Columbia Spring Chinook: HELP NOW!!!

[Gun Rod Bow]

Pete,

I sent a copy of this to my "Republican" representative Jerry Krummel. Thanks for keeping us up to date.

Director Lindsay Ball

ODFW

Salem OR

I was very disappointed to hear that the spring chinook allocation has slipped from the 65% sport / 35% commercial division to 60/40.

I know the final dates and season will be determined this week in Oregon City.

In the last two years the commercial gill netters have taken more than their share of salmon from this prized fishery and the sport fishers have had to pay the price with premature closures of our season.

I ask you to consider the following:

* A harvest "Buffer" for the gill netters to prevent their over harvest.
* Keep the Columbia from I-5 to Bonneville open, even if a days of the week closure is required.
* Please do not allow future attempts of the gill netters to increase mortality quotas on steelhead.

The following are facts:

* The state of Oregon loses money on every gill net caught fish, compared to sport caught.
* The gill netters have taken more than their share in the past and the sport fisherman have been made to pay the price.
* Gill nets have proven to be a poor method to "target" hatchery reared salmon while protecting native salmon and steelhead.
* Sport fisherman have been effective at protecting wild fish and could do even better.

Keeping the river open above Bonneville spreads out the fishery and reduces pressure everywhere. It is indisputable that sport fishers have been short changed by the process in the past. It would seem only fair to take steps to prevent the gill netters from exceeding their take.

Thank you,


Bruce Polley

[Gun Rod Bow]

Come on gang!!!

How many of you plan to fish for springers???

You obviously know how to use a computer.

Please drop a note to Lindsay Ball at Lindsay.A.Ball@DFW.STATE.OR.US

Just tell him to keep the gillnetters from overfishing, and tell him it is not fair to cut our allocation and give it to the gillnetters.

Everyone screams about gillnets, here's a chance to affect change.

[boater]

i wrote this today.

To the washington state wildlife commision,

i am writing to you to ask how you can legaly reduce the allowcation of spring chinook for the sports fisherman in the state of washington, according to the following RCW it says "i quote",

However, the wildlife management in the state of Washington shall not cause a reduction of recreational opportunity for hunting and fishing activities

to me that says anything less than last year would be an illegal act, i urdge you to follow the law as it was intended, thanks.


RCW 77.04.020
Composition of department -- Powers and duties.
The department consists of the state fish and wildlife commission and the director. The commission may delegate to the director any of the powers and duties vested in the commission.


[2000 c 107 § 202; 1996 c 267 § 32; 1993 sp.s. c 2 § 59; 1987 c 506 § 4; 1980 c 78 § 3; 1955 c 36 § 77.04.020. Prior: 1947 c 275 § 2; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 5992-12.]

NOTES:


Intent -- Effective date -- 1996 c 267: See notes following RCW 77.12.177.


Effective date -- 1993 sp.s. c 2 §§ 1-6, 8-59, and 61-79: See RCW 43.300.900.


Severability -- 1993 sp.s. c 2: See RCW 43.300.901.


Legislative findings and intent -- 1987 c 506: "Washington's fish and wildlife resources are the responsibility of all residents of the state. We all benefit economically, recreationally, and aesthetically from these resources. Recognizing the state's changing environment, the legislature intends to continue to provide opportunities for the people to appreciate wildlife in its native habitat. However, the wildlife management in the state of Washington shall not cause a reduction of recreational opportunity for hunting and fishing activities. The paramount responsibility of the department remains to preserve, protect, and perpetuate all wildlife species. Adequate funding for proper management, now and for future generations, is the responsibility of everyone.

The intent of the legislature is: (1) To allow the governor to select the director of wildlife; (2) to retain the authority of the wildlife commission to establish the goals and objectives of the department; (3) to insure a high level of public involvement in the decision-making process; (4) to provide effective communications among the commission, the governor, the legislature, and the public; (5) to expand the scope of appropriate funding for the management, conservation, and enhancement of wildlife; (6) to not increase the cost of license, tag, stamp, permit, and punchcard fees prior to January 1, 1990; and (7) for the commission to carry out any other responsibilities prescribed by the legislature in this title." [1987 c 506 § 1.]


References -- 1987 c 506: "All references in the Revised Code of Washington to the department of game, the game commission, the director of game, and the game fund shall mean, respectively, the department of wildlife, the wildlife commission, the director of wildlife, and the wildlife fund." [1987 c 506 § 99.]


