115 



runs are inevitably contributing more and more salmon to our fisheries. (Note, 

 however, that previous Treat>' regimes have prevented the US from increasing its 

 interceptions in the Fraser River fishery in Puget Sound.) 



Conversely, when one country fails to conserve the other's salmon, it may equally 

 be expected that those runs will contmue to declme. This is what Canada has done 

 to our Washington bound coho and chinook runs. Today, because of the Canadian 

 refusal to conserve and because of those declines, those cross-boundary runs are 

 contributing less and less to Canadian harvests. This is to be expected. 



The US. has conserved and rebuilt Canadian cross-boundary runs. At the same 

 time, Canada has refused to conserve U.S. cross-boundary runs. And now that the 

 inevitable long term result of our conservation and of their lack of conservation has 

 come to pass, they complain that they are not in "equity." 



This year, for the first time in history, the National Marine Fisheries Service, acting 

 under the authority of the Magnuson Act, closed the ocean salmon fisheries fi-om 

 Cape Falcon, Oregon to the U.S.- Canadian border. The States of Washington and 

 Oregon have also closed adjacent state waters, and the State of Alaska has taken 

 complimentary action. These actions have been to reduce the harvest of coho 

 salmon and in response to concerns under the US. Endangered Species Act for 

 chinook salmon. Unfortunately Canada has not closed its salmon fishenes. 



For these reasons, the protection of Washington's coho and chinook salmon must be 

 a high priority in these upcoming negotiations. The Puget Sound Fraser River 

 fishery, however, is not an appropriate trade-off to achieve this goal And I believe 

 that to use the Puget Sound Fraser River fishery as trading stock to reward this - 

 counterproductive Canadian behavior is inconsistent with fairness and with the 

 legitimate long-term goals of the Pacific Sabn|0n Treaty. 



Moreover, it is unclear to me why the non-Tribal fishery alone has been chosen to 

 make this conservation sacrifice. 



Recent years have seen a dramatic improvement in the relationship between Tribal 

 and non-Tribal fishers m Washington. They work together in salmon enhancement 

 and habitat rehabilitation projects. They collaborate in our local oil spill response 

 progrjim. They are developing a joint project for the recovery and disposition of 

 lost fishing net. They work with each other in the political and fisheries 

 management processes. This cooperation is a remarkable positive achievement 

 against a sad history of dmsiveness. I am concerned that to shatter the concept of 



Pg.2 



