Salmon, sake and secrecy in Japan

Regular visitors to this blog know Deckboss doesn't spend a lot of time complaining about what a tough job we journalists have.

But I'm breaking form now to carp a little about an outfit called the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission.

The commission is holding its annual meeting this week in Niigata, Japan.

For those unfamiliar with the organization, the commission draws together Canada, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States under a convention to "promote the conservation of anadromous stocks in the convention area."

An excellent mission, I'm sure you'll agree.

Naturally, I was curious to see what was on the agenda for this big annual meeting.

Salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea, perhaps? Genetic testing to pin down whose salmon are headed where? Or maybe an update on the effects of large-scale Japanese and U.S. hatcheries on wild fish?

But no agenda is on the commission's Web site. At least none that I could find.

All I saw was this barebones notice of the meeting.

Apparently, much additional information is behind a wall labeled "member's area." Click it and all you get is a box for plugging in a password.

I'd be less annoyed with the uncooperative Web site were it not for the lack of a reply to my Oct. 28 e-mail to the secretariat in Vancouver, British Columbia, requesting an agenda.

Here's what I can tell you: For travel opportunity, it must be nice to be a representative on the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission.

Since 2000, the commission has met in such cities as Tokyo, Victoria, Vladivostok, Honolulu, Sapporo and Seattle.

Now the commission is talking salmon and trout in Niigata, which Lonely Planet describes as a "lively capital" where "sake reigns supreme."