Continuation of rules, director, game commission -- 1987 c 506: "Rules of the department of game existing prior to July 26, 1987, shall remain in effect unless or until amended or repealed by the director of wildlife or the wildlife commission pursuant to Title 77 RCW. The director of game on July 26, 1987, shall continue as the director of wildlife until resignation or removal in accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.17.020. The game commission on July 26, 1987, shall continue as the wildlife commission." [1987 c 506 § 100.]


Effective date -- Intent, construction -- Savings -- Severability -- 1980 c 78: See notes following RCW 77.04.010.

[FishinTechnician]

Pete, thanks for staying with this and keeping us advised. I sent an email to Brian Hatfield our representative in Olympia, asking where he stands on this issue and others having to do with fish management in the CR. One of his legislative priorities is suppose to fishing.

Thanks for the heads up Pete. Sent my concerns to Rep.Gallegos and Sen.Starr.

[Hottamale1]

Pete and all ifishers...

This meeting effects fishing on the Columbia...from I-5 to Bonneville Dam.

If you want to fish for Spring Chinook in this zone...it is very important that you attend this meeting.

Enough talking...time to do something about it!

Scott

[Pete]

It really is very important to have a strong showing of Ifishers on this issue. Nobody thinks I speak on behalf of anyone but myself. I've spent a great deal of time reading, talking and writing about this issue and others with the hope that we can muster a little bit of response to management issues that directly affect our fishing. This is a personal plea for you to send an e-mail. Humor me, OK?

[King Fisher]

Please click the link on Pete's post!!!!!!!!!! We need to write now, also we need to be their on thursday if at all possible. Keep this TTT.

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Pete

I will send out several letters in the next 24 hours.

I hope everyone who is going to the Sportsmen’s Show will take advantage of the fact that ODFW will have a booth and staff in attendance. Tell them you do not like the increase in wild steelhead take and ODFW’s inability to inform the public.

Be nice but be firm

[garyk]

Thanks for the reminder.

I've contacted Lindsay Ball, and contacted my State Rep. Betsy Johnson, who's been following the issue, again with this latest information.

C'mon folks, let's have full spinger season - put your computer to use and pitch in!

[ 02-02-2004, 10:34 PM: Message edited by: garyk ]

[Fish Hawk Adventures]

Guys, We need to really step it up with this issue!!!

I have wrote my letters and sent them on, we need support for the meeting on Thursday. There is a large conflict with the meeting time and date that has been choosen, There will be a large number of Guides and anglers that are going to be requred to be at the Sportsman show instead of at the ODFW meeting. So we need your help to voice our opinions and concerns. I am trying to figure out how I can attend when the show starts at 11:00 and the meeting is at 10:00.


IF YOU CARE ABOUT SPRING CHINOOK PLEASE ATTEND THE MEETING.

[David Johnson]

I just finished sending off my letters.

I'll be going to that meeting on Thursday too.

Come on and keep the momentum rolling.

[Pickles]

I will be there!

[straightweave]

Sent in my letters. Pete, I will also be there on Thursday.

mb

[Slade]

I fired off my messages. I hope you don't mind if I copied much of your letter Pete.

[Pete]

NSIA issued a press release this morning urging sport fishers to attend the Compact hearing on Thursday and to CONTINUE to write to your legislators and ODFW staff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The OR and WA Commissions gave instructions to their Directors, and they have met and dicussed Commission instructions. The outcome of that discussion is a two year, sport/commercial allocation agreement listed in the joint state press release below. NSIA is sad to report that for the sportfishers, the allowable impact share between sport and commercial went down from last three year agreement. The sport share of the impacts went down from 65/35 downstream of McNary dam to 60/40. This is not fair nor is it equitable to the people who spend nearly a decade on hydro management, hatchery funding, mass marking and conservation efforts necessary to turn the Columbia River Spring Chinook fishery into a reality.

While there is scant chance of changing the 60/40 agreement there are three important points you need to make to the Departments (e-mails in press releases) and to your legislators (links at end of my message). Please also copy NSIA with your letters. Send your e-mails now, then save your Thursday morning to pile into the compact meeting where the season structure will be set.

