sardine quota for Washington state fishermen. Without the immediate reallocation of the coast wide sardine quota, this year's sardine harvest will be terminated prematurely. The Pacific Fishery Management Council made the recommendation to increase the sardine quota because of the severe economic impact it would have on Washington fishing communities. The decision would provide economic relief to fishing communities in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties as well as to Whatcom where many of the boats are based. Cantwell's request came in a letter to Secretary Donald Evans of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The text of the letter follows:
September 16, 2002
The Honorable Donald L. Evans Secretary of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 14th and Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20230
Dear Secretary Evans:
I am writing to request that you implement the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Fishery Management Council's recommendation for an emergency rule to reallocate the current coast wide sardine harvest.
Fishing communities in southwest Washington are facing enormous hardship due to an antiquated sardine quota allocation that will result in the premature closing of the sardine fisheries. This will adversely impact hundreds of local jobs in Pacific County, Washington and in particular, the Ports of Illwaco and Woodland. I request your assistance in avoiding this outcome through the immediate implementation of an emergency rule to reallocate the coast wide sardine quota.
Without your immediate action, this year's sardine harvest in Washington state will be terminated early, because the current quota of sardines has already been met. The sardine harvest quota unfairly penalizes Washington fishing communities, because it was set at a time when California communities were the only participants in the sardine fishery. Under the current quota allocations, sardine fisheries south of Monterey, California are allowed to harvest 100,000 metric tons of sardines. In comparison Northern California, Oregon, and Washington sardine fisheries share an allocation of 39,200 metric tons. Due to this discrepancy, the NMFS Pacific Fishery Management Council has over the last several years reallocated the unused sardine quota from the southern California fisheries to the northern coastal fisheries. While NMFS typically issues the quota reallocation guideline on October 1st, this year there is an urgent need to implement the reallocation prior to that date, so that the northern coastal sardine fisheries will be able to fish during the last remaining weeks of good weather conditions.
Given these facts, the NMFS Pacific Fishery Management Council met last week in Portland, Oregon to recommend that an emergency rule be put in place to reallocate the coast wide sardine quota. In light of the urgency of this situation, I request your assistance in implementing this emergency rule as soon as possible.
I appreciate your assistance and look forward to working with you on this matter.
Sincerely, [original signed] Maria Cantwell United States Senator
Cc: Rod McInnis, Regional Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service Dr. Jeff Koenings, Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife Norman B. Cuffel, Chairman Pacific County Board of Commissioners David Ripp, Executive Director Port of Woodland
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