S-3556               _______________________________________________

                                          SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8018

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Metcalf, Owen, Conner, DeJarnatt, Garrett and Rasmussen

Read first time 1/14/88 and referred to Committee on Environment & Natural Resources.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, Your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The Washington state fish is the steelhead trout (@56Salmo gairdnerii), an anadromous species of fish which migrates from the saltwaters to the freshwaters of the state; and

          WHEREAS, Salmon are anadromous fish migrating from saltwater to freshwater which are of great importance to the commercial and sport fishery and to the economy of the State of Washington; and

          WHEREAS, The continued viability of strong runs of salmon and steelhead has been marred by the explosion in population of certain marine mammals, especially sea lions, which utilize salmon and steelhead as a primary food source; and

          WHEREAS, Marine mammal populations have increased dramatically on almost all estuaries at the mouths of rivers important for salmon and steelhead spawning as a result of protective federal legislation; and

          WHEREAS, Numerous unsuccessful attempts have been made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (the agency responsible for marine mammal management) to control marine mammal predation;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that congress address the problem of rapidly increasing marine mammal populations caused by the overly protective measures contained in the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and its amendments, and establish a method for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, in cooperation with the state of Washington, to control the marine mammal population in order to protect the fish runs which are of such great value to the state of Washington.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.