THE COMPACT MEETING TO SET THE SEASONS FOR SPORT AND COMMERCIAL FISHERIES STARTS @ 10:00 ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 at the Museum of the Oregon Territory located at 211 Tumwater Drive, OR City. Mapquest directions to the Museum of the Oregon Territory

Sportfishermen must pack this meeting and make the same messages that we made in our e-mails:

1) There MUST be a buffer on the commercial fleet, and they must be out of the water by March 15, or when they hit 80% of their impacts on ESA-listed fish. We cannot continue to manage the commercial fleet with the sport fleet as the insurance policy. Two out of the last three years the sportfleet was shut down due to over harvest by the commercial fleet. There must be a buffer, and the gill net fleet needs to get out of the water in time for the sport fleet to to have a quality fishery.

2) It is not fair, nor equitable to shut down thousands of angler trips and put the sportfishing community a step back because the commercial release mortlities are higher than the sport release mortalities.

3) We don't support a trippling of the wild winter steelhead mortalities to conduct the net fishery. Be sure to let your legislators and the departments know that this is unacceptable risk to triple the impacts on wild winter steelhead to conduct an experimental net fishery.

Write your legislator in Washington State

Write your legislator in Oregon State

[ 02-02-2004, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

[Pete]

Here's the letter I sent to my state senator, state representative and cc:'d to Director Ball and Administrator Bowles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Senator Brown and Representative Rosenbaum;

I am a voting, Democratic from your district and I would like to urge your involvement in a critical issue.

The ODFW has management responsibility for salmon fisheries in our state and joint responsibility for the fishery in the Columbia River. Much of their duty involves maintaining compliance with the Endangered Species Act and managing the impacts of fishing for hatchery fish in an area where stocks of threatened and endangered fish co-exist. The process of determining when and how long sport and commercial fishers may pursue the hatchery fish is restricted by the impact on fish listed under the ESA. When the impact quota is reached, fishing must stop. This is especially true during the spring chinook fishery.

This is a very important issue because the sport fishery is very important to Oregon economically, socially and environmentally. Friends, relatives and tourists plan time in Oregon to pursue the magnificent icon of our corner of the world, the Chinook Salmon. Perhaps most important, sportfishers have a very low impact rate on the wild, ESA-listed fish, relative to the indiscriminate gill nets of the commercial fleet. Sport fishing returns many times the economic benefit to Oregon at with significantly less negative impact on listed species!

However, ODFW increased the impact permitted to the commercial netters from what it was the last few years, at the expense of sport fishermen. This reduces the economic value of the sport fishery and sends the message that protecting wild salmon, listed under the Endangered Species Act is not as important as protecting a fleet of less than 200 commercial fishermen.

In the last couple years, the commercials have not been able to live within their allowable impact allocation, resulting in the premature closure of the sport fishery. If the sport season is unexpectedly cut short again, Oregon loses, again. This is not fair. ODFW should be encouraged to set an impact buffer to prevent this unfair outcome. The final decision on this will be made on Thursday, February 5th, 2004.

Please call ODFW Director Ball to let him know that your constituents are concerned about the potential unfair consequence of their Columbia Spring Chinook allocation decision. His immediate action can avert that possibility by requiring the commercial nets be out of the river when they reach 80% of their impact allocation and no later than March 15, 2004. The nets can catch more than their allocation in a single day. This buffer is critical to protecting the value of the sport fishery and protecting listed stocks of salmon and steelhead.

Thank you.

Sincerely,


Pete Morris

[Pete]

This is our last chance at getting the season to remain open through April. Without a buffer, our season may be cut short - again. It's going to take a lot of us to get our legislators involved BEFORE THURSDAY to get a commercial impact buffer in place. There isn't one now ... let's see if we can make a difference!

[Reel Premier]

Pete.

I just sent messages to my state senator and reresentative. Thank you for keeping us ifishers up to date on this important topic. I will also be at the meeting on Thursday.

[ZaQ]

I have to work on Thursday, I don't think they really care about our opinion anyway. If they did, they would have the meeting on a weekend where more of us could attend.

[fishnbus]

I, also, have sent an email to my state senator and representative with a cc. to Director Ball. I will be attending the Thursday meeting as a show of support. Dennis

[Pitch Pocket]

How about posting the address of Director Ball and Administrator Bowles.

