U.S. Asks Canada To Resume Salmon Talks Negotiations Have Been Suspended Since Seizure Of American Fishing Boats

The United States appealed to Canada on Wednesday to resume suspended talks on salmon fishing “in a spirit of good faith and compromise.”

State Department spokesman John Dinger said the United States believed an agreement on the contentious issue was within reach when Canada walked out on the talks last week.

Meanwhile, in Port Hardy, British Columbia, the fourth U.S. fishing boat skipper to be detained in the dispute was fined $220 and released Wednesday.

Robert Ayers, skipper of the 58-foot halibut boat Christina of Seattle, pleaded guilty in Provincial Court to failing to report to authorities when he entered Canadian waters.

Judge Brian Saunderson imposed the same fine he levied earlier against three other skippers who admitted violating the “hail-in” regulation.

After paying the fine, Ayers was released to resume his voyage from Alaska to Washington state.

The crackdown on violators of the requirement, adopted last year but unenforced until now, began after negotiations to renew the Pacific Salmon Treaty collapsed last week.

At issue is how the United States and Canada should divvy up Pacific salmon.

Canada says U.S. fishermen have been catching roughly 4 million more salmon each year than they should be, costing the Canadian industry $45 million annually.

The two sides had agreed to resume the discussions Friday.

But the United States postponed them after Canadian authorities seized four American vessels this week, escalating the dispute.

All were released after paying nominal fines.

On Tuesday, Dinger said a postponement was deemed necessary until a more favorable climate for discussions could be achieved.

Dinger said Wednesday the United States believes “the Canadian negotiator needs to indicate to us that he is willing to go back to the negotiating table in a spirit of good faith and compromise.”