Positive feedback

David Johnson · 02-04-2004, 10:12 AM

I sent out my letter to my Senator and Rep and received back some possitive feedback.

Here's my letter:

Senator Metsger and Representative Flores,

On February 5th Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will meet to set the '04 sport and commercial seasons for Columbia River Spring Chinook.

This year they have opted to increase the allowable impact the commercial fishermen are allowed for endangered salmon as well as triple the allowed impact of wild winter steelhead.

This is not fair. The commercial release modalities are higher than the sport release mortalities and two out of the last three years the sport fleet was shut down due to over harvest by the commercial fleet. This is a disappointing trend. Oregon communities loose every time the sport fishing is shut down.

The allowed impact on the wild steelhead is especially unacceptable. These are beautiful fish heading to many of the Columbia tributaries were they provide additional fishing opportunities at no additional cost.

Sport fishers have a very low impact rate on the wild, ESA-listed fish.

Please let ODFW Director Ball know that your constituents are
disappointed with this potential unfairness.

If the commercial nets are out of the river when they
reach 80% of their impact allocation and are allowed to fish no later than March 15, then acceptable numbers of listed salmon and steelhead will be protected and a quality sport fishing season will be available to the public.

Thank you very much for your time,

David Johnson
Now fishing winter steelhead
www.davidjohnsonfishing.com

Senator Metsger sent me this e-mail in reply:

Quote:

Dear Dave,

Thanks for the e-mail. I have been activley working on this issue and
have met twice with director ball and communicated with each
commissioner. I am glad we have moved up the sport catch some from the
original commission recommendation but agree with you that a buffer
between seasons is critical to ensure a full sprt season. While I cannot
attend Thursday in person I am drafting a wriiten testimony to be read
by a constituent on my behalf that morning. Thanks for your advocacy.

Rick metsger

David Johnson · 02-04-2004, 10:17 AM

I also forwarded that letter to NSIA and they replied:

Great job, David, we are saving this for our files. PS your two legislators are all over this issue, so your letter supports their efforts, and lets them know that people notice their work. They actually wrote letters to the Commission trying to get a better sport allocation, and when we did not they were ****ed! We are going to have to stay on this intensively for a couple of year, but with the involved of NSIA members like you, we'll get there. Remember the gillnetters were organized decades before we were, so please don't get discouraged at how slow things move . Also, one of my presidents told me once, that for the sportfishing community (unfortunately) one of the best things that can happen is the WORST thing to happen. Sad, but true, this mess is really galvanizing folks. I just hope they focus productively like you do. Thanks again, I couldn't do this without your help. Liz

The bold face is mine.

Gun Rod Bow · 02-04-2004, 05:15 PM

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 02-04-2004, 05:30 PM

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Dave, I have attended these commission meetings in the past and provided testimony...Liz is right, the commercial side is always in attendance and organized...We have to have more people like yourself fighting for our share of this resource...Any person who knows anything about business & economics knows what the sportsman dollars mean to these communities along the Columbia River...I know what I spend and I enjoy ever penny I spend in those communities I go to, to enjoy the sport I love.

This is a battle every year...and we have to keep fighting the battle to assure we support our economy via sportfishing.

Thanks for your efforts and those efforts of NSIA.