Commission: Most of N. Pacific awash in salmon

The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission yesterday issued this press release via the U.S. Coast Guard summarizing last week's commission meeting in Niigata, Japan.

For those who don't care to read the full and rather lengthy release, here is the first and most interesting paragraph:

"Unprecedented high catches of Pacific salmon continue in most areas of the North Pacific, reports the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. Only at the southeastern part of their range off British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California are Pacific salmon stocks in low abundance."

Reaction from Japan

My recent rant about the lack of information as to just what the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission would be discussing at its meeting this week in Japan drew some quite reasonable criticism of Deckboss for suggesting the international panel might be operating under a degree of "secrecy."

It also yielded this agenda, which was all I was after as an ordinary, interested citizen.

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."