Lawmakers and Fishing Groups Denounce Bush Administration Process on New Salmon Policy

A bipartisan group of lawmakers today urged the Bush Administration to reevaluate its rulemaking process in regards to salmon policy. In recent weeks information has come to light suggesting that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), is prepared to institute a policy that would count hatchery raised salmon in Pacific Northwest wild salmon counts, despite warnings from prominent scientists and without public input. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.) authored a letter, signed by a bipartisan group of 75 Members of Congress, which was sent to the Bush Administration requesting them to involve the scientific community and citizens in the rule making process. “The Administration's attempts to enact a rule that ignores the scientific experts as well as the citizens whose livelihoods will be affected by it, seems like a recipe for disaster,” Thompson said at a press conference today. Both NOAA Fisheries staff scientists and commissioned scientists have said that including hatchery-raised salmon in wild salmon population counts would compound the risk of extinction of wild salmon. The policy fails to take into account that there are significant biological differences between wild and hatchery fish. Two and a half years ago a court order tasked NOAA Fisheries to revise its salmon policy. Lawmakers denounced the Administration's inaction on the issue saying that since the court ruling NOAA Fisheries has had ample time to involve the public in the rulemaking process but made no effort to do so. # # #