The only way this will happen is to find a replacment for Ted Kulongoski. Start thinking now about a replacement. Our new Governor needs to be able to clear the Commision and start with fresh memebers.
The only way to have full spring chinook seasons on the Columbia River is to lessen the handling mortality for all fisheries. Shifting ESA impacts from one group to another does nothing to save wild fish. If you want more fishing time for spring chinook there needs to be a better way to select hatchery fish from native fish than any of the methods used today. My idea is sepration at the fish passage facilities, it can be done with ittle expense and no more impact than the salmon currently have in the ladders already.
The only way to have full spring chinook seasons on the Columbia River is to lessen the handling mortality for all fisheries. Shifting ESA impacts from one group to another does nothing to save wild fish. If you want more fishing time for spring chinook there needs to be a better way to select hatchery fish from native fish than any of the methods used today. My idea is sepration at the fish passage facilities, it can be done with ittle expense and no more impact than the salmon currently have in the ladders already.
Betty, I understand your view, but I'm ot sure I understand your point. I don't believe we can compare sport fishing to gillnetting, fish traps or holding pens. Simply not the same thing. I understand your concern with wild/native fish, but not your comparison for "handling mortalities". There are fisheries in all parts of this country that practice "catch and release" for survival of fish populations, from trout, bass, snook, redfish to sailfish, marlin and sturgeon. All of these species have been brought back from near extinction, without the loss of sport fishing. It is already a law that we can't keep wild/native fish from most rivers, esentially creating a catch and release system, although that is not how it is listed in the regulations. There are rivers in oregon that are catch and release only fisheries, and have some of the best fishing in the state. So unless I'm misunderstanding your explaination of "handling mortalities", I don't see how sports fishing is having a major effect on the salmon and steelhead fisheries.
While that sounds good to some users, it may not be good to another.
Lets look at the numbers here.
Sportfisherman were given 36 days to fish teh river this spring. That is the amount of days it takes to use up the 60% of impacts.
Now you eliminate the gilnets from teh main river and the sportfisherman get 100% of the impacts and you now get 40% more time , thus taking your season to a full 7 days a week and possibly two fish a day. The econmic impact is beyond comprehension.
Now you look at the 4 days it takes the netters to use up there impact and you see the the gain to our eceonomy is huge if we use the safe plan and get the nets out of the main river. It's a win, win for all users except the willamette, where they stole the fish before they pulled the nets.
Chumkiller - Gov. John Kitzhaber was the most pro-fish and fishing Governor that Oregon has had in many decades.
To change the ODFW commission, the governor's nominees have to be approved by the Senate. Kitzhaber was consistantly thwarted by ranching, logging and agriculture lobbyists who didn't want ODFW to advocate for fish, and didn't want fishing impinging on their industries. They bent the Senate to their will.
The point of this is -- don't look for a single person to perform miracles. It doesn't work that way.
It will happen if Oregon anglers continue to work for change, and use all the tools and strategies our democracy has given us.
There is a very plain and simple solution to this problem. Our BLM solved a similar problem in Eastern Oregon that the West side recreationists created. You are going to have a set number of fish to catch in the Columbia this spring. Everyone right now is gearing up to spend as many days and hours as possible to catch as many as "they" can. Thus, the quota is going to be met a lot sooner and the possibility of an early shut down always looms. The river is crowded bumper to bumper with fishermen. Do what BLM did to the Deschutes and make you apply for permits to fish with a set amount of fishermen on the river on any given day. The average fisherman would probably get to fish every other day with a permit system. Quotas would be met at a slower rate and letting the season extend for more fishing. Everyone should be able to get fish. Over on the Deschutes, the rafters swarmed the river so bad the BLM and other agencied enacted a permit system to deal with the numbers. Not sure how it is working, but you don't hear a lot of complaints. I am sure a majority are sitting there thinking I am crazy, but something is going to have to change to keep fishing viable and sustainable for future generations. A permit system would extend seasons and I feel give all fishermen equal opportunity. It is probably beyond some of you imagining this, but I didn't think it would happen or work over here on the Deschutes either. 99.9% chance it will never happen, but? Just my :twocents:
I find it highly ironic that you think he is pro-gillnetting when his marine reserve proposals have him tabbed as a liberal environmentalist by the commercial industry (and some sporties). How does the commercial industry see him marching one way but you (and most sporties on this web site) see him marching the other way .
Guess I don't see where he actually stands :shrug:
Good point, but I believe the Governor being pro-gillnet is actually not a move to the right, but goes right along with his normal left wing tactics. He's actually being anti-business because of the of all that is lost by sport fishing supported businesses (hotels, fuel, tackle and boat manufacturers, guides, etc). Support for the netters is anti-business the way I see it. :twocents:
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