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Lindsay.A.Ball@DFW.STATE.OR.US

Ed.Bowles@DFW.STATE.OR.US

[stevo]

Here's mine:
Mr. Ball and Mr. Bowles,

I am very disappointed to hear that the spring chinook allocation is swinging even farther in favor of the commercial gillnetters. Where is the democracy in this? We, sport anglers, are many and they, commercials, are few. This amounts to nothing more than another unsustainable industry requiring taxpayer subsidies. My fishing license and harvest tag cost $10 more than last year, and now there will be less fish for me to pursue, that is just not fair.

I am a young man, with a good job. I pay a lot of taxes and I VOTE. I have a little boat, suitable only for the calmer waters of the Willamette river. I look forward to Springer season with much anticipation. Last year I caught my first springer on my 35th birthday, it is a memory I will not soon forget. That fish came after many trips on the Willamette, trips on which I spent money, locally mind you, on; gas, bait, ice, food, launch fees, tackle, the list goes on. I am a very inefficient springer fisherman, while a gillnetter is the model of efficiency. This inefficiency on my part makes me good for the Oregon economy, which we all know needs all the help it can get.



Please consider the following points when your decision is made this Thursday, I would be there in OR city but work prevents me.



A harvest "Buffer" for the gill netters to prevent their over harvest.
* Keep the Columbia from I-5 to Bonneville open, even if a days of the week closure is required.
* Please do not allow future attempts of the gill netters to increase mortality quotas on steelhead.



The last 2 years Commercial fishermen have taken more of their share of the catch quota. The last 2 years this “over-catch” has been taken out of the sport anglers allotment. This is not fair. It is time for them to toe the line. You can make them do that by cutting their allotment, they will go over, it’s hard not to, but if cut back enough then sport anglers will not have to suffer for their greed.



Do the right thing, for the sake of fairness and for Oregon.



Thank you



Stephen A. Blum

[West Linn Wader]

Sent my messages & should be able to make the meeting Thursday. Thx Pete and pls tack this to the top.

GS/WLW

[Full Freezer]

Took a day off to attend the meeting Thursday and will hit the Portland Sportsman Show before & head home that night.

Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Ifishers! If you cannot attend, please send your Emails! Now is the time to apply the weight of our sportsfishing community interests.

See you Thursday.

[fishbait]

Just did mine.............

[Gun Rod Bow]

Bump

[fishchaser]

I sent mine off to the legislature. Still don't know if I can make the meeting. I am doing everything I can to make it. I know everyone needs to be there. Maybe we should bring our boats? let them see how much money is involved in this sport.

[puffins crew]

Done.

Thanks for the heads up, Pete.

Peace, Tom

[Diehard]

Pete, finally a positive response!!
We are getting some attention!!
Received this today from Sen. Don Benton (17th District; Washington):

"Dear Commissioners,

It is my understanding that you have made the decision to increase the impact permitted to the commercial netters from what it was the last few years at the expense of sport fishermen. In the last couple of years, the commercials have not been able to live within their allowable impact allocation, resulting in the premature closure of the sport fishery. If the sport season is unexpectedly cut short again, SW Washington loses again. This is not fair. I encourage you to set an impact buffer to prevent this unfair outcome.

Again, sport fishery is very important to SW Washington economically, socially and environmentally. Sport fishing returns "many times" the economic benefit to Washington with significantly less negative impact on listed species."

Please consider my request.

Warmest Regards,


Senator Don Benton
Seventeenth District


Keep those letters flowing!!
It's working!!

[Pete]

My boat and I thank those of you who've helped try to make sure we are treated fairly in the springer allocation. There's still time to make our voices heard. We'll see if there's reason for celebration at the end of the week. Keep the e-mails flowing!

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

ttt

[Slade]

Well I sent an e-mail to my legislators, neither of which I voted for, and I received a nice reply from Rep. Mitch Greenlick.


"I certainly agree with you. What I will do first tomorrow is to find out who the legislative contact person is for ODFW and forward your e-mail to them with clear notation that I agree. If that doesn't get some proper quick response I'll ask my staff to get back to me during the day and I'll try to get through to the director. More later.

Mitch"

I don't know if this is just political talk, but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because I appreciate the personal reply. Heck, I might even vote for the guy next time around.

[Diehard]

Pete,
Thanks for all your work and info on this and everything else that is important to sport fishing. Here is a response from one of my reps. in Washington:

"Thank you for your message in regard to the Columbia River Spring Chinook
allocation. I appreciate hearing your views about this issue.

