Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 30, 1997
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke appoints member of Fraser River panel

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke announced today he has named Robert Suggs, a Bellingham commercial fisherman, to a position on the Fraser River Panel. The panel is an arm of the Pacific Salmon Commission, which was created to implement the 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada. Suggs has served as an alternate on the panel since 1986 and took part in the original salmon treaty negotiations.

Suggs replaces Jack Giard, whose term expires today. His appointment created a vacancy for the alternate position, which Locke filled today with the selection of Robert Zuanich of Shoreline. Zuanich is director of the Purse Seine Vessel Owners Association. Both Suggs and Zuanich will serve 4-year terms, expiring Oct. 1, 2001.

The Fraser River Panel is charged with providing technical and management support to the Pacific Salmon Commission in setting the length of fishing seasons for Fraser River fish stocks, and with monitoring the management of fishing during seasons.

The 10-member panel is composed of six Canadian and four United States representatives. In addition to the position Locke fills today, the U.S. section of the panel includes one representative each from the federal government, treaty Indian Tribes, and the commercial sector of the Fraser River salmon fishery.

Suggs has been a board member of the Puget Sound Gillnet Association for the past 20 years and has served as chairman of a number of fisheries groups, including the Bellingham Samish Bay Salmon Advisory Team, the Nooksack Samish Regional Council and the Skagit River System Advisory Group.

Zuanich is an attorney who has served on the Fraser River Panel in previous years, and on various fisheries advisory councils going back to 1984. Purse seine fishers are a major part of the overall Fraser River salmon fishery.

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