Believe it or not, there's a very logical reason they don't complain about Alaska fisheries: They may partake in local, "hobby" fisheries, but most of those same guys and gals earn their bread fishing in... You guessed it... Alaska.

The Tribes pretty such support and prefer the NI Commercials to the NI recs. The netters all fish the same way, they understand each other. The rec side can fish selectively, which then puts the First Conservationists in a PR hole.

Unless the State and Tribes agree to change, the MSY management will continue. One fish above goal is wastage (and I have seen net fisheries prosecuted for 10 fish). So, without the NI nets the Tribes will be able to go 24/7. Or, if there are too many hatchery fish left after that, production will be cut. Or, maybe the God Squad will just as "F**k it. Go fishing".

I'm confounded by the "sports" can't harvest all the hatchery fish comments.

Sports catch rates have never been higher on the Columbia. The 360 flasher has sent harvest rates sky rocketing. We cannot exercise and grow our sport fishing priority when splitting a very small impact with a group that uses non-discriminate gill nets. Like said before, there are many ways to extract hatchery fish from the Columbia. The gill netter crowd says we will never change, and are holding Columbia river harvesting reforms hostage.

If they choose not to see the "writing on the wall" at this point and hang on for dear life only to feel victimized and taken advantage of later when it gets completely shut down, it's on them. Hard to think there is any semblance of earning a good living left gillnetting salmon. Most of the ones I know of have other careers because netting fish doesn't even come close to paying the bills.

Hard to sympathize at this stage of the game.

They've been told, "Find a better way... adapt or get left behind" for the better part of the past 2 decades.

Their response? Dig those heels in. Not gonna change.

Kinda reminds me of print film cameras and Kodak during the same time frame. That worked out well.... NOT!

Correct me me if I'm wrong cause I speed read most comments but, I have read no comment about the current budget funding and future funding for increased Chinook production to save the Ocas. Sounds like this legislation would have zero affect on production as long as the Governor is on board and the Orcas are in trouble. Sounds like the outfall of the "remove the nets and decreased production will follow" argument is moot. Starting now in the budget, millions more Chinook are being produced and will be be for the foreseeable future regardless of any laws banning nets and ESA restrictions.

Your analysis fails to include the Feds who hold the ultimate authority vis a vis those pesky ESA restrictions. But for them this would be an easy path to more production.

You mean the Feds could stop the mega production of Chinook in PS to save the Orcas? I think our almighty Gov. and tribes might not take kindly to that. Would be an interesting fight.

Yes, that is exactly the concern! I have written to that exact conflict in the past. NOAA/NMFS has obligations to protect and recover ESA listed species and has already established a position of minimizing the intrusion of hatchery Chinook genes into ESA listed "wild" genes.

Now the crisis of ESA listed SRKW. As I understand it approximately 80% of P.S. Chinook are of hatchery origin and those hatchery fish are critical to the stabilizing of the SRKW population and an increase is deemed necessary to recover them.

That necessary increase in adult returns can be met by increasing production and reducing competitive predation. What won't produce anywhere near the necessary numbers is an elimination of recreational fishing in parts of WA waters. The numbers are simply not there.

So that leaves us with increasing hatchery production which potentially runs into conflict with protection of ESA listed Chinook (a NOAA/NMFS mandate) and reduction of predation (pinnipeds) which runs headlong into the MMPA also administered by NOAA/NMFS.

Orcas? Puget Sound Chinook?? Pinnipeds???

That takes us back to your assessment. It will be an interesting shake-out but have you noticed who has been absent from the public discusson? NOAA's Regional Director Mr. Thom.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/boa/d/belfair-puget-sound-gillnet-permit/6819844981.html

Fire sale!

I noted that Mr. Garner included the time worn phrase "Grow the pie" in his remarks that we need to recover our wild Chinook and produce more hatchery Chinook to feed the orcas, have viable treaty and non-treaty commercial fisheries, and a productive recreational fishery.

