Gentlemen,

I understand the emotions are high, believe me when I say I'm right there with you. But turning on each other is exactly my point about why we as a community are alway taken advantage of. We MUST stand united or we will continue to be walked on.

There are so many issues in our fisheries that it is near impossible to stay focused on any one problem, and then to exert all our collective force on that issue.

If I might, I would like to suggest two strategies that I believe almost everyone can agree on. And by agreeing on, we can make a consolidated effort to work toward.

1. We need to have the Commission meetings held on weekends rather than during the week. I believe we could dramatically increase the number of participants, and our voice, if the Commission meetings were conducted on Saturday or Sunday. I don't want to start a conspiracy theory, but I find it odd that they want them during the week when most people have to work.

2. We need to continue to press for total transparency in ALL meetings, deals, transactions and discussions involving fisheries. Most all of the destruction we've witnessed in our fisheries have occurred in agreements and discussions which HAVE NOT included the public in the room. Remember, we are supposed to be EQUAL PARTNERS in the fisheries, yet, more often then not, we (rec. fishermen) are left out of the meetings. Yes, we have "representatives" but almost all are part of the "swamp". We need to have these meetings OPEN, thru live video, or open seats, so anyone can see and hear what is discussed and what is agreed to by whom.

Of course, there will be resistance. There will be reasons why these two things can't happen. But, they are only excuses to keep us in our place. But we see what staying in our place has gotten us, and our sport that we all love. So, let's not turn our frustration and anger on each other, rather, lets commit to turn our energy and force on those who are creating this anger...

I agree 100%. How long has this been going on though? it's as we're fighting a war we can't win, with no signs of budging. No plan of attack from the states end whatsoever. The rugs gettin full.
My apologies bob, maybe I came off strong.

There is one thing that the politicians, the Commission and the Department fear...and that is bad press. Or even having a lot of this out in the open. The "public" Commission meetings are covered by video feed and aired. The last thing they want is an overflow crowd of angry recreational fishermen being broadcast..once the word gets out, the other media outlets will show, they won't pass up on confrontation.

The first and most important thing we MUST change is having the Commission meetings changed to weekends. That way, we can get the greatest number of guys to participate.

We might get a handful more anglers at Commission meetings on a Saturday, but I doubt it would be many more than you see at weekday meetings. For every guy/gal currently, actively involved, there are at least two more who are no longer actively involved, because they've been completely demoralized by how fruitless their efforts were. For every two of those, there are about 50 more who simply aren't ever going to get involved in advocacy work. I don't care what sort of advocacy work you choose; 10% of the people do 90% of the work.


Another 90/10 comparison that really hurts our cause is that only about 10% of the public ever goes fishing (might be less than that among younger generations), while a vast majority buys occasional fish commercially. Some of this majority would be sympathetic to our cause if they were educated about the plight of Pacific salmon (and the lowly angler), but most folks don't have a clue (or much of a care, really).

Simply put, public perception is generally not sympathetic to sport fishing interests. They don't fish, and they don't care, so long as they can pay exhorbitant prices for fish at the store once in a while. This is why our pleas and threats fall on deaf ears. We are the minority, and if you look at it that way, the system is working precisely as designed.

Will no longer support any PSA activity, after Ron's letter on Support of Gillnetting.

I can speak for Bob R and his wife Melanie...they have been going to many Commission meetings and also take the time to go to the NOF in Region 6. They both have spoken at not only the Commission meetings but also many NOF meetings, always to positive items that would benefit conservation and sports persons.

Dealing with WDFW can be a real frustration, some of us have been "fighting the fight" to get funds spent for mitigation on the Wynoochee. There is a pot of money, about 2.4 million, that is for steelhead and Coho. THIS MONEY HAS BEEN IN A FUND SINCE 1992, not one penny has been spent for what it was intended to be spent for......grrrrrrrrr

There are 2 primary agencies that "supposedly meet" to get this money spent. WDFW and QIN are the 2 agencies that are involved. The public is not allowed at these meetings, so we don't know the issues that have stopped this process for 26 years. The Commission is well aware, and have said "get this matter taken care of"....nothing...…

Some of us have ask the questions over and over...…"black hole"....Ron Warren, and other WDFW personnel, have knowledge of this and continues to do nothing.


NT Gill netting needs to "go away"....plain and simple, WDFW and our Commission took away years of gains in a 5 to 1 vote.....grrrrrr

In the fish advocacy arena, it’s way more like 1:99.