Eddie: I thought it was April 1st.

One thing that we could point out while protesting is, what is 50% of 0? If we cannot harvest wild steelhead, then we cannot get our 50%. If the indians get 50% of the harvestable numbers, and if the harvestable numbers are 0, then how can they net the fish? If I'm wrong on theis somebody point it out.

I would gladly participate, however, one of my concerns would be media bias (this would not stop me from participating, but it should be something we'd need to address). Several years ago, my dad put together a protest on Elliot Bay he called the Elliot Bay Salmon Wake. It must have been during the summer of '93 or '94. Basically what happened, was the tribes got to do a test fishery on Elliot Bay followed by a commercial harvest. While this was going on, Elliot Bay was closed to sport fishing for salmon. An on the water protest was put together with PSA members taking news crew and cameras in their boats and being interviewed on Seacrest Pier on the night of the actual harvest.

Every sportsman interviewed, made it clear that it was a commercial harvest and that the test fishery had been done earlier in the week. However, when the story was shown on the news, it was presented as if sportsmen were protesting a test fishery and not willing to work with (tribal) biologists to determine the run strength. In the end, the story made sportsmen look like fools. I'm not sure how to fight politically correct media, but it is something we'd need to consider.

Look at the big uproar in the papers about farm raised fish?? Just imagine if we could get the point across about all the efforts and money spent to save the wild fish while allowing netting of the ESA fish. The guilt trip deal. How can you buy those wild ESA steelhead ? Would you buy a bald eagle and eat it?

Dave,
Set a date and I will be there, please e-mail everyone of the time and date and I think we can pull it off.
I also have many clients that would attend.
Peace
Superfly

Good point. That could be a good protest sign.

Fishinjunkie15 raised a common question regarding Tribal vs. non-Tribal harvest. This is not a new topic on this BB. Here is my take on it.

The Tribes are allowed 50% of the available harvest. The available harvest is defined as the numbers of fish over and above what is needed on the spawning grounds. The available harvest is independent of the allocation. That's the reason (IMHO) the Commission has been slow to take the "no-kill" position for sport angling on wild steelhead. If the sport anglers don't take their allocation of the "available harvest" of wild steelhead, the Tribes can take 100%. That is, they can take both the sport allocation and their own. Conversely, if the sport anglers don't take their 50% allocation, it will not affect the Tribal allocation.

So why would the Commission take this position? Just because the Tribes can take the entire allocation doesn't mean they will. The market for wild steelhead is not great and it's likely to go down. Prohibiting the possession of wild steelhead by sport anglers will result in more wild steelhead. I'm all for it. Plus, if the market continues to decline, it's possible the Tribes stop fishing for them as well. I think that's what Dave was driving at when he started this thread.

#1 rule is politicians will do nothing in an election year.

#2 They are deathly afraid of potential racist issues.

#3 the race card will come out first thing in this issue.


My feelings are that all commercial fishing needs to be addressed to avoid this deal killer.

So let's go to the millionaire's club and hire a couple dozen indians to hold the protest signs.

Firstly, count me IN on the protest. I'm sure we can drum up some support from our fellow PSA members as well.

Secondly, I share JacobF and TheKing's concern about the subject of media bias. I can not remember any of the newspapers or TV stations ever siding against the tribes on anything. It's like the media and most of the Western Washington populace just walked out of the theatre from watching "Little Big Man".

The last major tribal issue was when some state legislators floated the idea of allowing non-tribal fully-taxed casinos (which BTW would go a long way in solving the state's buget problems). The media portrayed this subject as the state trying to screw the tribes out of jobs and health care facilities (baby killers) -- so it never came to vote. I even remember that there was some sympathy when bald eagles were being killed for money.

I can just picture an interview with an Indian, responding to our protest, saying "They just want all the fish for themselves" and having the facts of the matter ignored.

I would not be surprised if our protesters heard some boos and shouts of "racists". The "city folk" of the Pike Place Market are probably not too concerned about sportfishermen's issues.

The TV media hosed us good when they backed-out of covering our crab protest in P.T.

If we are going to do this, I think need to stay completely focused and hammer away on ONE subject and one subject only -- the ESA listing. We are upset that listed fish are being allowed to be killed. We shouldn't even mention who is doing the killing -- let others figure that out for themselves.

Let's attack this as an environmental issue and not a sportmen's issue. I for one would welcome WT's and TU's support on this.

Well said Slabquest. The message has to stay on point as all the media energy will try to make it about racisim and emotion. Specifically in this liberal bastion.

I agree with slabquest 100%.

Everything else will be figured out without even saying it.


I think the sport vs tribal thing should be stayed away from.

I agree with Salmo g. and the others that recomend mediation before a protest...

Try to work with them before you ever work against them! It could much more productive then you would think...

Yeah, no shiot! But does this surprise anybody? We constantly have the treaty shoved in our face and we are expected to follow it "to the rule", but they never seem to.... Why isn't someone being asked this and HELD TO ANSWER? WDFW officials owe it to everyone in the state to explain how even a designated non-sustainable run (for harvest purposes) can be included in their allocation. This BS has got to stop...... What next? Shooting wild deer/elk and selling that? Saw 6 HUGE elk heads (7 and 8 points) at a Taxidermist shop and when I asked him what part of the state they came from, he told me ALL FROM THE SAME indian..... Had heads mounted and according to the Taxidermist they fetch from $7000.00 to $10,000.00 apiece..... Have to wonder where the meat went or if it was wasted.....

MC

MC..a little off topic but I'm glad you brought up the tremendous waste assaulting our natural resources at the hands of the indians. It is just mind boggling what rape they get away with. Somebody has got to get mad really soon or we won't have anything left.

In other parts of the world scum of all nationalities kill endangered animals for money. Look how they have to cut off the black rhinos horn to save that near extinct species from being killed by poachers who kill for the horns to sell to the asians who think that if they eat the ground up horn their pee pees will grow bigger. WOW what a bunch of crap!

The Dr. would be happy to come participate!!!!!!
Maybe we should try the pre-dawn phone strike. (talking sense into them first) then if they dont listen......hmmm

Mr. Vedder, I would be proud to stand with you to support the ban of wild fish sales and netting for that matter. As far as putting pressure on the tribes to stop netting, Judge Boldt took the pressure off them for good thirty years ago. Maybe we need to call for more pressure on the state to come out with a management plan that reflects the times and remind them that we vote and spend money that stays in this state and country. I think there are a lot of people that are selling off our resources without regard for anything but their wallet. The problem is the same goofballs that started the casinos are in control of a lot of things in this state.

sounds great! count me in!

Dave, if you want any information regarding the market for our seafood, send me a private message. I have worked in the seafood industry (sales and marketing) for some time. A small amount of the wild steelhead is sold in WA( Pike Place Market and a few restaurants), while the majority goes out of state and out of the country(Asia and the EU). I can say that a protest would get some good press and can be very effective locally. There is a local seafood market here that stopped selling wild steelhead, as they had a number of customers complain, and threatened to stop buying. Just getting the press would be a start. The articles get picked up by national and international press as well as industry publications.

So is this going to happen? If so it would be easy to get the word out to other boards, FHN, STS, and even other places. If you get a few hundred people to show, or even a thousand, it would create quite a stir. And if the television news, and newspappers are tipped off then that could mean hundreds of thousands of people would see this issue. If this is possible then we might just be able to get soemthing to change. It would deffinatly bring the topic into the local mainstream.

So is it a go? Time to start planning?