In case some have not noticed, we in fact have been fighting over the crumbs of salmon for many years now. With habitat degradation outpacing habitat restoration 10 to 1 and reduced ocean survival rates, crumbs is all there will be far into the foreseeable future. 20 years of Columbia River and Puget Sound Chinook recovery should give people a clear sense of that. Since the future of PS Chinook is crumbs, and the only thing about Chinook numbers that isn't crumbs is the high quality lip service given to the myth of recovery, it is a natural and logical question to ask why we have two, both a non-treaty and treaty commercial salmon fishing fleet in WA, where we don't have enough Chinook for even a healthy recreational fishery. I think SB 5617 is long overdue.

Out of the ballpark, Steve!

Well said by salmo g. Considering where we are in our salmon management, I suspect that those who are now in charge of restoring/managing our salmon are the same ones who advised Coca Cola to change the original recipe. Maybe they're trying to bring back the Edsel, too

WA Chinook and steelhead stock have been listed since the early 90s. How do those stocks look now, after 20+ years of rebuilding? Now, compare that to species like the Whooping Crane, California Condor, California Gray Whale, Peregrine who were all listed quite a while ago. What is their current population versus that at listing? Whatever we have done for the last 20 years simply has not worked. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is not all that smart.

"Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is not all that smart."


Hey. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

It's amazing to look at the historic pictures of commercial fishing in Puget Sound. Seeing guys waist deep on the deck of boats with Salmon that look to be pushing 30 pounds. Imagine, hundreds of thousands of those fish being taken out of the waters, without a single hatchery fish among them.

And look where we are now...

Yes, it is not right to put the sins of the fathers on the children, but it's also not right to blindly continue to rape a resource just because it is a family tradition.

Gill nets are NOT a solution to the problem, in the salt, or strung from shore to shore across a river.

Implementing and mandating selective fisheries across the board, and smart use of brood stock may not be perfect, but it is a step in the right direction. At least, it might put a finger in the hole until some better solutions are created.

Just got this from NSIA:





In This Issue
All Hands On Deck - SB 5617
Urgent Action Alert! We Need You to Contact WA Legislators TODAY to Protect Sportfishing Businesses!!!

Time is almost out to protect (your)
sportfishing businesses!
This Thursday, February 21, at 1:30 Senate Bill 5617, banning the use of non-treaty gillnets in Washington state, will have an Executive work session in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks. At this hearing the Committee will decide whether to amend SB 5617 and/or pass it out of Committee. If the Committee does not vote the bill out, it dies. We can't let this happen!

As you would guess, the gillnetters and their allies have been pounding the Committee with calls, emails and piles of misinformation.

SO PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO ALL YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS!

It is vital that you contact the following Committee members RIGHT NOW and ask them to vote SB 5617 out of Committee. Call or email each one! Sen. Van De Wege, Chair (D), (360)786-7646; Sen. Salomon, Vice Chair, (D) (360)786 -7662 ; Sen. Warnick (R) (360)786-7624, Sen. Honeyford (R) (360)786-7684 ; Sen. Rolfes (D) (360)786-7644 ; Sen. Short (R) (360)786-7612
Tell them:
SB 5617 is important to the jobs in the business you own/work for and for thousands of jobs in both Washington and Oregon.
Every other state in the lower 48 has banned non-tribal gillnetting for conservation and economic reasons. We can do better!
Salmon returns are at all time lows, Orca are dying, and our businesses are struggling. We can no longer justify or afford to continue commercial non-treaty gillnetting.
Do this now. By Thursday at 1:30 it will be too late and the only person you will have to blame will be in the mirror. More than half of the Senate co-sponsored SB 5617, support them by making the calls and emails today. As always, stay polite and respectful and focused on your industry. SB 5617 is not about treaty rights and is not at all relevant in your discussions with Legislators.


Sincerely,


Heather Reese, NSIA Communications

Maybe they need to ammend continued hatchery production even though nets are out? And No tribal nets below Bonneville dam.

5617 just passed in the Senate Executive Session, with modifications.

That's a long way from home, but I can't recall a bill like this getting out of committee in the past, so that's actually a pretty big deal. Color me surprised (so far).