HomeMy WebLinkAboutres1995-036WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 95 -252
CLEARANCES
Initial
Date
Date Received in Council Office:
Agenda date
Assigned to:
Zriginator.
r
Division Head:
5/23/95
County Council
Dept. Head:
Prosecutor.
Purchasing/Budget:
Executive:
SUBJET.• Resolution of the County Council Encouraging an Agreement to achieve Conservation of the Salmon
Stocks and to Maintain Equitable Catch Sharing and Provide for the Restoration of Chinook and Coho Salmon
in Washington State.
ATTACHMENTS:
SUMMARY STATEMENT Please complete sections of box as appropriate & explain the item below.
Related County contract #:
Should Clerk schedule a hearing? NO YES Requested date:
Amount budgeted for this item /project:
Is it or will it be within budget? YES NO Please explain below
Budget line item number(s):
ORIGINATOR'S RECOMMENDED ACTION.-
COMMITTEE ACTION TAKEN:
COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN:
5/23/95: Approved 7 -0
Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number (this item only)
Res. 95 -036
salmon.res 5/30/95 SPONSORED BY: Consent
PROPOSED BY: Dawson
INTRODUCTION DATE: 5/23%1995
1 RESOLUTION NO. 95 -036
2 ENCOURAGING AN AGREEMENT TO ACHIEVE CONSERVATION OF THE
3 SALMON STOCKS AND TO MAINTAIN EQUITABLE CATCH SHARING AND
4 PROVIDE FOR THE RESTORATION OF CHINOOK AND COHO SALMON IN
5 WASHINGTON STATE
6 WHEREAS, the anadromous chinook salmon and coho salmon runs of the State of
7 Washington have declined greatly; and
8 WHEREAS, some stocks of chinook salmon have been listed as threatened or
9 endangered, and some coho salmon stocks may soon be listed as threatened or endangered;
10 and
11 WHEREAS, cutbacks and closures of salmon fisheries have been widespread, and
12 severe economic losses have occurred among fishers, in fishing ports and in the fishing
13 community at Blaine; and
14 WHEREAS, predictions are that salmon fisheries will be poor for the immediate
15 future except the Fraser, Adams, and Thompson rivers sockeye and pink salmon runs; and
16 WHEREAS, a large proportion of Washington origin chinook salmon and coho
17 salmon stocks are harvested by the Canadian commercial and recreational fisheries on the
18 west coast of Vancouver Island; and
19 WHEREAS, the United States /Canada Salmon Treaty was designed for protection
20 and equitable sharing of each country's stocks of salmon; and
21 WHEREAS, negotiations of the current United States /Canada Salmon Treaty are
22 at an impasse; and
23 WHEREAS, the Alaska delegation to the United States /Canada Salmon Treaty is
24 advocating fishing rates on Canadian origin salmon that the Canadian delegation believe are
25 disproportionately high, which results in Canadian overfishing of Washington origin stocks
26 in return for perceived overfishing of Canadian stocks in the Alaskan fishery; and
27 WHEREAS, continued overfishing will result in destruction of the stocks and
28 bankruptcy of the fishers and businesses that support them; and
Page 1
1 WHEREAS, the sockeye salmon from the Fraser, Adams and Thompson Rivers are
2 in abundant supply, and the right to catch an equitable percentage as stated in the 1985
3 United States /Canada Salmon Treaty is imperative to the economic life of Puget Sound
4 commercial fishers.
5 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County Council
6 encourages Governor Mike Lowry and the U.S. negotiators not to negotiate away valuable
7 sockeye salmon in hopes of obtaining short term goals, which would have long term affect
8 on the economy of our fishers and our local businesses.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be immediately
10 transmitted to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the United States; the Honorable
11 Al Gore, Vice President of the United States; Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House; Mike
12 Lowry, Washington State Governor; each member of Congress from the State of
13 Washington; and to the State Department.
14 APPROVED this 2-�— day of May , 1995.
15
16 ATTEST:
17 L r `cam
18 Dina—Brow—n--Davis, Clerk of-the, Council
19 APPROVED AS TO FORM:
t aa
20.E
21 Civil Deputy Prosecutor
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
VIJA—ke--
ob rt A. Imhof, Cou cil Cha'
Page 2
( ) Approved ( ) Denied