SPRING VACATION
HflUJflll
March 21-28 $419.00
Airfare only
Limited space available
Call 687-2825
EUGENE TRAVEL
831 E, 13th
Eugene, Or 97401
j
Graphic by Sioux Anderson
Overfishing, habitat loss ;
blamed for salmon slump
i-iarDor seals are not responsiDie tor decline
of salmon fishery yields in the Pacific Northwest,
Greenpeace Foundation representative Steve
Gilbert said at an Ocean Symposium Wednesday.
Overfishing and the destruction of fresh
water salmon habitats are primarily responsible
for the decline, but the harbor seal provides a
convenient scapegoat for embittered salmon
fishermen, Gilbert said.
“Over the years, the harbor seal has been
regarded as the coyote of the Oregon coast.”
Gilbert called the image of a voracious sal
mon-eating harbor seal one of "many myths” that
grew out of the long conflict of interests between
fishermen and harbor seals.
Gilbert also cited recent studies that claim
salmon are only about 10 percent of a harbor
seal's diet. The other 90 percent consists of less
prized fish, such as hake and pollack, he said.
However, harbor seals have paid a high price
for this mistaken image, Gilbert said.
Approximately 12,000 harbor seals lived off
the Oregon and California coast in 1925, but by
the early 1950's bounty hunting reduced the
numbers to i,uuu-2,uuu, ne said, since tne
prohibition of bounty hunting and the enactment
of the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, the i
harbor seal population has increased to about
4,000, he said
Now the modest gains in the last decade of
harbor seal populations are threatened by
powerful industries who would like to ‘‘gut con
servation and environmental acts passed in the
1960’s, Gilbert said.
“I feel this conflict between the harbor seals (
and the fishermen is being used as a spearhead to
weaken the Marine Mammal Protection Act — to
open up other mammals for fishing exploitation." '
Oil companies that want to drill for oil off the
Oregon and California shoreline want the MMPA
weakened or eliminated so they can operate
without fear of damaging marine mammal stocks,
Gilbert said.
"If industry can get the Marine Mammal
Protection Act, it would be another feather in their
cap, and kind of a good way for them to start off
the 80s."
Board plans for budget cut
A plan to cope with a possible
10-percent cut in funding of
state colleges and universities
will be considered today by the
Oregon State Board of Higher
Education.
If approved, the plan would be
presented to the Legislature's
Ways and Means Committee.
The board earlier developed a
proposal for handling cuts
proposed by Gov. Vic Atiyeh.
The plan now being presented
by Chancellor Roy Lieuallen is
for possible further reductions
in higher education funding.
If the system has to accept
these cuts, it will mean an addi
tional $3.7 million reduction in
University funding, says acting
University Pres. Paul Olum. All
together the University would
lose $5 million and a reduction
of “a couple thousand
students” and corresponding
staff and faculty, he says.
Not only students and faculty
would be eliminated, Olum says.
To make ends meet after a
10-percent reduction, ‘‘we
would cut whole programs. We
would cut whole schools.”
Across-the-board cuts would
“destroy quality uniformly,” he
said. Chopping individual
schools and programs, would
leave the remaining programs'
quality intact.
"Those cuts would devastate
the University. You'd have to
declare financial exigency.
Many of our best people would
leave.”
But Olum is leery of talking
about possible consequences .
"This kind of thing always
begins to constitute a self-ful
filling prophecy.”
Also on the state board’s
agenda is discussion of tutition
options for Atiyeh’s proposed
15-percent tuition increase for
each of the next two years. The
board also will hear Jeff Lee,
Executive Director of the State
Scholarship Commission,
speak on financial aid.
THINKING of
BEING AN R.A.?
(RESIDENT ASSISTANT)
INVESTIGATE FURTHER...
APPLICANTS REQUIRED TO ATTEND
ONE OF THESE MEETINGS:
Tues. March 3 University Inn
Main Lounge 7 pm
Wed. March 4 Sheldon Hall Lounge 7 pm
Thurs. March 5 Bean West Application Deadline April 9
Conference Room 7 pm 686-4277
Applications now available at Housing Office in Walton Complex.
LIVE MUSIC
TONIGHT
with the
RAGTIME MILLIONAIRES
9-Midnight
SATURDAY NIGHT
Folk Music with Rob & Lora 8-Midnight
HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 4:30-6.30
$1.25 Pitchers
Y1% AN’S
1225 Alder St. 345-2628 Call ahead for to go orders
Cultural Forum
r i
Are you interested in a
career in the music industry?
The EMU Cultural Forum and Cascade Concerts
are happy to announce a
FREE
Career in Music Seminar
featuring
John Ford Coley
and
Leslie and Kelly
1
Saturday Feb. 28 at 1:00 p.m.
MflMlMEJEMMlMlMI
Admission Free