ly fished. And the United States has made an effort to preserve 

 that fishery, even though it lies in a foreign country. 



The United States has contributed machinery and money and 

 agreed to greatly reduced catches to help restore the Fraser River 

 runs after a disastrous landslide occurred in the Fraser River in 

 1913, and at other times throughout the history. Without this coun- 

 try's help, the near-record runs that have been recorded in the last 

 few years could not have occurred. 



Another significant factor of the fishery in the Northwest is that 

 when Judge Boldt determined in 1974 that "in common" as used 

 in a series of mid- 19th century treaties meant native Americans 

 were entitled to catch 50 percent of the fish, that was very difficult 

 for the nontreaty fishermen to accept. But now some 20 years later, 

 the United States versus Washington was finally decided by the 

 U.S. Supreme Court. And most fishermen have accepted that way 

 of life and that interpretation of those treaties. 



There is another problem that has cropped up more recently. 

 That is the problem of the Columbia Snake River System salmon, 

 which are listed under the Endangered Species Act. The fishermen 

 of the second district feel that some parties are willing to trade the 

 Fraser River salmon catch to the Canadians for greater escapement 

 of the Columbia and Snake River salmon. 



And now there is a new twist on the old Boldt formula that 

 threatens to make the situation even more difficult. Many of the 

 second district fishermen have also been led to believe that there 

 is one possible negotiating strategy that would further reduce the 

 nontreaty catch of the U.S. share of the Fraser River steelhead, 

 while allowing the Treaty fishermen to continue to catch 50 percent 

 of the U.S. share of the Fraser River salmon. 



It would reduce the total U.S. catch but guarantee the Treaty 

 fisherman would get 50 percent of the original catch, the catch 

 from which the reduction would take place, which means that 

 nontreaty fishermen would have to absorb the entire reduction that 

 the United States would agree to out of their half of the fish. 



I have urged this Administration to continue the negotiations 

 this fall with a commitment to protecting a fair share of the Fraser 

 River salmon fisheries for the benefit of Treaty and non-treaty fish- 

 ermen alike. Fishermen, both Treaty and non-treaty, have every 

 reason to expect a fair harvest of Fraser River salmon under the 

 U.S./Canada Treaty given the dramatic growth in its productivity. 

 But if it should finally be decided there is any benefit to be 

 achieved through trading away some of our Fraser River fishery, 

 then the burden must be shared equally by Treaty and non-treaty 

 fishermen. 



With that, Mr. Chairman, I would ask unanimous consent to sub- 

 mit for the record testimony of the Purse Seine Vessel Owners As- 

 sociation, which represents a significant number of fishermen in 

 the second district in Washington State. 

 Mr. Manton. Without objection, so ordered. 

 [The statement can be found at the end of the hearing.] 



