Minutes
November 3, 2004
Members Present: Laura Arnold, David Loyd, Mary Masters, Kit Rawson, Kevin Ranker, Jim Slocomb,
Dennis Willows
Absent: Kelley Balcomb-Bartok, Mike Bertrand, Brian Calvert, Peter Fromm, David Hoopes, Terrie Klinger, DJ Sessner
Guests: Jody Kennedy, Kari Koski, Commissioner Rhea Miller, Mike Sato, Paul Sherwin, Dylan Stephens, Stan Wagner, Tina Whitman
Guest speaker: Greg Bargmann, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Chair Jim Slocomb called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. in the Community Room at Islanders Bank Annex, Friday Harbor.
Citizens’ Comments:
Mike Sato circulated for signatures a petition to the WDFW to legislate the development of “vanity” vehicle license plates depicting the orca whale, sales proceeds to demonstrate public interest in the recovery of Washington endangered species such as elks, black bears, pheasants, orcas.
Kit Rawson said that Point Elliot Treaty Day is planned for January 22, 2005.
Jim Slocomb reported from his recent voyage north that British Columbia’s fishing licenses are handed out with a copy of fishing regulations; a new book of detailed maps (a “code for the coast”) is also included, indicating bottomfish closures.
Tina Whitman passed around a map from Galliano Island, also in Canada, that, she said, uses interesting categories to incorporate recent scientific data with data gathered through public outreach. Laura Arnold said that she will take the map to the San Juan Preservation Trust and the Land Bank.
Minutes: Minutes of the 10/6/04 and 10/20/04 meetings were reviewed and approved as read.
Jim welcomed Commissioner Miller to the meeting. Rhea spoke about the state of the economy, noting that this is the first year in her ten years as commissioner that the county won’t make revenue; she forewarned that the county could be operating on interest-bearing warrants by January 1st. She explained that sales tax revenue (primarily from construction packages) usually “saves us” but permit fees alone are down by $75,000; Rhea said that it is the sales tax, not property tax, that brings in revenue. The BOCC is faced with the difficult task of making employee cuts throughout county departments; a preliminary assessment of such cuts totals about $700,000 and includes cuts in BOCC salaries and staff. The MRC budget will be reduced from $10,000 to $8,000. Final decisions on cuts will be made next week.
Commissioner Miller also explained that, with the county’s Community Development and Planning Department being reorganized and with D.J. Sessner resigning, it could be several months before another MRC liaison is appointed. Laura Arnold wondered if this gap could provide opportunity for the MRC to re-examine its role in how it is involved in some issues that Community Development and Planning will probably not address. She said that the county has an obligation to update its critical areas rules by the end of next year and it could take months to fill the position of the staff person who would have been assigned to the task. Laura suggested that the MRC might consider taking more of a leadership role on some of these policy issues. Rhea said at a time like this priorities shift; she noted that at the recent Puget Sound Action Team meeting she attended, the only counties that have met the 2004 deadline for a critical areas ordinance are Pierce and King and both are in heavy litigation. Rhea said there has been no consistent message from the Governor’s office and guidelines for best available science are a mess right now. Ruckelshaus said that it would be okay if a county could show that it was making a good effort to meet the 2005 deadline. The BOCC yesterday approved the posting of a $50,000 grant-funded position to work on the critical areas ordinance. Rhea said that she has been informed that there are many pro bono lawyers showing up around Washington, suggesting that a lot of contention and litigation around this issue is anticipated. Jim asked, and all agreed, that this will be an MRC work plan item. Commissioner Miller will continue to be the BOCC liaison to the MRC until January. There was discussion about how Kevin’s election to the BOCC would affect his membership on the MRC and the NWSC.
Marine Enhancement Protocol:
Kit presented a background summary leading up to the MRC’s development of the checklist for marine enhancement projects (including artificial reefs and the introduction or re-introduction of organisms). He explained that three existing projects were used as test cases for the set of questions that would be used as a common frame of reference when the MRC is asked to comment on such projects. The draft was also reviewed by agency and tribal managers and their biologists. Laura said that it would be suggested to the BOCC that the same questions be asked by the county when permit applications for aquaculture projects are submitted. The sub-committee will draft a cover letter.
Motion: Laura moved, and Mary seconded, that the document be adopted as presented today. The motion passed unanimously.
Kit and Jody were thanked for all their work on moving the protocol along.
Guest presentation:
Greg Bargmann said that he visited the MRC last year to talk about herring and sand lance and has appreciated all the help that the MRC has given to the WDFW and the forage fish and ground fish efforts. Greg also commended the work of last year’s bottomfish symposium and said that lots of the information from it is being used by the agency. He said he also appreciated the letters of support from the MRC for regulatory changes that allowed for some restrictions to be imposed.
Greg said that he hoped for a dialogue today on where we are in bottomfish recovery. He pointed out that many species of bottomfish throughout Puget Sound have been in drastic decline in abundance since the 1970’s due to harvest (rockfish, ling cod, pollock, Pacific cod, dogfish sharks); he noted that the soles and flounder seem to be doing fairly well. Yelloweye, Bocasio, and Canary have virtually disappeared. Greg said that last year Governor Locke asked WDFW to devise a plan for re-building of the groundfish population in Puget Sound; he said the agency will take the lead with rock cod, a difficult species to re-build. Governor Locke, he added, hopes for his legacy to include the rebuilding of the orca, seabird, and Puget Sound groundfish populations.
