HEARING ON THE U.S.±CANADA PACIFIC SALMON TREATY HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SEPTEMBER 18, 1997, WASHINGTON, DC Serial No. 105±57 Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 46±527 CC u WASHINGTON : 1998 i VerDate 06-MAY-99 14:15 May 24, 1999 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 E:\HEARINGS\46527 txed02 PsN: txed02 COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES DON YOUNG, Alaska, Chairman W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana GEORGE MILLER, California JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts JIM SAXTON, New Jersey NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia ELTON GALLEGLY, California BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland Samoa KEN CALVERT, California NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii RICHARD W. POMBO, California SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey LINDA SMITH, Washington CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ , Puerto WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina Rico WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY, Texas MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York JOHN SHADEGG, Arizona ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam JOHN E. ENSIGN, Nevada SAM FARR, California ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island CHRIS CANNON, Utah ADAM SMITH, Washington KEVIN BRADY, Texas WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts JOHN PETERSON, Pennsylvania CHRIS JOHN, Louisiana RICK HILL, Montana DONNA CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Virgin Islands BOB SCHAFFER, Colorado RON KIND, Wisconsin JIM GIBBONS, Nevada LLOYD DOGGETT, Texas MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho LLOYD A. JONES, Chief of Staff ELIZABETH MEGGINSON, Chief Counsel CHRISTINE KENNEDY, Chief Clerk/Administrator JOHN LAWRENCE, Democratic Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS JIM SAXTON, New Jersey, Chairman W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey JOHN PETERSON, Pennsylvania SAM FARR, California MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island HARRY BURROUGHS, Staff Director JOHN RAYFIELD, Legislative Staff CHRISTOPHER STEARNS, Democratic Counsel (II) VerDate 06-MAY-99 14:15 May 24, 1999 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HEARINGS\46527 txed02 PsN: txed02 C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held September 18, 1997 .......................................................................... 1 Statement of Members: Saxton, Hon. Jim, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey ............................................................................................................. 1 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 2 Briefing Paper ........................................................................................... 2 Letter from President Clinton to Mr. Saxton .......................................... 9 Letter from Mr. ChreÂtien to Mr. Saxton ................................................. 11 Young, Hon. Don, a Representative in Congress from the State of Alaska . 19 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 8 Statement of Witnesses: Allen, William Ronald ``Ron'', Commissioner for Pacific Northwest Tribes . 27 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 73 Applegate, Rick, Chair, Southern Stakeholders Panel .................................. 42 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 69 Bacon, Jim, Chair, Northern Stakeholders Panel ......................................... 44 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 72 Benton, David, Commissioner for Alaska ....................................................... 31 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 64 Murkowski, Hon. Frank H., a U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska ........ 5 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 7 Pipkin, James, U.S. Special Negotiator for Pacific Salmon .......................... 11 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 52 Shelton, Jev, Alternate Commissioner for Alaska ......................................... 30 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 57 West, Mary Beth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, Department of State .......................... 13 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 54 (III) VerDate 06-MAY-99 14:15 May 24, 1999 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HEARINGS\46527 txed02 PsN: txed02 HEARING ON THE U.S.±CANADA PACIFIC SALMON TREATY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1997 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISH- ERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS, COM- MITTEE ON RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:10 a.m. in Room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Jim Saxton [chair- man of the Subcommittee] presiding. Mr. SAXTON. I apologize for the delay. There is a vote pending in the House and apparently most Members are waiting to try and determine whether or not they should come here before the vote or after the vote. It looks like they are coming after the vote so we are going to postpone for a few minutes. [Recess.] Mr. SAXTON. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning, we still have a vote pending, however, we are going to begin the hearing. Let me ask unanimous consent that Adam Smith from the State of Wash- ington, who is not a member of the panel, and Senator Murkowski, be permitted to join us. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Subcommittee will come to order. STATEMENT OF HON. JIM SAXTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY Mr. SAXTON. The Subcommittee is meeting today to conduct an oversight hearing on the Pacific Salmon Treaty and recent negotia- tions between the United States and Canada. By way of back- ground, after years of extensive negotiations, the United States and Canada signed the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985. In addition to the Treaty, there are four annexes that are nego- tiated on a rotating schedule. Annex IV deals specifically with the conservation and management of shared salmon resources. Since 1983, the parties have been unable to reach a long-term agreement on the renewal of any chapters within Annex IV. While the Pacific Salmon Commission was formed by the United States and Canada to implement the Treaty in 1985, it is not the entity through which negotiations are being handled. Instead, these discussions have taken place through the use of special negotiators, nonbinding me- diation and now stakeholder meetings. Unfortunately, none of these efforts have been successful. The Canadian Government wants to resolve the current impasse through government-to-government negotiations, and has ex- pressed frustration over what they view as the U.S.'s lack of au- thority to reach an agreement. This frustration has manifested it- (1) VerDate 06-MAY-99 14:15 May 24, 1999 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 E:\HEARINGS\46527 txed02 PsN: txed02 2 self into actions taken by the Canadians, infuriating Members of Congress and members of the public. The first action was the implementation of an illegal transit fee on hundreds of U.S. fishing vessels in 1994. These fees have been reimbursed through U.S. legislation, but have yet to be addressed and reimbursed by the Canadian Government. The second action was the blocking of an Alaskan ferry in Prince Rupert Harbor this past summer, which inconvenienced several hundred Americans and international tourists and cost the company thousands of dol- lars. There has been no effort by the Canada to compensate the own- ers of the ferry or its passengers who had nothing to do with the dispute. We look forward to hearing from our witnesses and let me ask the Ranking Member, Mr. Abercrombie, the gentleman from Ha- waii, and Senator Murkowski, the gentleman from Alaska, if they have an opening statement. [The prepared statement of Mr. Saxton follows:] STATEMENT OF HON. JIM SAXTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY Good morning. The Subcommittee will come to order. The Subcommittee is meet- ing today to conduct an oversight hearing on the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the re- cent negotiations between the United States and Canada. By way of background, after years of extensive negotiations, the United States and Canada signed the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985. In addition to the Treaty, there are four annexes that are negotiated on a rotating schedule. Annex IV deals specifically with the conservation and management of shared salmon resources. Since 1993, the Parties have been unable to reach a long-term agreement on the renewal of any chapters within Annex IV. While the Pacific Salmon Commission was formed by the United States and Canada to implement the