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restoration initiative is undertaken. 



Furthermore, recent production of many southern U.S. Chinook salmon stocks (as well as coho 

 salmon) have been significantly depressed due to droughts and unfavorable El Nino ocean 

 conditions. Although conservation measures have been successful in maintaining spawning 

 escapement goals for some stocks, production and harvest is significantly below optimum levels. 

 While some individuals have mistakenly asserted that this is due to faulty implementation of the 

 treaty, clearly the treaty cannot prevent such natural occurrences. 



Conservation and Management on the Transboundarv Rivers 



In the transboundary rivers, the Taku, Stikine, and Alsek, portions of which are located in both 

 countries, coordinated salmon management programs are implemented by Alaska and Canada under 

 the Treaty. These programs ensure conservation of these shared salmon resources and divide harvests 

 between fishermen of the two countries. 



Cooperative U.S./Canada conservation and management programs on the transboundary rivers have 

 been successful. Conservation problems have generally been avoided and harvests are at high levels. 



A major cooperative sockeye enhancement program initiated in 1989 began producing increased 

 benefits to fishermen of both countries this year. Approximately 200,000 adult sockeye salmon per 

 year will return from these projects on the Stikine and Taku Rivers when they reach full production. 



Northern Boundary Area Conservation and Management 



The treaty limits sockeye catches in two United States fisheries-the Tree Pt. gillnet fishery and the 

 Noyes Island purse seine— where substantial numbers of Canadian origin sockeye intermingle. Treaty 

 limits are also imposed on two Canadian fisheries--the Area 1 troll and Area 3 net-where large 

 numbers of Alaskan origin pink salmon intermingle. 



These treaty limits are imposed in a manner which controls harvest of intermingling non-local stocks 

 while providing each country the flexibility to harvest domestic stocks. In addition to managing for 

 treaty harvest limits, Alaskan and Canadian managers coordinate in-season management to respond to 

 any conservation problems which might arise for intermingling salmon. 



In the northern boundary area, a cooperative rebuilding program for Portland Canal chum salmon 

 has been successful. In 1994, natural production improved sufficiently to allow both countries to re- 

 initiate fisheries in areas previously closed. 



Treaty fishery agreements have successfully limited catches in several fisheries with high levels of 

 intermingling, namely Canada's Area 1 troll fishery, and Alaska's Tree Point gillnet fishery and Noyes 

 Island seine fishery prior to statistical week 31 (approx. last week of July). In the absence of treaty 

 limits, substantially larger harvests of intermingling stocks would have occurred every year since 

 1985. 



On the other hand, Canada's Area 3 net fisheries are currently 9.8 million pink salmon over the 

 treaty's average annual limit and a substantial proportion of these fish originate in Southeast Alaska. 

 Incidental catches of Canadian origin sockeye have also increased in Alaska's Noyes Island seine 

 fishery after the treaty limit period (approx. third week in July) when the fishery is conducted to 

 harvest Alaska pink salmon returns. This Alaska fishing area is key to accessing the largest pink 

 salmon resource in North America. 



Several factors have contributed to these increases including larger natural and enhanced Canadian 

 sockeye runs. Skeena River, located immediately south of the Alaskan border, enhancement efforts 

 alone have flooded millions of sockeye into Alaskan waters. Anomalous El Nino ocean conditions 

 also pushed additional Canadian salmon north into Southeast Alaska, where they mix with very large 

 Alaskan pink salmon. 



As United States fishermen harvested these very abundant Alaskan pink salmon stocks some 