Greg said it is well known that the decline over the last several decades of rockfish in San Juan County is well documented and the combination of fewer fish and smaller fish is really bad for reproduction. He pointed out that we are now at 5 to 10% of unfished levels (down 95% in terms of egg production); there are fewer older, larger fish now to promote healthy reproduction and that what we have done basically amounts to a “clearcut.” In response, recreational harvest has been reduced; the bag limit is now 1 fish (down from 15 in the 1970’s), per person per day and 2004 has been the first year to see rockfish seasons, during salmon and ling cod openings. Commercial harvest of rockfish in Puget Sound has gone from 200,000 pounds per year to 2-3,000 pounds. Greg said that rockfish do not survive being brought to the surface so there is no conservation benefit to release after incidental take.
The population does seem to be stabilizing some since 2000 in response to restrictions but, Greg said, we will never see fishing like in the 1970’s; a long, long period of low harvest rates for rockfish will be needed to achieve an equilibrium population. Greg said he would not advocate building artificial reefs because there is already lots of available very good habitat here; the problem is the lack of adult rockfish. He added that hatcheries might be feasible but are very expensive (it would take 10 years to raise a 12” long fish). Greg said there is no good scientific basis for rockfish management now. He said that there is a lot of interest in properly-designed marine protected areas and it is very clear that they work within the boundaries of an area; MPA’s are great for rockfish, he said, and can become heritage sites. The question is whether MPA’s benefit areas still open to fishing. An MPA will push fishing outside of the area (same number of fishermen in a smaller area). WDFW has been in contact with the tribes throughout the process, Greg added; tribal harvest of rockfish is extremely low.
He reiterated that although an MPA can increase a population within an area harvest in open areas needs to be controlled. Greg said that for the first time he feels that the harvest problem is under control, with year round reporting, monitoring and data on discarded catch. Discarded catch is substantial and smaller first-caught fish seem to be replaced with larger, later-caught fish (higrading); Greg will propose that, starting next year, the catch is done after the first fish is caught! Greg discussed various ways to increase catch and release survival but methods in practice lead to eventual mortality.
The rockfish encounter rate is very high during salmon fishing so that Greg will also propose that salmon fishing be modified to protect rockfish (e.g. depth restrictions; no natural bait, no more than 2 ounces of lead, etc.) Further restrictions in commercial fishing are being considered, such as, that all rockfish harvested in non-tribal commercial fisheries be required to be retained and brought in for counting. Greg agreed that closures are a good idea (e.g. closing all of San Juan County).
Kit said that Greg brought forth compelling statistics and some good management principles including new elements; he agreed that it is critical to pay very close attention to effects inside and outside of protected areas. Greg emphasized that there will be an immediate cost in terms of fishing opportunity and benefits will be delayed. He added that we need a new mind set, realizing that we will never see the “good old days” of unrestricted fishing again.
Greg said that around December 15th the Puget Sound Action Team will have some public process, including opportunity for comment; in mid-February WDFW will do a briefing to the Fish & Wildlife Commission on proposals such as closures and other restrictions (another opportunity for comment). Specific proposals will then be developed for changes in fishing rules. The agency wants to be responsive to local input in order to be effective but not overly-regulating. Greg said it is important to discuss coordinated management with Canada, which is a bit ahead with MPA’s.
Kari Koski said she is very encouraged by Greg’s talk and that the effort should be pursued even if not popular. She said that there are local efforts to improve fishing mentality. Kari asked if fishing regulations could be distributed with licenses by law here and she encouraged partnerships since one tool is more effective (and affordable) than many varied ones. Greg agreed that if we want to conserve rockfish the clear message must be disseminated. Mike said the partnership concept is very needed now for coordinated creative strategies to develop. Kit said that local salmon fisheries should be managed with concern for other species. Kari suggested that there be more agency representation at the Seattle boat show in January to cancel out the workshop information on where to catch the best, biggest fish in the San Juans; Kit added that encouraging fishing is not the only way to sell boats. Greg said that, unfortunately, talks on conservation tend to draw a very small audience.
Jim suggested that, as a work plan item, there be an invitation to the public for discourse at a January meeting about WDFW’s proposals to elicit varied comments from local people. There was discussion about specific areas and species here that have been depleted. Greg said that ling cod populations went down in the 1990’s but there has been some success from the 6-week open season restriction; there seems to be good reproduction with many small lingcod evident now. He said this will become an issue over the next few years because there is a rockfish bycatch with ling cod.
NWSC Marine Site Managers’ Work Session:
Jody said the work session will be on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week; she asked members for questions that should be addressed. Jim will be presenting on the MSA; he said his focus will be the Power Point presentation and his own personal concept of the zone scheme as a lure to fish for data from everyone attending. Kit said the goal is to see how managers can work together and how they can go farther with their management authority. Other ideas were offered; Jody will draft the collection of ideas for email comment. Rhea will also be presenting.
Coordinator’s Report:
Jody announced that Brian Calvert has offered to pay $1000 for the MRC to have a table at the Seattle Boat Show. She requested that the MRC contribute so that both she and Kari could attend the 10-day event.
Motion: Kevin moved, and Mary seconded, that the MSA provide up to $1000 for travel and supplies reimbursement out of MSA/bottomfish outreach money. The motion passed unanimously.
The Waldron Island outreach meeting will be on Saturday, November 13th from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Jody will be the boat dispatcher. Everyone appreciated Tillie Scruton’s notes from the Waldron Community Meeting.
Paul Sherwin, of Bri Communications, presented the “Boaters’ Guide,” which is posted at docks, ports, marinas, and ferry landings. The silkscreened 36”x 48” map has 32 ads on the border and Paul suggested that the MRC could display a simple graphic to promote the MSA, at a cost of $2,150 for 2 years. The issue will be discussed at the next meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Submitted by Helen Venada