As you know, The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has determined
that, in the 2004 and 2005 Columbia River Spring Chinook fisheries, sport
anglers should be granted 60 percent of the allowable impacts to wild fish,
and commercial fishers should receive 40 percent, with in-season flexibility
of up to 5 percent. I understand that this isn't the 70% allocation that
sport fishers would prefer, but it an improvement to the 45-50% proposed
earlier.

The commission delegated authority to Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife Director Jeff Koenings to work with the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife on a joint agreement between the states. The Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission recently ruled that sport fishers should have 50-to-60
percent of the allowable impacts to wild fish, and commercial fishers
40-to-50 percent.

Biologists expect 360,700 upriver-origin spring Chinook, including both
hatchery and wild fish, to enter the Columbia River this year. This year's
run is expected to be the second-largest on record since construction of
Bonneville Dam in the late 1930s. Another 26,900 fish are predicted to
return to the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers.

Although fisheries have increased greatly, they are still tightly restricted
in order to meet conservation guidelines under the Endangered Species Act,
which can lead to a divergence between commercial and recreational
objectives. Both commissions have sought to address this through several
public input and involvement steps in the development and implementation of
allocation decisions between commercial and recreational fisheries.

The final allocation decision will be announced in a Feb. 5 meeting of
Washington and Oregon fish managers, known as the Columbia River Compact,
after the directors from both agencies have reached an allocation agreement.


Please feel free to contact me with any additional comments or concerns. I
value the input I receive and hope that you will continue to share your
thoughts with me."

Best regards,

Deb

Deb Wallace
State Representative
Assistant Majority Whip
17th Legislative District

Not once did she mention the 80% impact allocation that I suggested in my letter, not to mention the March 15th date. I used the same percentage and date as in your letter, as it made sense to me.
Her response sounded like more lip service to me. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] It just shows how important our attendance
is at the meeting on the 5th. Business permitting, I will be there.
Thanks againg Pete, for all of your work.

[ 02-03-2004, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Diehard ]

[Predator Dawg]

Funny Diehard, that is the exact, verbatum response I received from Rep Ruth Kagi. Looks like our gov. has a template everyone is using so they don't have to even bother themselves with our concerns. This really irritates me, thank goodness they are elected so I can show them how much I care about their lack of caring.

PD

[West Linn Wader]

ttt

[iwanttofish]

Is it possible to start a petition to stop gill nets this would be great if it could be done at the sportsmans show. What a great place to do it.

The meetings how long do they last. I can not get there untill 10:30 or so on thursday.

[Pete]

The meeting Thursday starts at 10 and the Allocation decision is "Item D". How long it lasts depends largely on how much testimony is offered and how much time they give to each person.

[RiverRogue]

Representative Billy Dalto, Senator Peter Courtney, Director Lidsay Ball, Fish Div. Admin'r Bowles have all heard from me. I am going to be at the meeting also.

[Bluetick]

IFISHERS This is the response I got from my state legislator


Jeff I do not get to vote on the allocation nor do I have significant input
on the matter however, I did make my thoughts known to the department as
they negotiated this matter with the state of Oregon. It is my
understanding that the allocation decision was put at 65/35 in favor of
sport fishers.

Thanks for the note.

Joe


Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 6:59 PM
To: Zarelli, Sen. Joseph
Subject: SALMON FISHERIES


SENATE INTERNET E-MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE

TO: Senator Joseph Zarelli

[slabhunter]

e-mail sent.

[Hog One]

Pete I sent my letters last night.I hope it helps.

[blacktail519]

Pete, I very much appreciate all of your information, and interest in all of us.... I sent my letter off today. Thanks, Todd

[Pete]

I want to thank everyone that's taken the time to help ensure we get the best fishery we can. I hope to meet some of you tomorrow and others on Friday ... You'll recognize me as the quiet, dumpy guy with glasses.

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Pete will be easy to find…

Just look for the guy who actually knows what he is talking about… that will be Pete.

[David Johnson]

TTT

[Chris Nordling]

Out the door.......


Wish us luck.

GO TEAM SPRINGER SPORTSFISHERMAN !

Chris

[Tanner]

Can't make the meeting but I sent my letters off to my Rep and Sen. Hope I wasn't too late.