Grim-faced fishermen and business owners faced fisheries

managers at a packed meeting on Tuesday night, voicing anger,

distrust and hopelessness over the gloomy salmon season promised this

summer.


Many pleaded with the Pacific Fishery Management Council at the Red

Lion Inn to adopt the most liberal of three options it is

considering, and even asked for more time on the ocean in the late

summer. Some pushed the council to shut down fishing altogether this

year, while pressing for solutions to prevent further affects of

dams, water diversions, sea lions, hatcheries and other problems.


Former Trinidad tackle dealer Thomas Richardson said that all three

options -- ranging from no fishing to 10 days of fishing -- are

unacceptable. He argued that the council has mismanaged the fishery,

Continued@URL... http://www.times-standard.com/ci_8779685?source=rss

It would seem that our fish and wildlife dept is not the only one that has not managed the resource in a manner responsible to the public trust.

It is time to end commercial fishing in our waters. The CCA has stepped into similar situations down in the Gulf Coast states and there has been a recovery in those fisheries. Hopefully we can turn things around here.

I'd take it a step further. Any type of fishing other than hook and line (probably the closest to fair chase) shoudl be restricted to hatchery fish retention only. This should include all types of netting as well, commercial, tribal or otherwise. I'm also not opposed to restricting wild fish retention with hook and line where wild stocks need strengthening as well, which is probably almost everywhere. The dams are a whole nuther story...