I hereby promise to attend a protest at the Pike Place Market, on or very soon after the wild steelhead retention goes into place. If we can get 50 people with signs to protest, with signs, in front of a vendor selling Indian caught steelhead we can very likely get a TV crew or to cover it. Our protest can be simple. Don't buy wild steelhead. If they are so scarce that sportsman can't keep any they are too scarce to net.

I know it will get some ink in Salmon Trout Steelheader and we can call F&H news and every other media source we can think of.

What do you think? If we get a good response to this we can start a sign-up sheet. I think we need at least 50 people committed to make it work.

I bet Aunty M can come up with some catchy slogans.

Dave......I like it! Line up the protest for a Saturday and I'm there!
I saw a version of this slogan on a shirt.....We Love 'em and Leave 'em.....Not kill 'em and cook 'em.

Good idea!

I'll be there Dave.....

If the protest worked and they stopped selling the wild fish there.Dont you think there is a pretty good chance they would just sell those fish to a out of state or overseas buyer?

I think we need to find out where our fish and shellfish are being sold...The eggs that get stripped from fish that are then discarded are sold right here to firms like Cossack Caviar. Where do all the Geoduck go....hundreds of thousands of pounds with ZERO revenue to the state. Where do all the wild steelhead get sold? The millions of crabs? clams? sea urchin eggs? herring? herring roe?

Yes, the protest would be a great idea! Mainly it would bring some pretty high-profile attention to this cause. Remember that only a sliver of the population (US) knows what the issues are here.

Yes, we certainly do need to find out what is happening to commercially harvested steelhead and other fish and shellfish.

Someone provided a link on an earlier thread from some seafood institute(?) that listed types of seafood including salmon and steelhead that are available in westcoast restaurants and markets.

Dave,

Count me in for 2. The wife and I would gladly hold signs.

I hate crowds, but this is worth it.

We best make sure there is not some kind of permit required from the city. We need to be legal about it.

Something else that can set the "mood" in motion is a full-page ad in the Seattle Times. A "shot across the bow", if you will. The Native netters will be then on-notice that Sportfishermen are most concerned about our wild stocks.

Anyone in the group with an advertising background? I am thinking this could be placed after the protest at Pike Place. If it does make the TV news we want to be sure the voting public understands the WHY 50-100 men and women were protesting the Natives netting wild stock.

The non-fishing, but VOTING public need to know the issue, and be provided adequate information about Native fisheries. We can gain a ton of momentum if the average trout fisherman gets involved as well.

Not sure what a full-page ad costs, but I'll toss in $50.00 to get the pot rolling.

Mike B

count me in tell me when and i am there!!!!!!!!

I think this may be a go. But, for several reasons, I cannot be the organizer. I will attend. I will photograph it, and I will report on it in my column, but I cannot be the principle.

If this is a go, I think we need to let other board participants discuss it and we need to let groups like TU and PSA have a chance to opt in or out. It needs to be well planned, orderly, legal and professional, if we want to be heard. In addition I think we need a brief written statement to provide to the news medis. I will help in any way I cam without being the leader.

I would love to hear from anyone who thinks we should NOT do this.

If we can get a date set on this, I'd suggest posting it on other forums too, like WFF, steelheader.net and gamefishing.com. This way we can get many people to come. A tip-off to the media would be great too, both the papers and television. The more people and news coverage we get, the more the impact would be.

I called the PP market this morning just to see if they had steelhead for sale today. (Not actually interested in buying) I was curious.
They do not today.
If a recreational fishermans protest happened there on a day that there was no steel for sale (such as today), would that effect the possible impact of such a protest? I think so.
Do you see what I'm trying to get at?
I like surecatch's idea, but hopefull any protest @PPM, happens when there is (wild) steelhead in the market itself.
(I believe that if any media source reports the protest, they might also mention that there wasn't any steelhead being sold that day)
$0.02

J.D.

Jaydee,

I was up there a few days ago getting some prawns and City Fish had some Wild Steelhead for sale. I asked where it came from and was told it came from the Quinault river.

The other three seafood vendors did not have steelhead.

Dave,

I hate to rain on a parade, but I'd suggest holding off a bit. First, I'd not plan it without thinking it through to the intended outcome and how this would fit in to the picture. Second, like jaydee points out, they don't have any for sale today. Hmmm, protest gone flat and wasted effort and possible media attention. Third, how about a representative organization contacting and attempting to set up a meeting or meetings with the fish houses at Pike Place and other major fish mongers in the metropolitan area. Explain the issue about wild steelhead and give them an opportunity to consider this side of the picture. Maybe they would voluntarily refuse to purchase and sell wild steelhead. (Consider the marketing confusion for a moment. Wild salmon in the marketplace simply means free-swimming in the ocean and includes hatchery salmon.) Another possibility is that fish houses may have to agree to buy a tribe's steelhead in order to also buy their salmon, creating a tougher business choice for them.

Just some thoughts.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Tom, the designation, "troll caught fish" means fish harvested by trolling hooks attatched to lines. (They're brough in by hand, mostly)
To my knowlege, the is no WA SW commercial troll fishery for steelhead, just salmon.
These commercials get a higher price for the troll-caught salmon from the fish-buyers than net-caught fish, and of course are more expensive for consumers at the market.

As salmo g mentioned, there are two kinds of steelhead/salmon, comercially speaking. Wild (free swiming), and farm-raised (in a net pen).


J.D.

...especially over one that was mangled in a net.

http://www.southeasternfish.org/Documents/commfish.html

Hmmm...

My thoughts are this: the Commissions actions will go into effect on May 1, 2004 (I think). My guess is that there will be few if no wild steelhead for sale at that time. But, it does give us plenty of time for:

1. Planning a protest
2. Speaking to the vendors at the Market
3. Reaching out to other organizations that will be quite beneficial to this.
4. Here's a novel idea - how about talking to the Northwest Indian Fishing Commission about this as well? I would love to see how the tribes would react to this change in the landscape.

Just some ideas - I am in for the long run - let's make sure we do it right.