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Washington coastal stocks. In 1993, Washington state had called for a WCVI catch 

 ceiling of 1.2 million coho based on abundance projections and escapement needs. 

 The final agreed upon ceiling was 1.7 million coho. 



The Canadians hold that their interception of U.S. fish in the WCVI fishery is a 

 fundamental counterbalance to U.S. interception of Canadian-origin fish (Fraser River 

 sockeye and pink salmon in particular). Canada has stated that reductions in WCVI 

 harvests are possible, but not without compensation and parallel U.S. actions on stock 

 rebuilding. For 1994, Canada had offered to reduce its WCVI catch limit to 1.4 

 million coho, if SEAK fisheries are also limited to 1.4 million coho (DFO, 1994a). In 

 1993, Canada agreed to reduce its WCVI fixed catch ceiling from 1.8 million to 1.7 

 million coho. Due to much lower than expected coho abundance, the actual Canadian 

 catch was under 1 million fish. For 1994, U.S. coho stocks are at record low levels of 

 abundance. As a result, the retention of coho in all ocean commercial and recreational 

 fisheries along the U.S. coast has been banned. While the catch ceiling has been set at 

 1.8 million coho, it is highly unlikely that a catch of even 1 million coho can be 

 realized. Moreover, fishing effort based on such an optimistic expectation would 

 overharvest stocks which are already at record low levels. 



The U.S. holds that 1) the lack of Canadian response to continued declines in U.S.- 

 origin coho stocks is inconsistent with the conservation goals of the Pacific Salmon 

 Treaty -- and that a viable WCVI coho fishery cannot be maintained without Canadian 

 action; 2) the WCVI sport fishery, which is not covered under the current treaty, has 

 greatly expanded in recent years, and must be addressed; and 3) an absolute WCVI 

 catch ceiling for coho is inappropriate, since annual catch ceilings should be dependent 

 on abundance. The U.S. argues that stepped harvest management, with steps of 0.9, 

 1.2, 1.5 million coho, should be applied to this fishery. 



Under stepped harvest management, specific catch ceilings are established for specific 

 ranges of fish abundance projections. Each catch ceiling would provide for adequate 

 spawning escapement for all abundance levels within its associated range. This 

 management method is designed to buffer against uncertainties and shortfalls in fish 

 abundance. In years where harvests cannot be justified, due to extremely low fish 

 abundance, a no harvest option should be exercised. A lack of forecast capabilities for 

 coho stocks from Vancouver Island and Georgia Strait remains as an impediment to 

 stepped harvest management. Without forecast of Canadian stock abundance, the 

 WCVI troll fishery would be constrained solely by abundance forecasts for U.S. coho 

 stocks. 



* EDF recommends an aggressive research program aimed at forecasting the 

 abundance of all salmon stocks regulated by the PST. EDF also recommends the 



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