37 



The recent petition to list the vwld coastal coho salmon (which includes Lower 

 Columbia wild coho) under the Endangered Species Act lists over-harvest, degraded 

 habitat, water withdrawals, poor hatchery practices, and regulatory indifiFerences as 

 causes for the salmon's decline. This petition should help us to better understand what 

 other factors, besides dams, are affecting Columbia Basin salmon and what is causing 

 population declines. In addition to the coastal coho, other species experiencing a 

 declining trend include Pacific salmon, steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat stocks from 

 California to Washington. Reversing these trends will depend on balanced solutions 

 and recovery plans for all salmon species that address ecosystem problems facing fish 

 up and down the West Coast. 



Another opportunity to seek actions that can aid in the recovery involves renegotiation 

 of the harvest regimes in the U.S. - Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty. Ocean harvest 

 practices have a direct impact on salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia Basin. 

 Under current harvest regimes, over 76 percent of the ocean harvest of threatened 

 Snake River fall Chinook occurs in Canadian waters. In addition, fall Chinook, and 

 possibly threatened spring/summer Chinook, are harvested by a Canadian sport fishery 

 that is not currently subject to the Treaty. We believe this level of harvest, if 

 continued, will negate any benefit derived fi^om Bonneville rate payers' substantial 

 investment in salmon recovery 



The Fisheries Service and other Federal agencies with Endangered Species Act and 

 fish protection responsibilities are working together to define the actions that need to 

 be taken under the Treaty to assure compliance with the Endangered Species Act. 

 The Treaty is an important component of a comprehensive approach to salmon 

 recovery. 



14 



