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Washington State Congressional Delegation 

 September 8, 1992 



Species Act. As a result, Washington has continued to severely 

 limit both commercial and recreational Chinook harvests. The 

 expiration of the Treaty's Chinook provisions offers an 

 opportunity to ensure that Canadian fisheries share the 

 conservation burden borne only by U.S. fisheries under the 

 present regime. 



Coho 



Canada's shift of fisheries to the WCVI had a dramatic impact on 

 coho stocks as well. An important component of the Treaty was 

 the 1.8 million ceiling on WCVI coho harvests. Pacific Salmon 

 Commission's bilateral Coho Technical Committee estimates are 

 that over 60 percent of WCVI coho harvest is of Washington 

 stocks. As with Chinook stocks, the Treaty does not limit the 

 WCVI recreational harvest, nor is it measured by Canada. 

 Indirect estimates indicate it may have grown to as much as 

 300,000 coho above the commercial harvest of 1.8 million. 



Canada does not currently share the conservation burden. Canada 

 harvests its full 1.8 million annual allocation and the 

 additional recreational share without regard to stock abundance 

 or stock composition. U.S. fisheries remain restricted to 

 protect key stocks. 



The 1985 Treaty halted the increase in Canadian commercial coho 

 harvests by placing a ceiling of 1.8 million. Yet it is clear 

 that some coho stocks in Washington have continued to decline. 

 We will not be able to correct this decline and remove the 

 unacceptable constraints on Washington coho fisheries unless we 

 can reduce Canadian interceptions in years of low coho abundance. 



It is undeniable that Canadian fisheries are key to Washington 

 coho conservation. Over half of the harvest of all north Puget 

 Sound coho occurs in British Columbia. Skagit and Stillaguamish 

 coho runs have needed special protection in three of the last six 

 years. The fact that half of the harvest of coho takes place in 

 Canada prior to the effects of any U.S. conservation efforts has 

 led to massive and painful management of Washington fisheries. 



The 1992-93 negotiations offer an opportunity for the two 

 countries to explore abundance-based management of southern coho 

 stocks. This approach would ease the complex and restrictive 

 management U.S. fisheries have faced off the Washington and 

 Oregon coasts and in Puget Sound. Canadian participation in such 



